I’d heard about its reputation before we decided to go to central America. I even read many articles advising those travelling in the country to steer well clear of its largest city. Dirty, seedy and dangerous were just some of the words that painted a very negative picture of Belize City. I had to go; if a place was this awful I needed to see it for myself. It didn’t disappoint.

We arrived on the passenger boat from Caye Caulker at around 9.30am. Our plans were open; we had a place booked for the following night in the west of Belize but for a day and a half we were free to go wherever the delights of the city and beyond would lead us. In the end we didn’t manage two hours.

Leaving the ferry terminal we walked south across the famous swing bridge (famed for its unusual engineering pedigree rather than its aesthetic qualities). While the area immediately around the creek is full of touts offering something or other, once away from the water Belize has the feel of a pleasant sleepy city, albeit one that has seen better days. Faded colours on the exteriors of the wooden houses provide a perfect compliment to the untidy pot-holed streets.

Half an hour was enough to walk along Regent Street, past the grandeur of the Supreme Court and as far as St John’s Cathedral. A school Christmas concert was under way as we peered through the doors of the attractive church, so we continued on Albert Street, back towards the centre of town.

It is to the north side of the creek that all the action takes place. From the swing bridge, along Front Street and onto Fort Street there is a long line of touts who pounce on any passing tourist. Boat trips, taxi rides and horse-drawn carriage tours are the main offerings while you can also buy every type of trinket that you’ll find anywhere else in the tourist world.

The sellers here are persistent and plentiful rather than unpleasant in any way, but the hassle is relentless. In other parts of the world the traders may beckon tourists just as eagerly but the atmosphere of the surroundings creates a charm to the experience; not here. A line of run-down semi-derelict buildings and an unattractive waterfront beside the optimistically named Tourist Village complex complete the backdrop for the sorry scene.

We headed for a cafe for refreshments and were soon accosted by a young man selling sunscreen. Once we had shown him our recently purchased bottle he switched to begging for money and was very persistent. By this point we’d had enough and took a cab to the municipal airport for the short flight south to the peace and calm of Dangriga.

All of which makes me wonder why so many cruise ships dock here. Their passengers step off, run the gauntlet of earring and pony trap sellers and then get back on their ships and sail away. For what?

I heard the findings of a recent survey of cruise ship passengers coming to Belize. Of those who stepped off the boat and didn’t venture beyond Belize City, 99% said that they would never return to Belize. By contrast, of those who took day trips inland around three quarters would happily come back to the country. Neither finding surprises me.

Of course Belize City has some major social and economic issues and analysing it from a tourism perspective provides only a very narrow viewpoint. But of all the cities I’ve ever visited this would be near the bottom of the pile as a tourist destination; if the Belize government insists on using this as a showcase of their nation, they need to do something quickly to address the damage that the city is doing to the country’s image.

Belize City: does it deserve its awful reputation? is a post from: 501 Places

Quetzaltenango is Guatemala’s second city. One theory (mine) is that the city grew quicker and larger than anyone expected and by the time they realised the mistake they’d made in picking such a complicated name for a major place it was too late. So the name of Quetzaltenango had to stay. Thankfully, most folks now call it Xela.

We had scheduled two nights in Xela, the second of which would be New Year’s Eve. Having read that this was the no.1 centre for language schools in Guatemala, we were confident that the student population would ensure a lively New Year celebration.

We spent the day of the 31st exploring the city’s streets. Apart from two huge markets there is little to see in Xela outside of the main square, although it has a pleasant, relaxed air that belies its status as a major state capital. The city is apparently also home to the apparently excellent Natural History Museum, although as the 31st was a public holiday we could only wonder what was inside.

Xela is a cool contrast to Antigua – it’s high altitude ensures that the warm December days are quickly replaced by very chilly nights. We needed every layer we’d brought with us for our evenings out.

New Year in Xela

Heading into the square at around 7pm we sat and watched as families played with their boxes of fireworks and ate food from the nearby market stalls. The cathedral nearby was filled to capacity for the 8pm mass, with TV screens relaying the action from the altar to those who couldn’t get a seat or who were too far back to see properly.

