Tikal to Copan Quest

Places To See

Ruinas de Tazumal

The Mayan ruins of Tazumal, in Chalchuapa, are considered the most important and best preserved in El Salvador. The name Tazumal means 'pyramid where the victims were burned' in the Quiché language. The excavated ruins on display here are only one part of a zone covering 10 sq km (4 sq mi) - most of the ancient wonders still lie buried under the town.

Archaeologists estimate that the first settlements in the area date from around 5000 BC. The excavated structures date from a period spanning over 1000 years. The artifacts found at Tazumal provide evidence of ancient trade between Tazumal and places as far away as Panama and Mexico.

One of the most important artifacts uncovered is a lifesize statue of Xipe-totec, a Nahua god of fertility and war. The figure is covered in what appears to be scales, but are believed to represent pieces of human skin that were evidently cut from sacrificial victims as a tribute.

Alegría

High in the mountains, Alegría is an unsung gem and one of El Salvador's most picturesque towns. Once the heart of coffee country, it has transformed into the country's flower-growing capital and is a fine place to visit. About 230 flower viveros (nurseries) fill porches, fields and backyards throughout town, and visitors are very welcome.

Parque Nacional Montecristo-El Trifinio

The borders of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala converge at a point which has an elevation of 2400m (7900ft), receives 200cm (80in) annual precipitation and has 100% humidity - ideal conditions for a cloud forest. Parque Nacional Montecristo-El Trifinio sits right in its middle. Get permission from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and take a look.

In the Montecristo cloud forest, oak and laurel trees grow to 30m (98ft) and their leaves form a canopy impenetrable to sunlight.

Ferns, orchids, mushrooms and mosses coat the forest floor, and the local wildlife includes rare and protected spider monkeys, two-fingered anteaters, pumas, agoutis, toucans and striped owls.

Pre-Departure Information

When to go?

El Salvador has a tropical climate with only two seasons: verano (dry season) from November to April, and invierno (wet season) from May to October. Almost the entire annual rainfall occurs during the rainy season and at night. Temperatures are based mostly on elevation in El Salvador. The coastal areas are the hottest, averaging 22-32°C (72-90°F) throughout the year; the central areas vary dramatically year-round, from 19°C (66°F) in the coldest months to 38°C (100°F) in the warmest; and the mountainous areas are always cool, with temperatures averaging 12-23°C (54-73°F).

The best time of year to visit is at the beginning or the end of the dry season, when it doesn't rain every day and the roads are in good shape. More cultural festivals take place around these times. It's advisable to avoid the holiday periods - it's busy and prices are inflated. The main holiday periods are from Christmas through mid-January; Semana Santa, a week-long festival before Easter; and during the first week of August when San Salvador holds its annual festival. Many services also shut down during these periods. In the rainy season, prices are lower, beaches are less crowded and the evenings slightly cooler after the rainstorms.

Travel Visa Overview

Citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, other Central American countries, Israel, UK and EU member countries do not need a visa. However, you must purchase a single-entry tourist card (10.00) when entering the country. The standard length of stay is 30 days, but you can request up to 90 days - do so quickly before the official stamps your passport! If you leave and return within the allotted time, you can use the same tourist card. You are technically required to have a return or onward ticket, but this is rarely checked. Note that the Salvadoran tourist card is a large sticker which takes up a full page of your passport - be sure you have plenty of free space! For those who do need a pre-arranged visa, the cost is 30.00.

The new Central America-4 agreement allows for travel between the borders of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua with one entry fee and one passport stamp (in this case, be sure you ask for the 90-day option). If you are traveling overland, please note the change; you do not have to pay for another tourist card. It's possible you will have to 'remind' some border guards about the agreement. The provision is relatively new (and few tourists make use of it) so the officers may be simply unaware of the rule.

Electricity

115V

60Hz

Electrical Plugs

American-style plug with two parallel flat blades with or without a circular grounding pin

Health Information

Hepatitis

Several different viruses cause hepatitis; they differ in the way that they are transmitted. The symptoms in all forms of the illness include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, feelings of weakness and aches and pains, followed by loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored feces, jaundiced (yellow) skin and yellowing of the whites of the eyes.

There are six known types of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D, E and G. G is not dangerous. A and E are passed on by the fecal-oral route of transmission; there is a vaccine. Seek medical advice, but there is not much you can do apart from resting, drinking lots of fluids, eating lightly and avoiding fatty foods. A and E cause an acute illness, but you will recover fully from it.

B and D are passed on via blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluids. They can be passed on by close contact, sexual contact, and blood-to-blood contact. The symptoms of hepatitis B may be more severe than type A and the disease can lead to long-term problems such as chronic liver damage, liver cancer or a long-term carrier state. There is a vaccine.

