Come and Visit El Salvador!!

Volcanos

Izalco

It is located in Sonsonate, was known as the Lighthouse of the Pacific for its constant eruptions of fire in the recent past, as the sailors used it as a guide during the nights when approaching land. Interestingly, during the sixties the volcano stopped throwing flames and has since been dormant.

This volcano is very distinctive from the others by its gray color, and perfect cone. Today it is a place visited by mountaineers and climbers who enjoy its 1.910 meters of altitude above sea level to spot the far reaches of the country. 



From the top of this natural viewpoint, we can see the Santa Ana Volcano or Llamatepec north woodlands and the Pacific Ocean to the south, the mountains of Guatemala to the west. To visit the volcano Izalco reservations are recommended in the Volcanoes National Park (located in the west of the country) in ISTU.

El Boqueron

This beautiful park is situated in the crater of the volcano of San Salvador, which is within the volcanic mountains of the department of La Libertad. This amazing place is 1.6 km in diameter and 558 meters deep, reaching the second crater bottom. 

The park offers a walk through demarcated where you can appreciate the beauty of the flora cultivated in place that harmonize with pine forests that stage breathtaking views of the crater trails. 

Among the species of flora are identified as ornamentals cartridges, hydrangeas, torches, begonias and wild sultanas. Also find wildlife like armadillos, raccoons, deer, foxes, among others.

 Ilamatepec

The Santa Ana Volcano  (Spanish: volcán de Santa Ana) is a large cinder cone volcano located in the Santa Ana department of El Salvador. At 2,381 metres above sea level, it is the highest volcano in the country. It is located immediately west of Coatepeque Caldera.

The volcano was the inspiration for one of the active volcanoes in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's famous French novella (The Little Prince), based on his life with his Salvadoran wifeConsuelo de Saint Exupéry, who was The Rose in the story.[citation needed]

The summit of Santa Ana features four nested calderas and volcanic craters, with the innermost containing a small crater lake. Collapse of the summit during the late Pleistocene(inferring from underlying soil samples, the upper age limit is no more than 57 000 years ago) produced a massive debris avalanche that reached the Pacific Ocean, forming the Acajutla Peninsula. Subsequent eruptions have largely rebuilt the edifice. 

There have been numerous historical eruptions since the 16th century, both at the summit and fromcinder cones on the lower flanks, and also the flank vents of San Marcelino located east of Santa Ana. The San Marcelino vents erupted in 1722 and flowed eastwards for 11 km, destroying the village of San Juan Tecpan.

Food!

Salvadoran Cuisine 

It is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The traditional cuisine consists of food from indigenous Lenca, Pipil people and Spanish peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maiz (corn).

El Salvador's most notable dish is the pupusa, a thick handmade corn flour or rice flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, chicharrón (cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency), refried beans, and/or loroco (a vine flower bud native to Central America). There are also vegetarian options, often with ayote (a type of squash), or garlic. Some adventurous restaurants even offer pupusas stuffed with shrimp or spinach which are served with salsa roja, a simple yet flavorful Salvadoran cooked tomato sauce, often served with curtido. 

Pupusas, a Mesoamerican cuisine of Mayan origen, The oldest direct evidence of pupusas preparations in the world comes from a 1,400-year-old Maya site,Joya de Cerén, in El Salvador.

Loroco is a Mesoamerican plant widely used in Salvadoran dishes, like in Pupusas

Pollo Encebollado is another popular Salvadoran dish that contains chicken simmered with onions. Famous Salvadoran cheese is eaten with these meals such as Queso duro (Hard cheese), Queso Fresco (Fresh Cheese) and Cuajada.

Salvadorean Tortillas are a staple of the Salvadorean diet. These are thicker (5mm) than Mexican tortillas, and are about 10cm in diameter.

Yuca is eaten fride or boiled with salads as a side dish. The oldest direct evidence of cassava cultivation in the world comes from a 1,400-year-old Maya site, Joya de Cerén, in El Salvador.

Two other typical Salvadoran dishes are yuca frita and panes rellenos. Yuca frita is deep fried cassava root served with curtido(a pickled cabbage, onion and carrot topping) and chicharron with pepesca (fried baby sardines). The Yuca is sometimes served boiled instead of fried. Panes Rellenos ("Stuffed Bread") are warm submarine sandwiches. The turkey or chicken is marinated and then roasted with Pipil spices and hand-pulled. This sandwich is traditionally served with turkey or chicken,tomato, and watercress along with cucumber, onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard.

Other well-known Salvadoran dishes include Carne guisada, Lomo Entomatado (beef with tomatoes), Carne Asada (Grilled steak) usually served with a type of Salvadoran salsa called Chimol, Pasteles de Carne (Meat pies), Pollo Guisado con Hongos(Chicken with mushrooms), Pacalla (palm flowers breaded in cornmeal, fried and served with tomato sauce), Pavo Salvadoreño(Roast turkey with sauce) often eaten for Christmas, Ceviche de Camarones (Lime-cooked shrimp) and Pescado Empanizado(Breaded, fried fish filets).