We left the building crowds in the square at around 8.30 to have our meal in a south Indian restaurant (of course); it was surprisingly good, although having to talk to Indian waiters in Spanish took a more conscious mental adjustment that it should have done.

Returning to the square around 10pm we were encouraged by the sound of the crowds getting ever more lively, with an increasing number of firecrackers going off in every direction. The adjacent market was doing brisk trade and we ambled through, freshly baked churros in our cold hands as we browsed the home-made Latino pop CDs and hot punch for sale.

Staying out for two hours in the cold was not on, so we left the crowd of cheerful revellers behind and ordered a couple of drinks at a nearby bar. Soon a ten-piece band struck up and filled the spacious room with the sound of salsa. While they would probably never make it big even in Quetzaltenango, they provided us with entertainment until 11.40, when we decided it was time to join the massed ranks in the square and ring in the New Year in style.

Where’s the party?

We stepped out and got a big shock – the square was deserted! The street party that had been brewing nicely when we left had finished, and the area now had the uneasy atmosphere for which many large Latin American cities are notorious. What was worse, I had just spent my final quetzales on a round of drinks, meaning that a cab was no longer an option.

We walked briskly back to our guest house, arriving back two minutes before midnight. And then, at the stroke of twelve, it became suddenly clear where everyone had gone – from every neighbourhood, and seemingly from every single home, the incessant sound of fireworks boomed out across the night, while colourful rockets flew up from every direction. It was nearly an hour before the noise calmed down and the people of Xela continued their celebrations in relative calm.

So if you’re ever in this part of the world and plan to celebrate the New Year in style, don’t make our mistake and expect a celebration in the public square. In this family-oriented culture the party is where perhaps it should rightly be: in the family home.

Quetzaltenango and the New Year that didn’t go to plan is a post from: 501 Places

Before we even landed on the American continent, the visit to the active slopes of Volcan Pacaya was at the top of our list of anticipated experiences. Having stood on Kilauea in Hawaii 10 years ago and gasped in wonder as molten lava flowed past our feet we were excited at the prospect of a repeat experience. This time it was going to be better – we were going at night and pictures we’d seen had whet our appetite for was sure to be a spectacular sight.

Antigua travel agencies

A gentle five minute stroll through the centre of Antigua will pass at least half a dozen tour companies, each selling Pacaya tours as their headline product. The typical tour will last for around six hours, including the 1.5 hour drive to and from the national park. The cost is around $10, with some agencies offering the trip for as little as $8. We didn’t shop around for the cheapest – in fact on the back of a trusted recommendation we intended to shun the cheap tours and opt for a private option, with our own driver to the park and a dedicated guide to climb the volcano. This costs around $45 – still a very reasonable cost for a day trip for two.

We couldn’t however find anyone offering this private tour and rather than waste a precious day going in and out of agencies we ended up booking the standard $10 package.

The two big questions

I asked two questions to the agent:

1. Will we see lava? We were assured that we certainly would.

2. Do we need to bring a torch? We were told it was not required as kids from the village would be selling them for a few cents at the start of the hike.

In both cases I received inaccurate/misleading replies. If you heading to Pacaya on the evening hike, please note:

1. You will NOT see lava on a Pacaya day trip (of course the situation will change in the future)

2. Bring a torch/flashlight – there are no kids selling them when you get there!

In fact, there was a major burst of volcanic activity in May 2010 and no lava has been seen since. This was explained to us by our guide as we sat watching the sunset and as members of the group, one by one, asked him where the lava was.

Climbing Pacaya

The kids that greet the minibus at the start of the climb are selling walking sticks, not torches. They are also incessantly offering ‘taxi rides’ up the slope on the half dozen or so horses that were standing idly by the parking lot. We all declined the offer of the ride and the young boys followed us regardless.

I had been sick for the previous 12 hours and had not eaten anything that day. I had underestimated my loss of physical strength as a result and before too long I had to swallow my pride and make use of the taxi service. I suspect I managed to break some sort of equestrian record in dismounting my ride as my nausea rose to an inevitable conclusion; I made the verge just in time, much to everyone’s relief (not least the horse’s).

