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Herradura
Is the closest town to where we are located at Bahia de Sol Marina. To get there by car is 40 kilometers, by dinghy it is just over 3 miles. We had intended to visit the town on several occasions but either the river was flowing too strongly or the tide would be out and so the town docks would be difficult to access. Finally the perfect day came and we were off up the river to visit Herradura.
We found the town dock easily accessible and even had a fellow there to watch the dinghy. Right at the top of the dock steps we found a large courtyard with many different eateries. There was mainly seafood on offer, probably because Herradura has a fishing fleet.
The streets were wonderfully colourful, with many murals on the walls of shops. There was just so much to see…. We wandered all the way through the town.
I just loved the atmosphere of the place. Even the church was nicely decorated and then there were little shrines along the road, guessing it’s quite a religious town. Folks were very friendly to us, going about their business, selling goods, buying what they needed, but noticing us strangers.
It was reminiscent of Fronteras in Rio Dulce, busy, with tons to see, narrow streets and smells of foods.
We found the market which was a treat. I just adore markets and this one is a very good one with plenty of produce. There were also many differing types of merchandise.
Yes, we were impressed with Herradura
Low tide walks
We had a week of extremely low tides, in fact the lowest for this year. And importantly they were during the morning hours. We took advantage for the low tides and do some wonderful walks.
In fact… our routine became, beach walk, boat chores, sunset relaxation, sleep, and up and all over again.
I just so love the reflections.
And the amazing artwork left by the sand and the water as it receded.
Plus the effects of the tidal sand pools with the clouds reflected in them.
We did walk energetically down towards the distant 15 kilometers of beach stretching away from us. I did do my exercises for my duff knee. And John has taken to jogging off and then catching up with me later.
The only downside is the incredible heat! It really has been very hot and with the darker sands the heat is retained. On the plus side there is always a sea breeze to cool one off.
Puerta de Diablo again
Another car rental, at $25 a day it’s so worth renting a car to travel about. We do our shopping and chores one day and then play the other day. This time we did a 3 day rental.
We had set off early in order to beat the clouds and when we arrived 2 hours later we were not disappointed.
This time around we were able to walk downhill to the Devil’s door. Once there we were at first the only visitors. We spent time admiring the view gazing out over the forested slopes to the distant town. Above us we could see the zip line riders, zipping from one side to the other of the twin peaks. And the Eagles soaring in the thermals between and above the peaks.
We again climbed up the central peak which is quite a steep rugged climb. With my duff knee I was quite pleased with myself.
From this central peak we also had a magnificent view of the slopes below and to both sides. It really was very beautiful on this a sunny day. However in the distance we could see the clouds forming ready to cover the peaks for the afternoon.
Now why is the area known as the Devil’s Door?
Legend has it that during the time of the colonists, the daughter of one of the landowners of Los Planes de Renderos , María de La Paz who was very beautiful, was courted by Satan himself.
The evil devil kept her locked in one of the famous caves that are found in the area. However, nobody knows if she was found alive or if she was rescued by her father. Only a scapular, bone, that María wore around her neck on the day she was kidnapped was found.
Her father, Rosendo Renderos (the name of the canton where it is located), determined not to leave her in the clutches of Satan, went in pursuit of him when night fell. Satan , harassed by all the landowner’s tenants, fled across the mountains and knocked down part of them with one blow.
According to mythology, due to the arch shape that the strong blow carved in the mountain range, it was called the “Devil’s Gate.”
After our visit we happened upon
another delightful restaurant
where we had a wonderful traditional El Salvadorian lunch.
Ruta de Flors
The drive from Bahia Del Sol to the city takes about an hour and a half, from there we headed towards a town called Sonsonate which marks the beginning of the Ruta de Flors. However between San Salvador and Sonsonate there are horrible roadworks that stretch for several miles, and there is no other route. So getting to the beginning of the Ruta de Flors took us several hours. Till finally we were off of the major road and onto lovely country roads winding up and through the mountains.
Nahuizalco
This lovely village is known for its wicker and wood handicrafts. We chose to drive through looking at the wicker handicrafts from the car as they were displayed on the side of the road. The work looked excellent.
Salcoatitan
Salcoatitán is famous for its ceiba tree. This impressive tree is more than 350 years old and located on a small square at the entrance of the village.
The ceiba tree played an important role during Mayan times. The Maya saw this tree as an important connection between the underworld, the present and the upper world.
The Ceiba’s roots in Xibalbá, (the underworld), the base of its trunk placed where the humans live sometimes referred to as Kab, earth, and the trunk and branches the dwellings of the Gods and the entrance to the heavens.
This town is also best known as the coffee town. Although coffee is grown all over the ruta. When we stoped at a view point it was next to coffee and above coffee being grown.
Steep slopes covered in coffee bushes which were all covered in green ripening coffee berries.
Juayua
Juayua is a small and quiet village, located in the mountains along the Ruta de las Flores. In the native Nahuatl language Juayua means: Place of the purple orchid. We never did see a purple orchid, but we did see lovely crimson flowers in the hedges along the roadside.
Apaneca
This village is located at an altitude of almost 1500 meters, which meant it was pleasantly cool at last.
Concepción de Ataco
Ataco is the nicest villages of La Ruta de las Flores. This was our destination, we parked and headed off to walk the village.
The streets were cobbled and lined with colorful little stores selling absolutely everything. There was a large plaza with a church at one end.
Cute restaurants, more shops and lots of colorful street art. Yes, wonderful street art, murals everywhere!
The street art is what had me captivated.
We had lunch at a very nice cafe right off the plaza where we could watch the village folk.
And then we were off for another walk around the village admiring the street art. Until finally it was time to head back to Bahia del Sol.
And then there was a village we passed through on our return journey which had many different old fashioned trains on display.
(Ataco is located 45 minutes from the border of Guatemala – Las Chinamas)
Botanical Gardens
Was another site for us to visit on another shopping excursion. Found In the middle of the big city San Salvador, nestled in a volcanic crater, it is an oasis of huge trees, beautiful vegetation and many birds.
We arrived, parked, entered and began our exploration of the gardens. There are over 3,300 different plant species in the area. It was said to be an impressive collection of plants and flowers from around the world.
We wandered around and found plants are arranged according to their types, including medicinal plants, desert plants, ferns, orchids, and more. Each plant collection was labeled with family, common, and scientific names, as well as their distribution.
There were aquatic plants, desert plants, begonias, bromeliads, medicinal plants, and orchids. The site is also home to assorted woodland animals.
Historically, the crater at the garden’s location once held a lagoon for many centuries. However, a volcanic eruption at the end of the 18th century transformed it into a semi-marshy area. An earthquake in 1873 drained most of the area, turning it into fertile land, which was later used for livestock farming and eventually became part of a private garden featuring centuries-old trees and exotic plants.
In the 1960s and 1970s, an industrial complex was constructed on part of the area, and the private garden was handed over to a private association for management and conservation. The La Laguna Botanical Garden was officially opened to the public on December 22, 1978.
We enjoyed our time wandering around the gardens. My favorite were the exotic flowers blooming from the trunk of their parent tree.
Plus the very colorful iguanas and the very sweet woodland deer.
“And that,” said Bean,” is why loosing is a much more powerful teacher than winning.” – Orson Scott Card
