West Travel Video Guide

West Travel Itinerary

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More tranquil than in the north, the rich landscapes of western El Salvador in many ways offer a perfect introduction to the country. Soft mountain chains edge back from the valleys, dominated by the vibrant green expanses of coffee plantations from which the area gains its wealth. Spared from the most violent hardships of the conflict of the 1980s, the friendly towns and cities here are more amenable to visitors than in many places, and a relatively well developed tourist infrastructure makes travelling easier than in other regions.

The joy of this part of the country consists largely of soaking up the atmosphere. The mountain towns of Apaneca and Juayua , in the south of the region, and the nearby city of Ahuachapan are perfect for a few days' relaxation, and are conveniently situated near the border with Guatemala - Ahuachapan in particular is a great little place to acclimatize yourself to El Salvador. The larger city of Santa Ana is a mellow contrast to the capital, while the peaks

of Cerro Verde, Volcan Santa Ana and Volcan Izalco , the sublime crater lake of Lago de Coatepeque , and the pre-Columbian site of Tazumal are all close by. In the north of the region, near the Guatemalan border, the accommodating little town of Metapan gives access to the Bosque Montecristo , where hiking trails weave through unspoilt cloudforest amid some of the most remote and perfectly preserved mountain scenery in this part of the world.

Your Tips For West

• West El Salvador Travel Videos
  El Salvador Travel Itinerary
  More tranquil than in the north, the rich landscapes of western El Salvador in many ways offer a perfect introduction to the country. - El Salvador
  

• San Salvador El Salvador Travel Videos
  El Salvador Travel Itinerary
  Sprawling across the Valle de las Hamacas at the foot of the mighty Volcan San Salvador is the urban melee of SAN SALVADOR , El Salvador's chaotic, frenetic and polluted capital. - El Salvador
  

• Pacific coast El Salvador Travel Videos
  El Salvador Travel Itinerary
  El Salvador's Pacific coast stretching from the Rio Paz in the west to the Rio Goascoran in the east, is a 300-kilometre sweep of sandy tropical beaches, dramatic cliffs, mangrove swamps and romantic islands. - El Salvador
  

• East El Salvador Travel Videos
  El Salvador Travel Itinerary
  The rough and wild terrain of eastern El Salvador remained, in the main, unexplored territory for the pre-Columbian Pipils, who did not venture far beyond the natural frontier of the Rio Lempa into this "land that smokes" of lofty volcanoes, hot plains and mountain ranges. - El Salvador
  

• North El Salvador Travel Videos
  El Salvador Travel Itinerary
  North of San Salvador , hilly pastures and agricultural land give way to the remote, rugged and sparsely populated Chalatenango and Cuscatlan provinces , a region of poverty and pride, all but closed to outsiders. - El Salvador