Hepatitis C is only passed on from blood-to-blood contact. There is no vaccine.

Malaria

This serious and potentially fatal disease is spread by mosquito bites. If you are traveling in endemic areas it is extremely important to avoid mosquito bites and to take tablets to prevent this disease. Symptoms range from fever, chills and sweating, headache, diarrhea and abdominal pains to a vague feeling of ill-health. Seek medical help immediately if malaria is suspected. Without treatment malaria can rapidly become more serious and can even be fatal.

If medical care is not available, malaria tablets can be used for treatment. Before you travel, you should seek medical advice on the right medication and dosage for you.

If you do contract malaria, be sure to be re-tested for malaria once you return home as you can harbor malaria parasites in your body even if you are symptom free.

Travelers are advised to prevent mosquito bites at all times. The main messages are: wear light-colored clothing; wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito repellents containing the compound DEET on exposed areas (prolonged overuse of DEET may be harmful, especially to children, but its use is considered preferable to being bitten by disease-transmitting mosquitoes); avoid perfumes and aftershave. Use a mosquito net impregnated with mosquito repellent (permethrin) - it may be worth taking your own.

Rabies

This is a fatal viral infection. Many animals can be infected (such as dogs, cats, bats and monkeys) and it's their saliva that is infectious. Any bite, scratch or even lick from a warm-blooded, furry animal should be immediately and thoroughly cleaned. Scrub with soap and running water then apply alcohol or iodine solution. Medical help should be sought promptly to receive a course of injections to prevent the onset of symptoms and death.

Cholera

This diarrheal disease can cause rapid dehydration and death. Cholera is caused by a bacteria, Vibrio cholerae. It's transmitted from person to person by direct contact (often via healthy carriers of the disease) or via contaminated food and water. It can be spread by seafood, including crustaceans and shellfish, which get infected via sewage. Cholera exists where standards of environmental and personal hygiene are low. Every so often there are massive epidemics, usually due to contaminated water where there is a breakdown of the normal infrastructure.

The time between becoming infected and symptoms appearing is usually short, between one and five days. The diarrhea starts suddenly, and pours out of you. It's characteristically described as 'ricewater' diarrhea because it is watery and flecked with white mucus. Vomiting and muscle cramps are usual, but fever is rare. In its most serious form, there is a massive outpouring of fluid (up to 20L a day). This is the worst-case scenario and affects only about one in 10 people.

You should seek medical help urgently; in the meantime, start re-hydration therapy with oral re-hydration salts. You may need antibiotic treatment with tetracycline, but fluid replacement is the single most important treatment strategy. It's a self-limiting illness, meaning that if you don't succumb to dehydration, it will end in about a week without any treatment.

Prevention includes taking basic food and water precautions, avoiding seafood and having scrupulous personal hygiene. The available vaccine is not thought worthwhile as it provides only limited protection for a short time.

Typhoid

Also known as enteric fever, typhoid is transmitted via food and water, and symptomless carriers, especially when they're working as food handlers, are a particular source of infection. Typhoid is caused by a type of salmonella bacteria, Salmonella typhi. Paratyphoid is a similar but milder disease.

The symptoms are variable, but you almost always start with a fever and headache, which initially feels very similar to flu, with aches and pains, loss of appetite and general malaise. Typhoid may be confused with malaria. The fever gradually rises during a week. Characteristically, your pulse is quite slow for someone with a fever. Other symptoms include constipation or diarrhea and stomach pains.

You may feel worse in the second week, with a constant fever and sometimes a red rash. Other symptoms are severe headache, sore throat and jaundice. Serious complications occur in about one in 10 cases, including, most commonly, damage to the gut wall with subsequent leakage of the gut contents into the abdominal cavity.

Seek medical help for any fever 38°C (100°F)and higher that does not improve after 48 hours. Typhoid is a serious disease and is not something you should consider self-treating. Re-hydration therapy is important if diarrhea has been a feature of the illness, but antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment.

Weather Information

This diminutive nation bakes, with year-round temperatures surfing from around 32°C (89°F) during the day and dropping to around a cozy 19°C (66°F) at night. The coastal lowlands are the hottest region. While the dry season peaks in summer, the middle months experience quite heavy rainfall. During the rainy season, it usually only rains at night.

History and Culture

Pre-20th Centure History

El Salvador was inhabited by Paleo-Indians around 10,000 years ago, and their intriguing paintings (dating from 8000BC) can still be marveled at in caves outside the towns of Corinto and Cacaopera, both in Morazán.

