Welcome to one of the most sought-after attractions in El Salvador! Ruta de Las Flores (Route of the Flowers) is a winding road that runs on the mountain slopes of Western El Salvador. During high season (November-February), this path is sided by colourful flowers, hence its name.
Comprised by six villages, this road is a must-do in any visit to this Central American country. Most tourists don’t visit all the villages and instead choose some to visit in one day. We did all of them during one and a half day, which is completely possible given that the villages are really short-dimensioned.
If you read any other posts on the country, you already know we were on a rental car. Anyway, the route is fairly easy to visit on chicken buses (#249) that leave every once in a while in both directions.
As one can see from the map below, the wisest approach would be to start from Ahuachapán or Nahuizalco. We chose the first option and went to Ahuachapán and Concepción de Ataco in one afternoon, leaving the others for the next day. Our basecamp for this was Juayua, where we slept two nights at this guesthouse (great location and very clean).
If you can’t spend more than a full day here, probably you’re wondering what to see. In that case, these are our thoughts:
- The most beautiful and interesting ones: Concepción de Ataco and Juayua
- Average: Ahuachapán and Nahuizalco
- Least interesting: Apaneca and Salcoatitán
Ahuachapán
The first village we visited is actually a city (to which Concepción de Ataco and Apaneca belong). In spite of its larger dimensions, only the few blocks of the city centre are worth the while. We would highlight the main church, the coral-coloured clock tower at the main square, and the numerous graffiti scattered on the walls of the nearby streets.
Concepción de Ataco
Our favourite, without a doubt. Cobblestone streets and the large amount of custom-painted houses give it the feeling we were expecting from all the six villages.
The first stop was the viewpoint over the city (Mirador de la Cruz), which is actually not easy to find. Behind Iglesia del Calvario (pictured above) there are some stairs that eventually lead to coffee plantations. Turn right on the top, where you’ll find a parking lot and a narrow dirt road. After some 100m you’ll find the lookout.
We also visited two churches: Iglesia del Calvario, one of the best we’ve seen in El Salvador, and Santuario Immaculada Concepción de Maria. There’s also Axul Artesanías, a store of local handmade products that has its own restaurant/café (a bit expensive but very good indeed).
Apaneca
A small and less interesting village, with not much going on. The white church near the central square is, however, very pretty. On the other side of the main road, there’s a theme park with some activities like zipline and climbing. We did the labyrinth there and really enjoyed it.
Salcoatitán
Another less interesting town with two churches near the road and a small main plaza. We did not stop for long here as well.
Juayua
One of the best, along with Concepción de Ataco. The imposing church (Iglesia del Cristo Negro) has a black Christ which hangs behind the altar. It’s official name is however Iglesia de Santa Lucia. The festivities of Cristo Negro run from January 8-15.
The town is also famous for its gastronomical market (Feria Gastronomica) that takes place every weekend. Unfortunately we were there on weekdays so we were not able to pay a visit. Anyway, we read reports that found this market quite expensive for the country’s standards.
There are two waterfalls Southeast of the city (Chorros de La Calera and Las Siete Cascadas), but walking tourists are frequently targeted by robbers on the outskirts of Juayua. We did not visit them but if you’re willing to, it’s advisable to hire a local guide.
If you have the time, grab yourselves a meal at one of the best pupuserías we tried in El Salvador: Pupusería Esmeralda. It’s located a few blocks north of the main plaza but it’s worth the walk.
Nahuizalco
The last village of the road is Nahuizalco, a nice little village that we classified as average. It has some similarities with Concepción but does not match it, in our opinion. The main plaza with the towering palm trees was the highlight for us. Traditional “comedores” and restaurants sparkle some life around it. Nearby, there’s a street market selling fruits, vegetables and other goods.
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