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!
There are a number of places where you can connect to the internet in Juayua. These cybercafes charge for the amount of time that you are connected, and although the speeds aren’t very fast, you can still manage to connect and read email. Voice and video chat functions don’t work too well, as there isn’t enough bandwidth to handle it.
For connecting to the internt in Juayua try these three internet cafes:
Cyber y Equipment
1a. Av. Sur 1-2, Barrio San JoséTel.: 2452-2769
Nautilus Cyber Shop
Calle Merceditas Cáceres y 2a. Av. NorteTels.:2452-2343, 2226-4374cor07_1@hotmail.com
En El Yei
Calle Merceditas Cáceres No. 13, Centro Comercial La Futurista. Tel. 2452-2214
There are plenty of good things to eat in El Salvador, but if you’re like me at all, you crave variety. Well, while in Juayua you can get all the variety you want at the food festival on the weekends (minus the veggies, as it is a pretty meat focused spread), during the week you might be craving something a little more… Mexican.
If that happens check out Taqueria Guadalupana where you can get all the best of fajitas, pollo en mole, poblano, guacamole, nachos, and puyaso. Wash it down with mezcal, torito pinto, a nice cold beer or a margarita!
Taqueria Guadalupana does what it does well; serves decent Mexican fare in a little town in El Read more
Heading up the mountain of Apaneca you will pass through San Juan de Dios, a small coffee oriented community. Just beyond the city you will come to Finca El Portezuelo, which is a farm that runs a variety of tours in the mountainous region.
From Finca El Portezuelo you can take a hiking tour up through the mountains into the cloud forest, where there are amazing wild orchid gardens and other plant life. The hike takes you through coffee plantations and ravines, ending in a series of geishers. The mud from the geishers is said heal the skin, and that combined with a nice soak in the hotsprings melts away the outside world.
Juayua is one of the best places for eco-tourism in El Salvador – in all of Central America actuallly. The landscapes are incredible, yes, but what makes it so great is that it is still a virtual unknown in comparison to countries like Costa Rica and Panama.
Juayua in particular is popular among tourists that come to El Salvador, but honestly the amount of people who end up here are quite few. The country is still a little more rugged than other popular eco-tourism destinations, but for many, that makes it all the more fun.
In Juayua it is a good idea to ask at your hotel guest for a local guide. Sure, you can hike around yourself, Read more
There are lots of little places you can stay in Juayua – one that comes highly recommended is El Mirador. It is run by a local family, and Jose, the head of the household is always around, and always ready to help out.
Everyone pitches in to get things done, which makes staying here like being completely pampered, but in the comforts of your own home… sort of. Rooms are clean and the food at the hotel’s restaurant is great, all done by the same people! The restaurant also offers an incredible view of the city and the surrounding landscape.
Everyone is really helpful with making sure you are comfortable, and enabling you to really enjoy your Read more
Facebook
Twitter
Comments