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 238 goes directly to Juayúa several times during the day from main bus terminal, for $0.80 as of July 2024. If not, you can transfer in Ahuapachán or probably in Los Naranjos. Bus 210 leaves every 15 minutes from the Santa Ana bus terminal to Ahuachapán, $0.50 (date unknown). 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 (date unknown)
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. "Seven Waterfalls" tours also generally include this site. The water is crystal clear and fresh, though the main pool is formed by a concrete dam, not naturally (photos are carefully taken from a certain angle to obscure this). As of July 2024 it is fenced off, and you have to pay a "guide" $10 to take you down the short trail to access it. According to one version of the story, it is officially closed to the public, and these "guides" are just a group of locals who have found ways through the fence and locked them with padlocks. Either way, it's probably not practical to get to it without paying them.

To get to the entrance, 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. It's possible that you can get in cheaper with a guide you find in town than with the ones at the entrance.

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 desserts and coffees. Live music on Saturday nights. Av Pbtre Luis Martinez.

Sleep

As of August 2024, there are quite a few different hostels and hotels available, though prices have gone up a lot.

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 $24. (updated Aug 2024)

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