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North of San Miguel, the beautiful and sparsely populated mountainous department of Morazan experienced some of the war's worst atrocities, with massacres and bombing raids a regular occurrence. Much of the region is now encompassed by the so-called Ruta de la Paz , part of a major project to rebuild much-needed housing, schools and infrastructure, as well as to develop tourism in the region - the "Ruta" encompasses the area as a whole, rather than referring to any specific route though it. Three buses leave San Miguel daily for Perquin (3hr), Corinto, San Francisco Gotera (generally referred to simply as Gotera) and the small towns and villages between. Alternatively, take one of the more frequent buses to Gotera, from where a well-organized cooperative runs regular covered pick-ups (5am-4.30pm) to and from the Parque Central in Perquin for the same price as the bus fare. North of San Miguel, Highway CA-7 runs 25km to SAN FRANCISCO GOTERA (usually called simply "Gotera"), an edgy and unfriendly place, although set in a beautiful location. There's no real reason to stay here, but if you do get stuck, the San Francisco (up to US$5-15), on Av Morazan at 3a C Pte, just up from the market, is the nicest place in town. Two paved roads head north from Gotera. One takes you to the small village of CACAOPERA , home to a colonial church dating back to 1660, with walls up to 5m thick. The Museo Guinakirika ("community" in the local Ulua language) has fine exhibits of indigenous tradition and culture, as well as photos and arts and crafts. There's a friendly little comedor across the street, good for breakfasts and lunch. From Cacaopera, a road goes northeast to the town of CORINTO , an important commercial hub whose main claim to fame is the Grutas del Espiritu Santo , a series of caves bearing pre-Colombian wall art said to date back some 10,000 years. The caves are located about 15 minutes north of the village on foot through some pleasant scenery. Corinto can be reached on a day-trip from San Miguel (bus #327 from the main terminal). The second road north from Gotera begins to climb into the mountains, with henequen fields and cattle pasture giving way to pine forests and superb mountain vistas, while the air turns pleasantly fresh. About 10km north of Gotera, the road passes the fringes of CIUDAD SEGUNDO MONTES , a collection of new villages housing repatriated refugees and named after one of the six Jesuit priests assassinated by the military in 1989. Sympathetic visitors are welcome to tour the communities and talk with the residents, and staff at the reception office (closed Sun) in the main village - San Luis , on the highway - can explain local community projects. Accommodation is available in dormitory rooms in San Luis (up to US$5). From Arambala you can also hire a pick-up to take you to EL MOZOTE , scene of the country's most atrocious wartime massacre. In the week of 11-18 December, 1981, the elite, US-trained, Atlacatl army battalion attacked the village, killing some 1000 people, whose bodies were subsequently burnt or buried in mass graves. The few eye-witness testimonies to the events were ignored for years, and the bodies of the victims were exhumed in 1992. Today, what remains of El Mozote is virtually a ghost town, although families are slowly moving back. A moving monument to the victims features an iron sculpture of the silhouette of a family and boards carrying the names of those killed.
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