We reached the top just in time to witness a spectacular sunset. It might have been a magical moment had we not been sharing it with around 50 noisy others. The temperature dropped quickly and as we layered up we were reminded that we only had 10 minutes to enjoy the view and that we needed to start our descent very shortly.

Unnecessary danger

I am not someone to get annoyed easily but the only words I can think of to describe the organisation of this tour are reckless and negligent. As we descended the slippery sharp rocks on our 1.5 hour return walk to the minibus, total darkness soon enveloped us. The ground, at first difficult to see, soon became completely invisible and we were walking as if blind. Two of our group of 14 had weak torches (they had clearly booked with a different agent or had prior advice), but their light didn’t help the rest of us.

Actually, three had a torch. The guide also flashed one a couple of times, but for the most part he galloped ahead while texting people on his phone. He clearly knew these slopes intimately. Yet despite the fact that most of us fell at least once on our way down (and I can attest that those sharp volcanic stones can do some damage to the palm of a hand that instinctively reaches out to protect a fall) he totally disregarded the welfare of his group.

Presumably he’d just arranged a date, as his only contribution was to keep urging us to hurry, despite us telling him constantly to slow down. I was in no.2 position in our human chain that wound tentatively down the rocky slope, yet more often than not he was out of sight, only brought back by our calls for him to wait.

It was a relief when we made it back to our bus in one piece and I can’t say that the guide received many tokens of gratitude as he left us to go wherever it was he was so keen to get to.

How to do Pacaya

Pacaya is a very worthwhile day trip from Antigua and I would not want to dissuade anyone from visiting (although not worth battling through sickness to do). The views from Pacaya are very impressive and a hike in such a barren environments is something that should not be missed.

At this time however the experience on the day tour is little different from the evening one, and I would certainly recommend this as the more pleasant, easier and most importantly the safer option to take.

If you can take the option of a private tour, you may also be free to enjoy a longer stay at the top without having to rush down to meet the whims of a group guide.

Pacaya volcano, Guatemala – how NOT to see it is a post from: 501 Places

Antigua: Arco de Santa Catalina with Volcan Agua in the distance

Step along any of the cobbled streets of Antigua and reminders of its past glory are everywhere to be seen. The weary old buildings that have survived both age and numerous earthquakes bare their scars openly and without shame. The streets themselves obey strictly the grid pattern that is typical of most cities in Central America, although to call them neat and orderly would perhaps be misleading.

The stunning facade of La Merced

It’s not only the many pot holes that you need to watch here while negotiating the city streets – Antigua attracts more tourists than any other city in Central America and having arrived here from El Salvador the contrast was dramatic. Tour groups are everywhere and a walk along any of the main streets leading from the Parque Central will probably mean stepping aside while a group shuffles past in hot pursuit of the umbrella-wielding guide.

Antigua is the perfect tourist destination, with infinite photo opportunities, restaurants and bars to suit every taste. The city boasts more hotels than anywhere else in the country and has built an infrastructure to meet every need for backpacker and luxury traveller alike. Launderettes, jewellery shops, tour operators, gift shops and internet cafes (what more could you ever need?) are in abundance along the historic streets of this ancient capital.

One of the many old doorways the line the cobbled streets of Antigua

We took a couple of days to explore the city. Sadly we both choose our time in Antigua to suffer our first sickness of the trip, meaning that we had to slow down our usual fast paced exploration of a new city. Antigua is blessed with countless old churches, and a random stroll through the streets reveals many surprising finds: shells of old churches destroyed by earthquakes or human neglect, old convents and peaceful courtyards hidden behind carved wooden doors.

Cerro de la Cruz - a popular place to hang out and gaze down on the city below

From most points in the city the skyline is dominated by three volcanoes, creating one of the most dramatic backdrops to any city. Closer to home is the Cerro de la Cruz – this hill on the edge of the city is topped by a large cross (as the name suggests) and is a brisk 30 minute walk from the centre of town. It is a popular spot for families to come and enjoy the views over the city and also for local teenage lovers to escape the gaze of their parents for a little while (there is a local saying regarding the hill that “two go up and three come down”).

