Colours of El Salvador

Upon arrival to El Salvador International Airport you will be met at airport and transferred to your San Salvador City Hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

San Salvador is the second largest city of Central America with a population of about 1.8 million people. Today you will enjoy a San Salvador city tour starting in downtown. You will visit the Metropolitan Cathedral which substitutes the previous edifications destroyed by earthquakes or fires. The Cathedral is surprisingly wide and large (Neo-Romanesque and Byzantine) and celestial drawings are painted on its cupola. Inside stand a wooden figure of the Divine Savior of the World and the tomb of Archbishop Romero, a martyr and an important figure for El Salvador. Rosario church is also an interesting stop. With its bizarre building, it holds the grave of Father Jose Matias Delgado, a very important figure of the Central America independence.

Then you will visit El Boqueron, the crater of San Salvador Volcano. Locals say that it has this name since the crater resembles a big mouth (Boqueron = Big Mouth). At approximately 1,700 meters above sea level, it provides a cool climate in between 15 - 23C. You will be able to walk to the edge of the crater and admire its beauty.

After this you will continue to Joya de Ceren archaeological site. El Salvador is part of the Maya World, and you will visit its main archaeological site. Joya de Ceren was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. This agricultural community was buried by the ashes of Volcano Caldera back in 600 AD for which it is also known as the "Pompeii of the Americas", even though no bodies were found, a sign that its inhabitants received prompt warning of the eruption. Thanks to the excellent preservation, this site allows us to witness the everyday lives of the Mesoamerican agricultures of such time period; you can witness their homes, beds, crop fields and even saunas. This makes it a unique place within the Maya World. There is also a comprehensive museum on site. After lunch you will continue to Suchitoto.

Today you will learn about Indigo and enjoy Suchitoto, one of El Salvador's colonial towns. Its name means the place of the Flower Bird. You will walk along the charming cobblestone streets surrounded by lovely old colonial homes. Suchitoto is home to Santa Lucia Church, built in 1853, majestically situated in the town's central square.

Indigo is a natural colorant extracted from the Xiquilite plant. It was a very important element for the Mayans since they used it for magical/religious rituals, as a medical plant, for pottery, and for painting. When the Spanish "Conquistadores" arrived to El Salvador in 1524, Indigo became the new source of wealth in the region. Pedro de Alvarado noticed how the Indians used several shades of blue in their clothes. In 1558, the Habsburg King Charles I ordered the territories of Guatemala and Cuscatlan (El Salvador), to produce indigo for Spain. The commercial route was through Granada, then to Cartagena de Indias from where it travelled to Spain. In the XVII century the ounce of indigo was as valuable as gold. El Salvador indigo, has always been recognized as top quality worldwide. You will learn the process of indigo as well as art techniques used on clothing as you experiment in designing your own scarf.

Depart from Suchitoto to Volcanoes National Park, where three amazing volcanoes (Izalco Volcano, Santa Ana Volcano and Cerro Verde) embrace beautiful Coatepeque Lake which fills a crater of another volcano. Izalco Volcano is one of the youngest volcanoes in America since it was born in the 1700's, whereas Santa Ana Volcano is thousands of years old. Izalco Volcano was known as the "Lighthouse of the Pacific" since its lava guided the ships on the Pacific Ocean Coast. No lava is currently flowing, but both volcanoes are still active since constant fumaroles are present. In Cerro Verde, located in the middle of the other two volcanoes, you will walk around its extinct crater providing breathtaking views of Izalco and Santa Ana and Coatepeque Lake.

Transfer to Flower Route for overnight.

The Flower Route is a coffee plantation area in the Western side of El Salvador. It is composed of 4 main towns and it has a comfortable weather due to the altitude. The towns are Nahuizalco, Juayua, Apaneca, and Ataco. The region offers amazing views of mountains and volcanoes, also offers crafts, coffee tours, charming towns, markets, and adventure options.

You will visit a coffee plantation and if the tour is done within coffee season (DEC-MAR), you will be able to collect coffee yourself alongside the locals. After this experience, a guided tour will explain each step of the coffee process. Travelers will be able to buy coffee products and crafts as souvenirs. You will enjoy lunch in a charming restaurant of the area.

In the afternoon, travelers will be able to enjoy optional adventures such as horseback riding, mountain bike, ATV tour, or a zip line tour.

El Imposible was established as a National Park in 1989. The name El Imposible comes from the sharply broken topography and its variable altitude ranging from 300 to 1,450 meters above sea level throughout its 3,800 hectares. It is a tropical dry forest (or tropical mountain forest) and considered endangered. It contains the largest number of wild flora and fauna species in the country: 500 species of trees, 500 butterflies, 30 big sized mammals, 270 different migratory birds and 13 species of fish since 7 rivers born within the reserve.

Transfer to San Salvador.

After breakfast you will be transferred back to the airport for your onward flight.