We spent time in three very different areas of El Salvador: a secluded jungle campground, the popular but cozy surf village of El Tunco, and a small mountain town, Alegria. El Salvador offers a unique flavor compared with the rest of Latin America. The cops are generally not corrupt, there is no haggling over prices, and the topes are well marked and infrequent.

We left El Salvador pleasantly surprised.  El Salvador, while the smallest and most populated of Central America, allowed these two gringos to fall out of the traveler’s scene and get lost in Latin culture.  Continue reading →

After pouring over dozens of travel blogs and forums, in anticipation of a rough crossing into El Salvador, we made it through without incident. The advice we heeded by crossing on Saturday and using the shoulder to bypass the trucks in queue was of great help. Our first stop in El Salvador: Parque Nacional El Imposible.

We found the park entrance without much trouble despite the fact that the access road was displayed differently on each of our three maps of El Salvador. The dirt road turnoff is just east of the town Cara Sucia. Tickets can be purchased within the park from a guide or official. The north entrance has been closed for some time.

We set up base   Continue reading →