Blog English – Arminius-on-tour

Suchitoto is located at Lago de Suchitlán known also as Embalse de Cerrón Grande, the country’s largest lake. Although nearly abandoned until the early 90s due to the civil war the city blossomed out in the meantime to the cultural capital and tourists’ favourite spot. The lake is embedded into a lovely green landscape with islands, mountains, and volcanoes. Boat excursions can be booked in a new touristic port with restaurants, pool, and crafts shops. We consider the prices (from 20 $ on for 30 min) to be excessive. Camping would be possible, but the parking lot is very crooked and levelling difficult (Puerto Turistico San Juan, N 13°56’45.6’’ W 89°00’58.9’’).

And again: Policemen asked for the way greet me with a handshake as well as a government official. We get to know that the shortcut to Aguilares is in good condition. And so we escape the heat at 250 m / 750 ft elevation into the mountains. In San Ignacio right before the Honduran border to the north we ask about El Pital, with 2730 m / 8200 ft the country’s highest mountain, just to be on the safe side. Signposting in El Salvador is much better than in Guatemala, even though not always complete. The asked pick-up driver approves everything: The road leads to the mountain, we can go there with Arminius, and camping is possible in Miramundo. Two minutes later the same red pick-up is in front of us – he must have taken a shortcut – and shows us the way to go. In the course of the stretch we turn into a forest road, and of course we discuss: Are we safe? Where does the man lure us to? I consider him as trustworthy but lay out my handy companion-chopper ready just as a precaution.

After 13 km hotel Miramundo comes into sight. The entrance clearance wouldn’t be sufficient, but not much further there is the mentioned campground. The driver says good-bye well-behaved, he just loved to help. What is going on with the Salvadorians? Can this be beaten? The camping is only a tent site on a slope. The parking area on the opposite side also belongs to the hotel Ventana del Cielo and is levelled. We can camp here for 5 $ a night, electricity and water could be organized. Another campground a bit to the back has a limited entrance clearance as well. (N 14°20’30.2’’ W 89°06’54.0’’)

We shall have the best view in the country from here in 2250 m / 6750 ft elevation: Not only nearly the entire El Salvador but Guatemala and its volcanoes Pacaya and Agua can be seen. This is out of the question for the moment, every afternoon clouds and thunderstorms come up, but in the morning it’s mostly clear.

Friendly, funny, and helpful people everywhere: Three people stand around me at the gas station and give three different advices how to find the small road that leads up to Volcan San Salvador. How to find a common ground or the most likely variation? A young German speaking man visits the German School as he explains. He offers to drive on ahead with his father to show us the way, what we really appreciate.

The entrance fee to the park is 1 $ per person and vehicle. The parking lot is terribly small but somehow we are shifted in. A path along the edge of the crater in 1839 m / 5520 ft elevation offers gigantic views into the huge crater from several view points: It has a diameter of 1.5 km / 1 mi and is 543 m / 1630 ft deep with a smaller crater in the middle. It is possible to climb down into El Boquerón how it is called as well but the abseil down seems to be a case for specialists. It is not allowed to overnight here, and due to clouds there is no view to the capital San Salvador.

With 3 million inhabitants it has many slums. We quickly head further to the east where El Salvador’s biggest and deepest crater lake is situated. Access to Lago de Ilopango is difficult due to many buildings, but one spot is Turicentro Apulo – for 1 $ per person and car, of course. There is also a pool and camping would be possible. But the violent thunderstorm that sets in spoils the view again and so we head on. No problem in a tiny country like El Salvador.

Right before reaching Suchitoto we discover a sign that points to Turicentro Las Americas which we gladly follow. We find another swimming pool, although cloudy. The facility is in private hand and a bit run-down. We may camp of course, for altogether 15 $ a night including use of the pool. I knock down the outrageous price to 6 $, although several of the seven owners have to be consulted first. (Turicentro Las Americas, Suchitoto, N 13°52’20.7’’ W 89°02’14.6’’)

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’’)

In El Salvador Spanish is spoken (although many people understand English), the national currency is the US$. The Colón is still valid, but not in circulation any more. The park administration of Cerro Verde of wants 10 $ entrance fee incl. parking for each 24 hours from us. General rule for Central America, especially in El Salvador: haggle! Even in a national park. We stay two nights and one day for 15 instead of 20 $. There is not much we can do on our own. We can walk a few minutes to the old hotel that partially collapsed during an earthquake in 2001. In the still intact former cocktail lounge artesanías and sweets are sold today. The beautiful lookout terrace to Volcán Izalco is also still there. A 45-minutes nature trail to the peak of Cerro Verde and through the orchidarium has to be guided by a ranger – park rules.

The hikes to the other two volcanoes, the Izalco and the Santa Ana are guarded by rangers and armed police. They start at 11 a.m. each day and take four to four and a half hours including rest on the peak. There is 1 $ per person to pay for the guide, for Santa Ana additional 7 $ entrance fee to another park. This volcano blasted its top in 2005, spat after 100 years silence ashes and stones into the air and killed two people, but is accessible again. Nevertheless the hikes don’t always take part. A noisy group of 39 teenagers, teachers, two Japanese and two Canadians want to get to Izalco, so we have no other choice.

Izalco isn’t very easy to climb and has to be put into the category “exhausting” with 8 km / 5 mi ascend and descend. First 1300 stairs have to be gone down through Cerro Verde’s (2030 m / 6000 ft) dense forest to a saddle that connects to the 1910 m / 5730 ft high Izalco. The way up consists of sharp-edged stones and loose volcano sand. During the climb it gets hotter. Not only because the sun burns on the mountain without any vegetation. The rocks become hot, steam escapes from holes. On top it is possible to go down into the shallow crater hole. The view today isn’t very well, but we get a short glimpse of Cerro Verde and Santa Ana with its crater lake that is not accessible. For descending we use rivulets of soft lava sand that bring us half running half sliding quickly down. Then there are “only” 1300 stairs left to be climbed.