Tamales

One of El Salvador's most famous dishes is their different types of tamales which are usually wrapped in plantain leaves. These tamales include: Tamales de Elote (Fresh corncakes) Tamales Pisques (Tamales stuffed with black beans) 

Tamales de pollo (Tamales stuffed with chicken and potatoes) and Ticucos ("Travelers" tamales).

Soups

Soups and salads are popular among Salvadorans of every social level. Sopa de pata is a soup made from the tripe of a cow, plantain, corn, tomatoes, cabbage and spices, locally a delicacy. Sopa de Res, a soup made from beef shank, beef bone with meat, carrots, plantain, corn, potatoes, zucchini and more. Gallo en chicha is a soup made with rooster, corn, and dulce de tapa and sometimes other things. Sopa de pescado is a soup made out of fish or seafood made with corn flour, tomatoes, green peppers, cumin, achiote and other ingredients, very popularly eaten for the Christian holiday of Easter. Sopa de pollo is a chicken stew with tomatoes, green peppers, guisquil, carrots, potatoes, consommé and other ingredients.

Desserts

Salvadoran desserts include pan dulce, semita, Salvadoran-style quesadilla, torta de yema, marquezote, salpores, poleada (vanilla custard), arroz con leche (rice pudding), atol de elote, atol de piña, empanadas de platano (plantain patties), and many others. 

The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form.

Fruits

Fruits are widely consumed, the more popular being mangoes, coconuts, papayas, and bananas. Sometimes they enjoy fruit with ice cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Towns and Cities

Ataco

Concepción de Ataco is a municipality and city within the Ahuachapán Department, El Salvador. It has an area of 61.03 km ² and a population of 18,101 inhabitants (est. 2006). It is located 108 kilometers from the capital city, with an elevation of 1,275 meters above sea level, making this an ideal town for part of their customs, traditions and history, surrounded by a cool climate and nice place.

The municipality administration is divided into 11 cantons, which are: El Arco, El Limo, El Naranjito, El Tronconal, La Ceiba, La Joya de los Apante, La Planxa, San Jose, Shucutitán and Texusín Chirizo. Ataos's population has pre-Columbian origin and was founded by Yaqui Indians or pipiles in central Apaneca Mountain Range.

In Nahuatl, Ataco means "high place of springs.”

Municipality falls within the tour "Route of the Flowers", for its restaurants, inns and family-craft production where you can find workshops in sculpting images, hand looms, preparation of chocolates, sweets and wood furniture, dolls wood coffee and flower arrangements.

Ilobasco

Ilobasco is a municipality in the Cabañas department of El Salvador. It is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of the capital, San Salvador.

By being so close, it is a trip that can be done in one day, but being there, will captivate both, you'll want to never leave Ilobasco.

This town is known country wide (and internationally) for its clay (other materials also used) craftsmanship or pottery. There is a small school located in this town, where students are taught the delicate art of ceramics.

Exploring the cobbled streets of Ilobasco you find stores that sell all kinds of ceramics, but also realize that local residents are friendly and outgoing. They love to engage in conversation with visitors, no matter what language they speak. Among the items to be found here are the phones, wall decorations, and clay figures. However, the most impressive items are replicas of their caves and exotic vegetables. Their colors are so bright and looks so real, you cannot avoid filling your basket with them, they are a great gift for family and friends who remained at home.

The clay is extracted and prepared locally. The clay work includes the "miniatures", which are small representations of daily scenes as lived by Salvadorans, no bigger than 2 inches tall. The Town is also home for second division soccer team El Roble.

One version of the miniatures are the "surprises", which are basically a scene covered with another piece of clay shaped and painted in the form of a fruit, an egg, a house or other things. The cover can be removed and then the scene can be seen.

Suchitoto

Suchitoto is a municipality in the Cuscatlán department of El Salvador. These beautiful town you finde colonial style houses, cobbled streets and wide avenues with old, is located between the volcano and Guazapa Lempa River, 44 km. Northwest Resume city, 388 m height. Suchitoto it is a Náhuat language and it means "Flower Bird". Within its jurisdiction the Lempa River offers natural spas as part of the Large Dam Cerrón; Bello Suchitlán Lake. There are several hot springs and the famous geological formation Canyon Los Thirds true natural curiosity, 2 km east of Suchitoto. A 4 km southeast of Suchitoto is the valley of La Bermuda, with remains of cobbled streets and foundations damaged by plowing. These traces correspond to the second Villa de San Salvador there founded by Captain Diego de Alvarado, on 1 April 1528.

Area around the main square of the colonial town of Suchitoto, with its church built by the Spaniards in the 1700s. Suchitoto is widely known throughout El Salvador for its church and for its cobblestone roads.

It has an excellent view of Suchitlán lake, which is an artificial lake formed in the Lempa River and the Cerrón Grande dam.

It is a very popular weekend destination for Salvadorans. It has broad cultural activities such as art galleries, cultural centers, and handcrafts.