San Salvador is nightlife central for locals and expats alike. Amidst the plethora of nightclubs, bars and restaurants, La Luna shines as a totally unique hangout.
La Luna is built on the idea of showcasing Salvadorian artist and promoting art in its many forms. The restaurant is always changing as new art exhibitions are brought in. There’s live music every night, from classical music to salsa, jazz, and even folk music. Musicians come from all over the country and even all over Central America. Sometimes there’s poetry readings and even workshops to encourage local art. An upcoming event is the one man theatre act featuring Mexican artist Ermis Cruz.
Walking around in downtown Santa Tecla you are immersed in Salvadorian history and culture.
Architecture from the early 1900 makes a regular appearance in the Santa Tecla landscape. Beautiful
neoclassical buildings line the streets and remind us of a simpler time in El Salvador.
A must see example of this architecture is the Palacio Municipal de las Bellas Artes. Here modern
art meets classical Salvadorian arts and crafts. Built in 1911 by Jose Jerez, as a family home and later
donated to the municipality this building became the municipal building in the late 1920’s. In 2001
the building suffered some major damage from an earthquake and was left to gather dust. In 2008 a
remodel was completed and this Read more
Culture is what makes us who we are. The way we were raised and our surroundings all affect our personal identity and also the identity of our community. Often the source of disagreements is rooted in cultural differences. When relocating to a new country, adapting to their culture can be quite a challenge but ultimately key to adjusting to our new surroundings as well as to being accepted into our new community.
There are many cultural differences between Salvadorean, American and European culture. For example, the traditional roles in the family unit have survived the test of time here. Husbands work, wives stay home and raise the children. Families and their extended family remain very close. Some even live Read more
Want to escape stress from work or just life in general? So does everyone else, but only a few do it well. Decameron Salinitas is just that, an escape from reality. Lie on the beach all day, have a drink at the bar, swim in the pool, anything but stress.
Decameron Salinitas is located on the pacific coast only a short drive away from San Salvador. The rooms’ decoration is soothing and festive all at once. They are spacious and a wide array of amenities are available to make your stay even more comfortable. Every room has a great view of the gardens or the pool.
During the day you can eat all you want at the buffet. Read more
Coming to a foreign country you may be worried about culture shock, saying and doing the wrong thing and coming off as a jerk. But the worst part of culture shock is food shock. Looking down at your plate and thinking “What is that and did it just walk onto my plate?”. The good news is that for most of us foreigners, Salvadorian food doesn’t usually provoke that kind of reaction. It’s actually really tasty and mostly healthy. What kind of food should you mentally prepare for before coming to El Salvador? Here’s a summary of the basics.
• Pupusas and Curtido. Pupusas are basically corn stuffed tortillas, similar to Mexican gorditas. The dough is made from Masa Read more
Apaneca’s location is what makes it perfect for harvesting coffee. At 1455 meters above sea level, it is the city with the highest altitude in El Salvador, and the next stop after Juayua on the Ruta de las Flores. Due to its height, some of the best coffees in the world are produced here.
Apaneca means “the river of the winds” and the city holds up to its name, with constant breezes throughout the day. Many wind barriers are created using coffee bushes, making the whole region very picturesque.
There are lost of different sights to see in Apaneca, such as the Laguna Verde and the Laguna de las Ninfas, and touring a coffee plantation is a must.
The greatest resource you can have when it comes to travel in Juayua (not counting a Spanish-English dictionary if you don’t speak the language) is the information available on www.juayua.com. The website is actually all in Spanish… so you will need that dictionary for sure!
Juayua.com has photo galleries of the city, a calendar of events, hotel listings, info on tour companies, restaurants, news, transportation and more. It is like one stop shopping for this little town that is talked about all over the internet as one of the best stops on the Route of the Flowers.
I think my favorite is the “Comida Rapida” section, which highlights the three “fast food” places in Juayua, all right by Read more
So everyone knows the Food Festival in Juayua is where it’s at, but what if you arrive mid-week and are looking for somewhere to grub? Hit up the Pizzeria Al Forno… you won’t be disappointed.
In other countries I have traveled to, I often succumb, at least once, to eating at an American style pizza joint, like Pizza Hut, and I am always incredibly disappointed. Even in countries where there are local pizza chains, it is just never as good as Hungry Howies (GO MIDWEST PIZZA!).
Pizzeria Al Forno isn’t Midwest pizza, and it’s not a New York pie either, but it does what it does well. Pizzas are baked fresh, in about 15 minutes, and they use all fresh Read more
Budget accomodations in Juayua can be found at Hotel Anahuac on 5a av norte at 1a calle pte near the town center. A night starts at $7 for a bed in either of the dorm style rooms. There are also four private rooms that open up onto a large courtyard that serves as kind of a community hang out spot.
The hotel is a colonial home that has been converted, and keeps a very low key, cool, cozy style. Hammocks are strung up between support beams, there is a common kitchen for guests to share, and a number of random rooms to chill in with free internet access.
The private rooms have hot water bathrooms, the dorm rooms have a Read more
With all the fun hiking to do in and around Juayua it is important that you choose a reliable tour company. Juayutur on the east side of the town’s central park is known for providing a variety of excellent tours, even custom fitting tours to tailor to the needs of your group.
Really, if you come to Juayua during the week, you are going to want to fill your days with different hikes, bike rides, and swims in anticipation of the weekend’s Gastronomic Fair.
That’s where Juayutur fits in. Although at the moment they don’t have a web-site, you can call Edgar Antonio Alfaro at 011 503 2469 2387, or just stop by the office!
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