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Thirty kilometres beyond Usulutan the Carretera Littoral turns south; you can connect with buses north to San Miguel at the junction here. After passing the small, unexciting town of Chirilagua, 14km away, a side road winds over the low mountains to another popular and beautiful beach, Playa El Cuco , which, once you're past the dusty and rather unfriendly little village, stretches endlessly into the distance, empty of tourists during the week. For accommodation , Hospedaje Vasquez, Hospedaje Palmeras and the unfriendly Hotel Colato in the village all offer windowless, concrete boxes for which you should pay no more than US$4-5. A better option is to walk out of the village, parallel with the beach, where you will find Pinar de Mar , a friendly new hotel offering small but clean rooms with bath (US$10-15); there's no sign but look for the double blue gates and a notice saying "se alquilen cuartos". A little further along is the Hotel Leones Marinos (US$25-60), an old hotel, currently being renovated and extended, which offers a range of comfortable and good-value rooms, plus a cafe and restaurant. Further down the beach is the luxurious Tropiclub (tel 661 1800, fax 661 1399; US$25-40), with its own restaurant and pool. Playa El Cuco is accessible by direct bus (1hr 30min) from the terminal in San Miguel. The ride is one of the finest bus journeys in the country, winding up and over the mountains, with spectacular views of the valleys and the ineffable Volcan San Miguel (sit on the right side of the bus on the way to El Cuco). Beyond Chirilagua, the highway runs parallel the coastline, passing through the tidy little town of Intipuca before turning north again, around the western slopes of Volcan Conchagua and up to La Union. Some 5km past Intipuca, a side road gives access to Playa El Icacal , 7km south. An untouched expanse of wide soft sand fringed by coconut palms, the beach has good swimming and is perfect for a day doing nothing. There's no accommodation, although a few comedores serve meals. Buses from La Union (#383) and San Miguel (#385) continue on to Playa Negras, Playa Las Tunas and Playa El Tamarindo - all of them stunning, with wide beaches and good swimming. The Tropi Tamarindo (tel 649 5082; US$60-80) at El Tamarindo and the Torola Cabana Club (tel 604 4516, fax 264 1170; US$60-80) at Las Tunas are both expensive but have first-rate facilities. The Hotel Playa Las Negras (US$25-40) is slightly cheaper, and is fronted by a sublime expanse of sand - although currently closed, it's expected to re-open under new ownership.
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