Juayúa
Juayúa is a town in Western El Salvador.
Get in
- From Santa Ana, Bus 210 leaves every 15 minutes from the bus terminal to Ahuachapán, $0.50. Ahuachapán is where the beautiful Ruta de las Flores begins and bus 23 goes all the way to Sonsonate stopping at Juayúa. You can also take bus 18A from its terminal, three blocks east from the southeast corner of the parque. Both take about 50min an cost $0.75.
- From Sonsonate, Bus 249 leaves regularly and stops in Juayúa (45min, $0.50)
- From Guatemala take a bus to Jalpatagua, e.g., from Guatemala City, Q25, 3h. From the terminal buses go to the calm border (Q8, 30min). (Most moneychangers here have rigged calculators.) Across the border, bus 11-AH ($0.50, 45min) takes you to the parque in Ahuapachán.
Get around
Juayúa is small enough to walk around in. Also there are tuk tuks throughout the town.
See
Los Chorros de la Calera is a nice area with waterfalls and swimming holes just outside of the town. The water is crystal clear and fresh and there is often a police officer there for security.
To get there, you can take a tuk tuk or walk. It's about 20 minutes from the main square. Take the street Mercedes Caceres one block north of the parque and follow it east until you get to a fork in the road with a statue of a mermaid and also a sign, from here take a right and follow the signs.
Do
- 7 Waterfall hike; 6 hour hike past several waterfalls. Rappel down a 40m waterfall. Swim in another one. Very rugged terrain. Will get quite wet and dirty. $12-$20pp depending on group size @ Casa Mazeta
Buy
Eat
There are plently of cheap eats at the comedores in and around the market right next to the church, Iglesia Cristo Negro. For $2-3 you can get a tasty meal and a drink.
A bit more expensive is the R&R restaurant, they have great steaks and service, meals $6-10. Corner of Mereditas Careres and 1a Av Sur.
Restaurante la Guadalus has good Mexican food and a laid back atmosphere, meals $4-8. Corner of Mereditas Careres and Av Daniel Cordon Sur
Drink
El Cadejo Cafe is a cozy place based on the theme of the Central American legend, the Cadejo. Cadejos are good and evil spirits which resemble dogs and protect or try to kill people travelling at night. Great deserts and coffees. Live music on Saturday nights. Av Pbtre Luis Martinez.
Sleep
- Hotel Anahuác. A pleasant hostel with dorms and private rooms which attracts an international crowd. With plenty of seating in the garden. Has a kitchen and also warm showers which unlike most in this country are not just electric widow-maker type shower heads. Dorms from $9.
Hostel Zompopo, dorms $7 a night, is a small, clean hostel just one block from the main square. Take 4 Calle Oriente on the south side of the central park and follow it east one block and cross Av Daniel Cordon Sur, just past this street on the right is the hostel, next to an Internet cafe with a picture of a mosquito on it.
Cipi Lodge- Rustic cabin in the middle of a coffee plantation and cypress forest. There are hiking trails available (for free). Beautiful views odf Juayua. In the heart of Cerro El Pilon. Starting at $8.00 on dorms. For more info. visit www.cipilodgesantarita.weebly.com email: cipilodgesantarita@travellersspot.com
Casa Mazeta, a chillaxed hostel with 3 private rooms ($25/night) and 6 dorm beds ($9pp). Each room sports its own flair. Beautifully kept garden with plenty of seating, hammocks and even a turtle. Large communal kitchen and indoor sitting area with instruments and films. Cooking classes offered ($1pp + food costs) and waterfall tours ($12-$20pp). Owner Suzanna is friendly and a wealth of local knowledge.