Reflections of past glory - Antigua served as the regional capital for over 200 years

Antigua is the big draw for all visitors to this part of Latin America and it’s easy to see why it attracts so much hype. It is well equipped to accommodate thousands of tourists in good hotels, and it’s perfect to stroll around for a couple of days admiring the old buildings in between visiting the countless eating and drinking places that line the tightly-packed streets.

Beans for sale in the busy market

Will you see a slice of typical Guatemala in Antigua? Unlikely; it would perhaps be naive to expect that from such a popular stop on the tourist trail. But is it worthy of the hype? As someone who loves strolling aimlessly amid grand old architecture, even in a state of decay such as this, I would say it is. Just make sure you read the earthquake advice cards in your hotel – there’s plenty of evidence around you that in Antigua there’s good reason to be prepared.

Ancient courtyards provide cool relief from the midday sun

The smoking Volcan Fuego provides a dramatic skyline at sunset

Fountain in Antigua's Parque Central by night

Related posts:

Travels in Guatemala – a day on the chicken bus

Antigua, Guatemala: historic marvel or tourist trap? is a post from: 501 Places

I’ve written extensively about our adventures in El Salvador over the last couple of weeks, and have enjoyed hearing from others who have ventured to this small and much over-looked country. Before I move on to the many other highlights of our Central American journey I wanted to collate some of our best memories into one photo post.

So here, after a very careful selection process, is a selection of our highlights of El Salvador:

Santa Ana

One of El Salvador’s biggest cities, Santa Ana is a very pleasant place to explore on foot. The most impressive building in the city is surely the Theatre, with its immaculately restored lavish interior – we oohed and aahed our way around the cavernous interior of this 100 year old architectural masterpiece, built on the profits of the nearby coffee plantations. The cathedral in the main square is also worth a look, while most visitors to the city will enjoy getting lost in the narrow alleys of the street market.

Parque Nacional Los Volcanes

The best day hike on our whole trip, this 4 hour walk took us to the crater rim of a volcano that last had a major eruption only 5 years ago. The effort is rewarded generously by the incredible view into the crater when you reach the top. More on our climb in my Volcan Santa Ana post.

La Ruta de las Flores

We could have spent much longer along the Ruta de las Flores. Dotted with pretty villages and a gentle laid-back vibe, it is a part of the country that really does deserve many more visitors than it currently receives.

Our no. 1 highlight was without doubt the swim in the cascading waterfalls of los Chorros de la Calera, a easy and pleasant hike from Juayua.

Beyond our fun splashing in the waterfall, the pretty towns along the route make for a very pleasant day of hopping on and off the regular buses, and in and out of the many cafes along the way.

San Salvador

The big uncompromising capital lived up to its name, and while it will never be described as an attractive city, there is enough here to warrant a visit for at least a day.  Perhaps the most famous stop in San Salvador is the tomb of Archbishop Romero, assassinated at the start of the 12 year bloody civil war and now buried below the city’s cathedral.

The central municipal market is well worth exploring. It’s hard to pinpoint where it starts and where it ends, as it seems to spread without any sort of order throughout the city’s streets. The noise and the smells of the market compete for your attention at all times.

Suchitoto

Our home for Christmas, this picture-perfect colonial town in the north of the country will surely become the hotspot of El Salvador’s nascent tourism boom. Small enough to cover on foot in a short gentle stroll, peaceful and safe, Suchitoto is set above the wonderfully picturesque Lake Suchitlan. The town also has arguably the best hotels in the country, with a handful of high quality yet affordable boutique hotels.

For hikers Suchitoto offers some great trails. One walk (more of a scramble) is just out of town at Los Tercios, a geological oddity that consists of a wall of strange hexagonal rocks. It’s an impressive waterfall in the summer by all accounts, but for our arrival we were able to admire the rocks without the distraction of running water.

On Christmas Day we hired a motor boat to take us across Lake Suchitlan and over to the tiny village of San Luis del Carmen. A quiet lane winds its way along the hillside, and we followed this for around 5km until we reached San Francisco Lempa from where a car ferry took us back to Suchitoto. Not a long walk, but in the intense heat of the day it was enough.

Other images of Suchitoto:


La Libertad
On our way out of the country to Guatemala we stopped briefly at the Pacific port of La Libertad. Once a very rough town at the centre of the gang wars, there is a real effort here to spruce the place up and create an environment that is more appealing to families and tourists.

