Juayúa
Juayúa is a town in Western El Salvador. It is known for its weekly gastronomic festivals and is a popular stop along El Salvador's Ruta de las Flores.
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 50 minutes and 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 Restaurante R&R "Cocina Autor", C. Mercedes Pte. 1-2, they have great steaks and service, meals $6-10. +503 2452 2083
- Pupuseria Esmeralda, a little west in alley along 5 Calle Oriente from Avenida Daniel Cordon Norte between, offers some of the tasty Salvadorian staples. +503 2452 2931
Drink
- Pitonga Bar & Grill, 2a Ave Sur between RN 12W and 2 Calle Oriente, 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, 1 Calle Poniente, ☏ +503 2469 2401. 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.
- Casa Mazeta, 2 Ave Norte 22, is 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. +503 7252 8498