In 2017, El Salvador topped the grim list of the most dangerous countries in the world, with the highest homicide rate. However, by 2022, everything changed. The President declared a state of emergency and launched a “war against gangs.” In one year, 60,000 people were arrested and sent to prison, making El Salvador the country with the highest incarceration rate in the world. Following these thousands of arrests and the dismantling of the country’s gangs, the situation in El Salvador has radically changed, and the country is now considered safe. But at what cost? NGOs condemn the arbitrary treatment of thousands of arrests to meet quotas, the imprisonment of hundreds of innocent people, the use of torture, and inhumane prison conditions. Despite this, the President has reached record levels of popularity… and has allowed us to travel through the country with peace of mind today.
Thursday, May 18, 2023
After spending the last few days at the Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala, we drive our first kilometers in El Salvador, and it’s 41°C. What a heatwave!! The air is heavy and humid. We make a quick stop by the roadside to enjoy our first Salvadoran meal at a sort of canteen: beef meatballs for Rémi, grilled fish for me, accompanied by rice, a salad, and a Coke, all for $6.45. Then we head to the water’s edge. On one side, the ocean with its waves, on the other, the mangrove and its crocodiles.
It’s hard to enjoy the scenery in this kind of heat. We decide to scrap our plans—there’s no way we can sleep here, it’s just too hot. So, we hit the road again, heading for the mountains in the center of the country. In just an hour of driving, the temperature drops… 17°C! Much better! 😊 In fact, it’s perfect. We continue on to Laguna Verde, a volcanic lake nestled in an ancient caldera. The place is peaceful and family-friendly. An ideal spot for our first night in El Salvador.
We spend the evening chatting with a family from Honduras. They’re fascinated by our 4×4, and we have plenty of questions for them about their country. Before leaving, they generously offer us bananas and bags of chips. Later that night, some police officers stop by to check on us, making sure everything is okay and letting us know where to find them if needed. Really nice of them!
Friday, May 19
We are pulled from sleep at 7 a.m. by stifling heat. The weather is beautiful, everything is calm, and we slept very well. We have breakfast, pack up, and hit the road. And not just any road—we’re on the Route of the Flowers!
Rather than sticking to the well-paved main road, we take the backroads. Gravel paths and dirt tracks lead us through rural landscapes, past fields and small villages where locals greet us warmly. We receive smiles, waves, and the laughter of children. The deeper we venture into the Salvadoran countryside, the narrower the trail becomes. Soon, it’s little more than an overgrown, dusty path. No other vehicles seem to have passed this way in years, and we can only hope it leads somewhere. Several volcanoes rise on the horizon. After all, El Salvador holds the record for the highest concentration of volcanoes in Latin America—22 packed into this tiny country!
Rounding a bend in the village, a strong sulfur smell hits us. We know this scent well! Sure enough, right by the roadside, a fumarole is venting steam directly from the ground—completely unprotected. Further along, we come across more fumaroles and even a bubbling mud pool. It feels like we’ve stepped back into Yellowstone National Park—just without the safety measures! 😅
We stop at a roadside eatery for a meal and are greeted with warm smiles—both from the cooks and the workers from the nearby geothermal plant, who seem to be regulars here. Our first Salvadoran meal consists of rice, salad, and a wiskil omelet, a local vegetable, all paired with a refreshing watermelon juice. The total? Just $4.50 for both of us.
We skip the main road again to visit some waterfalls on a private property. The entrance fee is $4, granting us access to the river. The riverbanks are littered with trash, but the water itself is clear. With the temperature soaring to 40°C, we’re eager to cool off. We dip a toe in and—horror! The water is also 40°C! 🫠
It’s incredible. We’ve bathed in rivers near hot springs before, like in Indonesia, where the boiling water gradually cooled as it mixed with the river. But here, there are no hot springs—the entire river is the same temperature. We’ve never seen anything like it! For the first time ever, we can’t get in the water—not because it’s too cold, but because it’s too hot!