El Tunco
Further along the coast are the surf beaches. Here we stopped briefly before catching a shuttle to Guatemala. We saw more tourists here in an hour than we had seen during the previous week – so this is where they hang out!

We left El Salvador with many happy memories and with a feeling of satisfaction at having taken the opportunity to spend some time in this little visited corner of Central America.

15 good reasons to visit El Salvador is a post from: 501 Places

If El Salvador has a bit of an image problem in the international community, those negative perceptions nearly always centre on its capital city San Salvador. The common perception to those who haven’t been to the city is one of a crime-ridden lawless place where citizens risk their lives on a daily basis. Guidebooks give added credence to these stories, ensuring that any first time visitor to San Salvador arrives on edge and in a state of certain fear.

While San Salvador clearly has an undeniable edginess to it, provided you go downtown in the daytime and avoid displaying your flashy gear to any interested thieves you will be as safe as anywhere else. We had a full day in the capital and chose to arrange a guide to show us around, partly because of that aforementioned sense of fear but mainly because we wanted to make the most of our single day in town.

Fernando met us at our hotel in the suburbs for breakfast and soon enough we were heading into the centre of the city. He is a locally-based tour operator and had offered us the option of travelling around the city on public transport ($35 for the day tour) or in his car, allowing us to extend our tour to include places out of the city ($65). Having spent the last four days on El Salvador’s finest chicken buses the chance to sit a comfortable car with AC was too tempting to refuse.

San Salvador is lacking in world famous sights, but perhaps the one spot where visitors are most drawn to is the metropolitan cathedral. It houses the tomb of national hero Archbishop Romero and as a result draws crowds of pilgrims who come to pay their respects. The cathedral was actually built since Romero’s assassination and its modern design is a colourful contrast to the more austere Palacio Nacional that spans the adjacent side of the Plaza Barrios.

Away from the Plaza, the central market spreads in what seems to be a chaotic sprawl through the city’s streets. Pretty much anything you can think of is for sale in these streets, and while fresh produce and household items fill the majority of the stalls, Fernando also led us past the sorcerers, the live animal stalls and the chocolate sellers. It was a real blast of the senses, yet this was no place to drop your guard as I found when a trader’s trolley rammed into my ankle when I stopped for a brief moment to admire a stall.
After a couple of hours in the centre we edged out to the Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen (words and images), one of those rare little gems of a museum that told the story of Radio Venceremos, the pro-guerrilla radio station that managed to stay on air by constantly moving its broadcast equipment while being chased down by the army.

We stopped briefly at the Botanical Gardens, a pleasant respite from the city’s fumes and endless noise, before heading into the surrounding hills. The road climbs steeply to Los Planes de Renderos, passing the impossibly large American embassy before eventually emerging at the Devil’s Gate (La Puerta del Diablo). From here, a short climb to the nearby summit provides spectacular views to the Pacific Ocean to the south and to the city and the long chain of Salvadorian volcanoes to the north.

A day is not long to visit such a large city, but given El Salvador’s many natural attractions it was as much as we could afford given our limited time in the country.

San Salvador: noisy, dirty and well worth a visit is a post from: 501 Places

The civil war in El Salvador passed me by in the 1980s. Despite lasting 12 years and costing the lives of 75,000 people it made little more than occasional news on the BBC. Maybe this is because it was so far away and besides, there were no dramatic stories of trapped British holidaymakers to feature. On our recent visit to Suchitoto however, we did gain a powerful first-hand insight into the brutal reality of the war that plagued El Salvador for so many years.

Our friend Miguel, who owns Suchitoto Tours and who I met via Twitter, drove us the short distance to the village of La Mora, at foot of the Guazapa volcano. A few modest homes litter the side of this quiet road around 10km out of Suchitoto. We pulled in to a dusty driveway and we soon introduced to Candelario Landaverde, or Don Cande as he is known in these parts.

Candelario was a key figure within the Marxist rebel guerrilla forces during the 1980s conflict; the front line ran through this area for much of the civil war. In recent years along with other villagers he has started a tourism initiative that aims to show visitors the old guerrilla hideouts and to share with them the stories of what really happened during those traumatic years.  We would hear several times that day about this burning desire to keep the memories of the past alive.

