Nahuat Tours in El Salvador
My wife, A.J., and I spent a week exploring a considerable amount of El Salvador in April ’04. As our base we used the InterContinental Hotel, very conveniently located opposite the largest shopping complex in San Salvador, the Metrocentro. A room for two including breakfast was $133 plus taxes of 13%. (El Salvador’s currency is the American dollar.)
The city and some of the surrounding areas we explored on our own. We felt perfectly safe, and the people were always very warm and friendly.
We wanted to see as much of the old Spanish architecture as possible, but because of frequent earthquakes a lot of the historic buildings have been destroyed over the years.
For two full-day excursions we used the guide services of Mario Dominguez, who owns Nahuat Tours (Av. Alfredo Espino, Calle A, No., 9, Colonia Campestre, San Salvador, El Salvador; tel. 011 [503] 874 8402, e-mail info@nahuatours.com). He speaks excellent English and has a charming personality.
One day we had an all-day excursion to the north and visited Suchitoto, Lake Coatepeque, San Ignacio and Cerro Montecristo.
In the town of Suchitoto we had a marvelous lunch at Posada Suchutlan, a beautiful colonial building with a fantastic view of Lake Coatepeque. Deluxe local appetizers — for example, quesadilla Salvadorena (a rich, fried cheese cake) for $3-$4 each — were sufficient. Rooms were $45 a night for two including breakfast.
Another day, we took a full-day excursion to the western part of the country and visited Santa Ana, Juayua and Izalco. Between Juaya and Apaneca we stopped for lunch at Restaurant Le Finca at Hotel Santa Leticia. These were situated on a coffee plantation, and rooms were $60 a night including breakfast. The restaurant was fantastic, and the local specialty, black bean soup at $4.50, was a treat.
Since the civil war ended in 1992 El Salvador has been undergoing a revitalization, and although there is still a lot of poverty, the people are proud and independent and it is perfectly safe to travel around the country. However, we would think twice about renting a car, even if your Spanish is good, since there are few road signs and it is very easy to get lost (even for the locals).
Nahuat Tours charged us $100 for the full-day Suchitoto tour and $120 for the full-day tour to the western part of the country. Each tour lasted eight to nine hours and was an excellent value. The company also does eco-, coast and archaeological expeditions.
BERNARD GOODHEAD
La Jolla, CA