Colón, El Salvador – Pool instead of Pacific

Along the attractive crater lake Lago de Coatépeque we go, then shortly touch the Pan Americana, and further along the mainly paved and well-built roads to La Libertad at the Pacific coast. We thought about some beaching today. Since La Libertad is neither in security questions nor with other matters very exemplary we head west to El Zonte, a famous surfer beach where swimming probably wouldn’t have been possible due to big waves. Anyway, the trees hang too deep at the access road, so we continue to Los Cobanos from where we know that outcropped rocks protect the beach. There is no option to camp in town. A restaurant offers to use their parking lot, but finally we are neither convinced by the dark sand, the rain-brown water, nor the hot parking between walls.

Back to La Libertad we try it to the east at the Costa del Sol. Perhaps we hit the wrong beach, but here everything looks like not only to have seen better days but way better days. There is nothing to overnight here. The later hours doesn’t encourage to further experiments. In Colón close to San Salvador there is a governmental water park. A Salvadorian couple we’ve met on the road has pointed this out. We hope to find accommodation there.

At 6 p.m. on the dot we stand in front of long locked doors. Due to lack of alternative we shout and honk until we have the desired attention. The employee can’t decide on our request, this is a case for El Jefe. Here he comes, in towel and swimwear. As if there is nothing more normal he has the guard open the gate again, apologizes that he has to take 10 $ entrance fee for us and the truck (I relinquish discussions, I am just happy that we may enter) and that he doesn’t wear uniform. He offers to use the pools immediately. We don’t have to be asked twice and we jump into the big refreshing clean pools and get a massage under the artificial waterfall. They even switch on the light for us since it starts to darken. (Turicentro Los Chorros, Colón, N 13° 41’45.7’’ W 89°19’18.0’’)

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