While now well into his fifties Candelario has retained his natural charisma. His softly spoken voice and smiling face contrast with the more typical picture of a guerrilla fighter. While we sat on plastic garden chairs in his unassuming home, barely decorated apart from the picture of Archbishop Romero adorning the grey plastered walls, he told us of the war years. He recalled living in hiding on the mountain, of trying in vain to make peace and of secret meetings with American politicians that took place in the room in which we were sitting.  He spoke with hope about the current political changes and of the FMLN, the former rebels who formed a political party that in 2009 won the election and gained power for the first time.

We were then introduced to his nephew Alberto, who would take us on our hike onto the mountain. Armed with his machete, Alberto led the two of us through the lower slopes in the early morning sunshine. Miguel had stayed behind, which left me scrambling with my limited Spanish to decipher Alberto’s vivid recollections and descriptions. While I did get the gist of his stories, not for the first time on this trip I was frustrated at not being more proficient in Spanish.

The community had lived in hiding on the slopes of Guazapa during the war years, and many had died during the relentless attacks by US-funded government forces who were determined to eliminate the rebels from this area. Alberto was only a child at the time, but he spoke with raw emotion as he spoke about his mother who was killed here when he was only four years old. Pointing out her graveside, we stood back while he paid his private respects. For him this will clearly always be a sacred mountain.

As we climbed, Alberto showed us the ruins of the old school, the church and the cemetery, which was far too full for such a tiny community. He also stopped by and described for us many of the tatus, or hideouts, where people would dive for cover when the planes were dropping their lethal cargo onto Guazapa. Bomb craters were everywhere, and we even saw bullet cases on the path, still there after many years of quiet.

The views from the look-out point at the top were spectacular, and we watched in silence as a pair of large birds of prey circled lazily over our heads, riding the morning thermals that rose from this beautiful hillside.

As we slowly made our way back to La Mora in the midday heat, we reflected on the horrors of life as it would have been in that very place a mere 20 years ago. The visit to Guazapa was a sharp contrast to the peaceful natural wonders we had seen elsewhere in El Salvador. Yet it is an essential part of the recent history of this nation and a history whose legacy is still shaping the country today.

The cost of the three hour hike was $25 for the two of us ($10 for our guide Alberto and $15 that goes to the La Mora community).

El Salvador: the ghosts of war on Guazapa volcano is a post from: 501 Places

If you take a look at any of the promotional material produced by the El Salvador tourism officials, the chances are the pictures that you’ll find are going to focus heavily on La Ruta de las Flores. This small stretch of road in the west of the country has been promoted as a tourism showcase and it’s easy to see why. Being close to the Guatemalan border it’s also an attractive first stop in the country for travellers who come into El Salvador from Antigua.

So what does La Ruta de las Flores offer to the visitor?

The route essentially covers a handful of small, attractive colonial towns along around 40km of winding, relatively quiet road. The natural surroundings offer many outdoor activities (hiking, swimming, camping) while local businesses have set up other attractions for visitors, notably quad-biking and cycling options. Here are just a few of the highlights that we found:

Juayua

Juayua was our first stop on La Ruta de las Flores. Small and formed as a perfect grid, the centre of the town is very easy to negotiate. It boasts an attractive central square in front of a whitewashed church (impressively decked out for Christmas when we arrived). It’s a pleasant place to stroll around, and as with most of this route it is safe to wander the streets even at night. In fact we spent a pleasant half hour after our dinner at around 9pm, watching families with small children playing in the square and taking pictures by the Christmas tree.

Every weekend Juayua hosts a national food festival. Sadly we arrived on a Monday, when not only the festival had gone but most of the restaurants are also closed for the night. We did enjoy a simple meal in a humble pupuseria: more food than we could manage, a beer and a soda, all for under $5.

Juayua’s greatest attraction is a couple of kilometres south of the centre, along a well signposted track. Los Chorros de la Calera are a series of waterfalls that tumble over the old volcanic rocks, forming pools that are perfect for an afternoon dip. We had a great time swimming in these falls, and were able to swim under the waterfall itself which had a sensation similar to that of an extremely powerful shower. We had a group of curious and very friendly local teenagers for company; it’s a place I would have loved to have on my doorstep while growing up.

