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Beyond Sonsonate, the major town on the coast is the port of ACAJUTLA , the site of Pedro de Alvarado's first encounter with the Pipils in 1524, but today a hot, decaying and distinctly edgy place; it's better to stay at Sonsonate. Acajutla lies 4km from the Carretera Littoral, which from here runs the flat 46km or so to the Guatemalan border at La Hachadura, a beautiful journey with the slopes of the Cordillera Apaneca rising to the north and rolling pasturelands to the south. After 10km, the highway passes the access road to Playa de Metalio , a quiet, palm-fringed beach, whose beauty is somewhat marred by the refuse washed up from Acajutla. More remote, Playa Barra de Santiago lies 15km further up the coast, across a small estuary by the fishing village of Barra de Santiago. A rough road leads the 7km from the highway to the estuary; one bus a day in the morning runs along it from Sonsonate. At the estuary, bargain with a fishing boat to take you across to the village and the beach. A further 10km west, the dusty village of Cara Sucia lines the highway just east of the Rio Cara Sucia. The nearby archeological site of Cara Sucia was a Maya settlement made wealthy by trade in salt. Initial excavations uncovered a number of structures including two pelota courts, and though there's not much to see today, it's a peaceful place for a picnic. There is no public transport to the site; from the crossroads 50m past the bridge at the end of the village take the road leading left, opposite Comedor Nohemy , for about twenty minutes until you reach the Cooperativa Cara Sucia buildings on the right; ask the guard to let you through and follow the track round the buildings, taking the right-hand fork to the ruins. From Cara Sucia the highway continues the last few kilometres to La Hachadura , a busy border crossing used by the international buses heading for Mexico. There's a small hospedaje on the Guatemalan side, and buses to Esquintla and Guatemala City.
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