Tonight, it’s Nat and Rémi on the farm! We’re welcomed to spend the night at Granja Don Alvaro, home to Alvaro and all his animals. So, we set up our tent right in the middle of goats, donkeys, horses, geese, pigs, cows, ducks… and flies! 🤪
The place is really nice—and free, as long as we eat at the farm’s restaurant. Great initiative! It’s the perfect chance to try pupusas for the first time, El Salvador’s signature dish. These are thick corn tortillas stuffed with frijoles, cheese, chicharrón, or chorizo. Delicious!
Saturday, May 20
Today, it’s an expedition to the 7 waterfalls! Normally, you have to go there on a guided tour from Juayúa, but we want to try going on foot from the farm. We follow the main road for a few meters, then head into coffee and mango plantations along a narrow path.
The trail takes us all the way down to the valley, to the edge of the river. We arrive at the foot of a tall waterfall. There’s no one else around! We immediately put on our swimsuits to cool off in the river. This time, the water is nice and fresh, and it feels great!
We cross the river and start climbing the mountain on the other side. After following a path that leads us into the forest, and there’s not a soul around, except for a few birds, we continue exploring towards another waterfall. After an hour, the path descends towards the valley, and we find ourselves in front of an open barbed-wire fence. No one around. We enter and come face to face with several small waterfalls. The place is really beautiful!
We take the time to cool off, and then a guide shows up with two clients. He seems surprised to find us there (naturally, we came out of nowhere!). He kindly approaches us and informs us that to exit this private area, we need to go through a locked gate. To pass, we have to pay $5. Ah! He explains that the other path is strongly discouraged because it’s dangerous. Someone allegedly slipped and died… Bad luck for him, that’s the way we came!
As soon as his back is turned, we sneak out the way we entered and take the hills to circle around and reach the road after the gate! Mission accomplished 😁 An hour later, we arrive in Juayúa. It’s the weekend, and today the gastronomic market is taking place. There’s a lot of activity, surprisingly many foreign tourists, and lots of delicious dishes. Well, since we rushed to the first ice cream shop for a huge milkshake, we’re no longer hungry!
First experience on a Chicken Bus to return to the farm. For 20 cents per person, we cram in with dozens of locals, all pressed against each other. Since we’re the last to get on, we end up squished against the windshield. Not very pleasant. The bus’s gearbox is broken, and the driver struggles to change gears. Fortunately, after an endless 20 minutes, we arrive safely at our destination 😌 We immediately settle at the restaurant for a second round of pupusas.
Sunday, May 21
A cloudless blue sky, the perfect weather for… climbing a volcano! We had planned to hike Santa Ana volcano during the week to avoid the weekend crowds, but this stunning weather changes all our plans. We pack up camp and drive for an hour to reach the Cerro Verde park, the starting point for the Santa Ana ascent. There, we’re told we must take a guide, which frustrates us 😡 We argue. So, feeling upset and angry, we start the climb of Santa Ana, accompanied by a guide and a group of… 30 people! Santa Ana is the highest volcano in El Salvador, standing at 2,381 meters above sea level. The trail is uphill but not technical. It offers a breathtaking view of the neighboring Izalco volcano, which is 1,950 meters high.
After 1.5 hours of hiking, we reach the volcano’s ridge. A few safety instructions are given: stay within the authorized limit and avoid getting too close to the edge. Otherwise, a guaranteed fall straight into one of the most acidic volcanic lakes in the world! Its electric blue color immediately hypnotizes us. It’s stunning.
We descend as a group, not without being counted by our guide like children. No one fell into the crater, sigh of relief, we can go. The descent is done at a run, with our guide being in a hurry. Not only is he useless, but now he’s making us run. Ugh!
On the way down the Santa Ana volcano, we catch a glimpse of the volcanic lake Coatepeque, our next destination!