Ataco

We took a bus on our second day to visit Ataco. It’s a 30 minute journey from Juayua and the buses run every 10-15 minutes (cost of bus journeys is very cheap in El Salvador – most journeys cost around $0.50).

Ataco is a small town well known for its brightly coloured houses. It looked as though there were a few more tourist-focussed business here than in Juayua, although we didn’t actually spot any tourists. We didn’t stop long here, but did venture towards the only hill in town to an attractive looking church. A further climb would have taken us to a cross on the top of the hill, but the heat of the day made this a less than appealing idea.

Apaneca

We next headed for Apaneca, a sleepy village around halfway back to Juayua. Again the possibility of hopping on and off buses with little or no wait to travel between villages would have had anyone in the UK who has to contend with our rural public transport network green with envy. Efficient, coordinated, drivers who are polite and friendly; proof that it can be done is alive and well in western El Salvador.

We made a stop along the way for a brunch at El Jardin de Celeste, a wonderful cafe that had been recommended to us by a local family. Set in a very attractive garden and surrounded by brilliantly coloured flowers, we enjoyed an excellent traditional breakfast with the sounds of nature for company. Well, that and the chatter of the local business folk who clearly use this spot for a bit of networking.

It’s easy to understand why the Ruta de las Flores is used as the poster child for El Salvador. It has natural beauty, quaint towns and plenty for the visitor to enjoy. But for those who are worried by the region’s promotional efforts and who think that they will come to a place overrun by tourists, you needn’t fear. In most places along the route, you’ll still be the only foreigner in town.

El Salvador: La Ruta de las Flores is a post from: 501 Places

That view above? I’d seen a picture like this while planning our trip, and on the strength of the picture alone we’d made Santa Ana our first stop in El Salvador. With us both having a thing for staring at and scrambling over any volcano of which we get within a 100 mile radius, there was never a question of not visiting the Parque Nacional Los Volcanes. Yet getting there would prove our biggest challenge.

Getting there

It all sounds so easy in our Lonely Planet guide. “The easiest, surest route is to get the bus 248 which runs all the way to the entrance (of the park).” And they were right. Finding the departure point of the bus however was anything but easy or sure. In fact, I strongly doubt that the writer of the guide ever caught this bus or they may have chosen their words more carefully.

We knew there was only one bus, leaving at 8am. So by 7.45 we were at the area from which we thought it would depart. No hint of a bus departure in sight, I started to ask different people about the mysterious 248 bus. Some sent me north, some south, others shrugged and others still told me to catch a different bus altogether (that could be my poor Spanish to be fair).

By 8.15 we’d given up all hope of catching the elusive bus, which by now should have been well on its way. Just as we were resigning ourselves to having to hire a driver for the day, what should come down the road on which we were standing? We accosted the driver of the 248 a little too eagerly, and slumped into our seats with some relief.

Choosing our hike
As in many parts of El Salvador it is advisable to hike in the park as part of a guided group. Two groups leave every day at 11am, led by National Park volunteers. One group heads for the harsh cone of Izalco and the other for the greener slopes of Volcan Santa Ana.
We opted for the latter option as the guides told us that it offered more varied landscapes as well as that spectacular summit view into the bowels of the volcano. We were joined by five Salvadorians, our cheerful young guide Elisa and our very own police escort.

The climb
The ascent of Volcan Santa Ana took around 2.5 hours. I should use the word ascent carefully as we actually went downhill for the first 30 minutes; never a good sign when your ultimate aim is to reach a summit.

The climb was easy with a good path, and along the way Elisa pointed out the remains of a village that had been destroyed in the last big eruption of the volcano as recently as 2005. It was hard to reconcile the peaceful surroundings with such a major recent event.

As we walked we chatted to other members of the group, a little in broken Spanish and a little in English.  Our police escort Daniel was keen to share stories of English football and we shared a joke or two at the expense of the England team and their poor World Cup performance earlier in the year.