The Olmecs were the first advanced MesoAmercian civilization and are believed to have lived in El Salvador as early as 2000 BC. The Olmec Boulder, a stone sculpture of a giant head found near Casa Blanca in western El Salvador, is similar to those found in Olmec centers in Tabasco, Mexico, and is evidence of Olmec presence in the region from at least 2000 BC.

El Salvador was an important trading center, and its archeological remains suggest a number of influences including Teotihuacán and Pipil Mayan in the west and Lenca, Chorti and Pok'omama in the east. The step-pyramid ruins at Tazumal, San Andrés and Casa Blanca show there has been nearly constant pre-Hispanic occupation for more than 3000 years and that the Maya lived in western El Salvador for over 1000 years.

When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the country was dominated by the Pipil, descendants of Náhuatl-speaking Toltecs and Aztecs, both Mexican tribes. The Pipil came to central El Salvador in the 11th century, just after the Mayan dynasty collapsed. They called the land Cuscatlán, which means 'Land of Jewels', and built their capital - now known as Antiguo Cuscatlán - outside San Salvador. Their culture was similar to that of the Aztecs, with heavy Mayan influences, a maize-based agricultural economy that supported several cities, and a complex culture that embraced hieroglyphic writing, astronomy and mathematics. They spoke Nahua, a dialect related to Náhuatl. Tazumal, San Andrés and Joya de Cerén all show signs of a Pipil presence.

Spain's claim was staked by the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, who arrived in the area in 1524. He founded the colony's first capital near present-day Suchitoto before it was moved to its current location a few years later. After a year-long struggle against the Pipil, the Spaniards prevailed and laid claim to the land, sowing plantations of cotton, balsam and indigo.

Throughout the 1700s agriculture boomed, but a group of 14 elite European families maintained control of most of the land, which was farmed by indigenous and African slaves.

Father José Matías Delgado organized a revolt against Spain in 1811, but it was quickly suppressed. Napoleon's invasion of Spain the following year increased the impetus for reform, and El Salvador eventually gained independence in 1821. However, this did not alter the dynamics of land ownership, an issue at the core of an unsuccessful rebellion by indigenous peoples in 1833, led by Anastasio Aquino. In 1841, following the dissolution of the Central American Federation (formed between El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua), El Salvador became a sovereign independent nation.

Modern History

By the 20th century, 95% of El Salvador's income came from coffee exports, but only 2% of the population controlled that wealth. Efforts by the poor majority to redress injustices were met with repression.

Movement for change followed the stock-market crash of 1929 and the subsequent plummet in coffee prices. An uprising by peasants and indigenous peoples resulted in the military killing 30,000 people in what became known as la Matanza (the Massacre). The leader, Farabundo Martí, was executed and the military took control of the nation. The FMLN revolutionary army would later take Martí's name in his honor.

By the 1960s, overpopulation and a struggling economy saw thousands of Salvadorans cross into Honduras seeking work. In 1969, allegations of mistreatment of Salvadoran immigrants were raised as a World Cup qualifying match between the countries was being played. Full-scale war broke out and the conflict became known as la Guerra de Fútbol (the Soccer War).

In 1972, the military arrested and exiled the president, and installed their own. 'Death squads' were formed, murdering and torturing thousands of Salvadorans.

In 1979, the president was overthrown and opposition parties banded together as the Federación Democrático Revolucionario (FDR). The 1980 assassination of Archbishop Óscar A Romero, sparked an armed insurrection.

The Reagan government in the US, unnerved by Nicaragua's socialist revolution, funnelled money (6 billion US dollars, all up) to the Salvadoran government. The military retaliated by decimating villages, causing 300,000 citizens to flee the country. In 1982, the ARENA party took power and death squads targeted trade unionists and agrarian reformers.

In 1990, the UN began mediating negotiations between the government and the FMLN. In 1992, a compromise was signed and a ceasefire took effect. The FMLN became the opposition and the government agreed to reforms.

During the war, an estimated 75,000 people were killed. In 1994, Calderón Sol was voted president.

Recent History

Despite the implementation of some reforms, many Salvadorans consider the current situation to be no better than before the war. Unemployment, poverty and a proliferation of guns has led to high homicide rates.

Although the FMLN has made great strides, the presidency has been dominated by the parties of the right, especially ARENA - Francisco Guillermo Flores Pérez was elected president in 1999.

In 2001, an earthquake caused a mudslide that buried the neighbourhood of Las Colinas - 1200 people died and 250,000 were left homeless.

Flores gained approval for his handling of the spread of criminal gangs, particularly cracking down on youth gangs. Human rights activists decried police abuse, but the public supported the effort.

In 2004, the election was won by another ARENA candidate, Tony Saca. In 2006, Saca oversaw the implementation of the Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, designed to loosen US-Central American trade barriers.