Our first week in El Salvador was spent along La Ruta de las Flores (that’s Flower Road for you Mario Kart players), a beautiful string of small villages winding through the mountains of the western part of the country. Linked by the highway and tourism, each pueblo nevertheless has a distinct charm to it, something we appreciated as we slowly traversed the region.

We started in Concepción de Ataco, which was probably our favorite town in terms of vibes. Arriving late in the afternoon after hiking Pacaya and crossing the border, we were extremely pleased to be able to park for a couple of nights along a gorgeous town square. Cute coffee shops and vibrant murals populated many of the blocks, which we were more than happy to take in. We also toured a local coffee estate, took in some local artwork, and hiked up to a mirador overlooking the town at sunset.

Snapshots of the towns we visited.

Next up, we made a quick day stop at Cafe Albania in the town of Apaneca. A bit of a misnomer, the “Cafe” is really an outdoor amusement park, with activities ranging from giant swings to zip-lining to a mirror maze. With our Giant Schnauzer in tow, we came for el laberinto, a surprisingly difficult tree maze that took us nearly an hour to complete. (It probably did not help that we let Arya lead for a time before realizing she was following her own scent and leading us in circles…)

Having gotten our exercise for the day, we continued onwards to Juayúa. The town itself was nothing too special as a tourist, with mostly regular homes and businesses along the streets. It will be forever remembered, though, for two activities: a waterfall hike and its weekend food festival. First, the hike. This wasn’t just a hike alongside a river or up to a nice view at the end (although we’ve done some of those too!); instead, we hiked past at least seven cascades, with the trail sometimes going underneath, through, or even up(!) the falling water. The trek concluded with a swim below the final waterfall, where our guide even showed us where to dip under the water to enter a small cave we could slowly wade into as we fought the current rushing out.

Walking across, under, and up waterfalls with a side of a facial spa via the natural clay found here.

The next day, we indulged the foodie within us at La Feria Gastronómica, which is held every weekend in the blocks surrounding the town square. We were joined by friends R & N, a couple from Texas, whom we had met on the hike the day prior. Together we were able to share a variety of dishes, from chicken and seafood plates to giant pupusas to trying the local version of horchata, which is made with peanuts, roasted seeds, and spices, and was a big hit with everyone. Having completed our hike the day before, it was easy to justify adding just a little bit more to our plates before we each continued on our journeys.

Friends and us at the food festival.

We wrapped up our week in Nahuizalco, which had one of the more active citizenry that I have seen; despite being a rather small town, it seemed that every street was bustling with pedestrians. This was especially true in that evening, as the entire town gathered for a night market. Rather tired from our long week, we largely kept to the edges, taking in the music and pleasant weather while sipping atole de piña, a fitting way to conclude our time in the region.