Daniel also spoke about life in El Salvador and his own hopes and aspirations for himself, his family and his country. He was clearly pleased to be practising his English, but for us it was great to get an honest and deeply personal insight into Salvadorian life. His passion to see El Salvador develop and solve its many problems, and his obvious commitment to doing his part in that change was truly encouraging to hear.

The views
Soon enough we had reached the summit. It hadn’t been a strenuous climb, although the midday heat was strong and we needed all of the water we’d chosen to carry. The sight of the beautiful Lake Coatepeque accompanied us for much of the walk. It looked so inviting that I was tempted to change our plans and head there the next day for a swim, only to be advised by others in the group that the water would be bitterly cold at this time of the year.

The top of the volcano is a long flat ridge, and rather than standing on a clear summit point the reward for reaching the highest point of Santa Ana is that first glance into the volcanic crater. The sheer size of the walls within the crater are hard to appreciate with a single picture, as is the brilliance of the colour of the water within. This video may help a little (if you can ignore the rattling crisp packets):

As we descended the temperature slowly cooled and by the time we had arrived back at our starting point it was nearly 4pm. We exchanged contact details and said goodbye to our new friends; the end of what for us was a highly enjoyable first full day in El Salvador. We headed quickly for the last bus back to Santa Ana, mindful of getting there before darkness when on the previous evening the town seemed very suddenly to lose its charm.

El Salvador: a day hike in Parque Nacional Los Volcanes is a post from: 501 Places

I’m going to write several posts about El Salvador in the coming weeks. We only spent 9 days in the country but the warmth of the people and the variety of natural attractions made a very strong impression on me, and perhaps of all the experiences we enjoyed in Central America it is the ones here that will linger longest in the memory. But as soon as I mention El Salvador to almost anyone there seems to be an instantly burning question that springs from their lips. So let’s start by dealing with this issue that, in my opinion, is more than any other factor holding back a potentially significant tourist market.

Is El Salvador safe?

Nothing happened to us. I can’t even claim that we had a near miss or a remotely scary experience. We were greeted, helped and befriended by some of the kindest and most hospitable people we’ve met on our travels.

But that does not make a place safe. Yes, the country does have a serious gang problem and guns are widespread. Some Salvadorians we met spoke of muggings and robberies that had occurred in their lives as we might speak of a bout of flu or a sprained ankle.

But there are two facts that made me feel comfortable and secure while travelling around El Salvador. Firstly, the gangs that are responsible for the majority of the crime tend to be more concerned with each other and so stick to their own neighbourhoods. As a tourist you will have no reason to go anywhere near these places.

Secondly and more crucially there are around 500 members of the national Tourist Police in El Salvador. These are very friendly, helpful and in our experience highly trustworthy officers who patrol the streets and trails where tourists are most likely to go. As a result, we were happy to wonder along even remote trails, knowing that officers were close by and in some cases would even walk with us. One particular officer who accompanied us on a volcano hike was keen to practise his English. As a result we gained a valuable insight from his stories of Salvadorian life while he enjoyed a three hour language lesson. The presence of the Tourist Police seems to act as a deterrent, as according to all local sources who spoke to us, crime directed against tourists is extremely rare.

Are there some restrictions? Sure, you wouldn’t want to walk the streets of the big cities at night (not so different to many US and UK cities). We took a taxi after dinner back to our hotel through San Salvador and the streets were deserted; similarly in Santa Ana, where we were amazed to see how quickly the city emptied after sunset. Yet contrast this with the smaller tourism-focussed towns such as Juayua and Suchitoto; there we could walk around freely at any hour of the day or night and it felt completely safe.

Of course as with anywhere sensible precautions go a long way to ensuring safety. If you don’t carry wads of cash, avoid the expensive flashy cameras and keep any personal items hidden in inside pockets, you will reduce your risk of crime. But don’t those rules apply equally in London or New York?

So is El Salvador safe? I would say yes, providing you follow local advice and take sensible precautions. If you do this, travelling through the country will pose no more dangers than visiting anywhere else.

Now that we’ve got that elephant out of the way, I’ll be focussing next on just why El Salvador is such a great place to visit.

El Salvador: dealing with the elephant in the room is a post from: 501 Places