Once called Cuscatlán, meaning the “Land of Precious Jewels,” El Salvador bursts with crystalline crater lakes, verdant valleys, and more than 100 volcanic peaks. These sometimes-steaming volcanoes cause all kinds of chaos. One eruption in the sixth century buried an entire village in ash, preserving the ancient town similarly to Pompeii in Italy. Another eruption in 1658 was so grand, locals in Nejapa say it was spawned by a battle with the devil. The town now hosts a dazzling Fireball Festival to commemorate the event, where groups of dueling patrons hurl flaming cloths at each other.
The culture of the country is equally explosive. Cumbia blasts throughout modern metro-hubs and street vendors flourish colorful tapestries and trajes clothing made from yucca and maguey, originally created by nomadic Nahuan farmers. Along the shores of the country, the only thing that can tempt surfers away from warm waves is the smell of street-cart seafood and pupusas, masa patties stuffed with meat and topped with fermented veggies.
The Pipil tribe thrived in the area for hundreds of years before Spanish colonizers invaded in 1524. The country stayed under Spanish rule until it declared independence in 1821. Now many towns have Spanish architecture and ancient ruins alike, surrounding cobble-stoned central plazas.
The most well-traversed part of El Salvador is La Ruta de las Flores, a 21-mile stretch of highway winding through a rainbow of blooming evergreens and painted villages. The route passes the fabled Arbol de Ceiba, whose soul is said to bless any tree-hugger. Just outside Apaneca sits an ecological labyrinth constructed with more than 2,000 cypress trees and a bell tower in the center. And, nearby, Lago Coatepeque changes color every so often from blue to turquoise, but scientists aren’t quite sure why. Residents also say the lake is home to an old fisherman-creature called El Tabudo that pulls canoers underwater and turns them into either fish or mermaids.
A few hours east is the Cinquera Ecological Forest, a former defense base for guerilla fighters during the Civil War of the 1980s that’s now a conservation park. Explorers can glimpse preserved trenches, a rebel kitchen, and even a war hospital. Rangers offer visitors a courtesy machete, but it won’t be needed—the former battle ground is now a manicured respite of peace where visitors can swim in waterfalls and walk tranquil mountain paths.
— Colleen Kelly
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Get ready for an adventure! Delta Airlines and Atlas Obscura will soon unveil the top 24 destinations for 2024. Stay tuned!
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