The extinct crater just outside of town is impressive and worth a visit. Also post pics of pupusas as those things are delicious and I miss them. There’s a big market town on the Ruta de Flores. I had some awesome ones cooked for me there.
Holiday destinations
- Thread starter jc100
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The extinct crater just outside of town is impressive and worth a visit. Also post pics of pupusas as those things are delicious and I miss them. There’s a big market town on the Ruta de Flores. I had some awesome ones cooked for me there.
I love Santa Ana, it is a cool colonial town that isn't quite on the tourist map yet. The volcano was a cool hike too. If you go to Santa Ana, Hostel Casa Verde (they have private rooms too) is the place to stay. Be sure to take some chicken bus rides for the true local experience.
Ruta De Las Flores was kinda dull and boring, wouldn't recommend it if you aren't going out that way. Did have some fun in Juayua though.
San Salvador itself is kinda cool and worth wandering around.
Edit: Forgot to mention eat all of the pupusas!!! Don't go to the nicer places. Find some dingy stall where someone is making them in front of their house. Those are always the best.
Ruta De Las Flores was kinda dull and boring, wouldn't recommend it if you aren't going out that way. Did have some fun in Juayua though.
San Salvador itself is kinda cool and worth wandering around.
Edit: Forgot to mention eat all of the pupusas!!! Don't go to the nicer places. Find some dingy stall where someone is making them in front of their house. Those are always the best.
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I think Santa Ana was the market town I went to. Me and my wife were the only gringos there and we got treated like royalty. Some lovely market stall ladies showed me how to cook pupusas and let me try a bunch of weird and whacky fruit. I remember my taxi driver saying ”it’s safe here but if you see me run…you run”.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
Not a big fan of El Salvador so far, not really much to do(unless you like sitting at a beach the entire time or surfing)
A lot of the businesses or places I want to go to are closed at odd hours or no longer exist(damnit google maps)
There’s something in the air that’s driving my seasonal allergies up a wall
I miss Mexico
A lot of the businesses or places I want to go to are closed at odd hours or no longer exist(damnit google maps)
There’s something in the air that’s driving my seasonal allergies up a wall
I miss Mexico
Hit up the archeological sites. There’s a fair few of them dotted about.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
I’ll get to the archaeological sites when I get a chance.
Finally found the ocean today, it is a bit frustrating though, everytime I leave the city and get a chance to explore the country or find a potentially spectacular view, there are a bunch of tin shacks blocking the view
Finally found the ocean today, it is a bit frustrating though, everytime I leave the city and get a chance to explore the country or find a potentially spectacular view, there are a bunch of tin shacks blocking the view
I’ll get to the archaeological sites when I get a chance.
Finally found the ocean today, it is a bit frustrating though, everytime I leave the city and get a chance to explore the country or find a potentially spectacular view, there are a bunch of tin shacks blocking the view
The way it was explained to us quite a few of those shacks are basically squatting. The families erect a structure and hope they aren’t moved on. If they aren’t and get left alone it’s theirs. Very very poor people but I found them to be the most genuine and friendly people too. Maybe it’s something to do with what they have all been through in terms of civil wars and gangs that most of us will never quite understand.
Wow…the tourist trap is real. All the excursions from the resort are $600-700USD per day for our family.
Wow…someone’s making bank.
Wow…someone’s making bank.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
Where abouts are you going?
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
sburns
Well-known member
How many are you? I thought you had a large group.
matt365
Well-known member
You're taking the kids?
We were at the Occidental Xcaret two years ago. We scheduled our excursions from the resort through a Costco membership. Made it cheaper. Discuss the excursions when you're there, not through a third party booking service.
We did Chichenitza, and a pretty cool Cenote that we repelled into. It was a package deal.
We also went scuba diving, 50 ft down to a reef. I already had my dive license, but my wife didn't. She did the pool work, and chickened out in the ocean.
Other than that, it was just stuff on the resort.
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You can get to most tourist places from there for free/cab fare/bus fare. Get the bus to Akumal and snorkel with sea turtles for free. Same bus gets you to Tulum for the ruins and also the water park place. You don’t need to pay for a single organised tour near there. Playa del Carmen has the ferry to Cozumel too for a bit of a longer trip. You can also grab a cab to the spider monkey sanctuary and sit inside the enclosure with them (just don’t stop them if they take a fancy to your jewelry).
Cab drivers know where the cenotes are too.
Just in case you’re unfamiliar with the area: there’s one main road outside of town that runs down to Tulum/Akumal and up to Cancun. It couldn’t be simpler and it’s pretty inexpensive. At Tulum it’s a short walk to the ruins. Not sure how much the entry is but it’s way cheaper than an organised tour.
Playa del Carmen is pretty lively. Watch out for seedy types selling drugs and the ones that will force a sad chained monkey/snake/parrot on you then demand cash.
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About 23 of us total.
Yup. Taking the little 3 monsters with us so snorkeling or any major adventures are out.
of course there’s shady characters all over…I hear Mexico is one of the worst for it. Very demanding of tips…but that’s for us to find out.
Not sure how things are right now with the sea turtles but you could see some just wading in the shallows. I snorkled and was feeling a bit annoyed as I couldn’t see anything among the huge underwater boulders until the boulders started to move. The things were enormous.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
The worst spots are wherever the Americans are. (Border towns, resort towns)
drugs and dirty cops abound.
Don’t go looking for trouble and you’ll have a great time.
I spend a month wandering around aimlessly throughout Mexico and met the most awesome people and had 0 problems.
Tips(propina) is 10% standard as mentioned before.
