Did you know that when you stay our eco resort our chef will prepare all your food according to your diet? Our food that we prepare and serve is fresh, locally grown or caught. Breakfast is served buffet style with fresh fruits and juice, yogurt and granola, French pastries and breads, and locally grown and roasted coffee. La Cocotera’s eco resort can accommodate any dietary restriction or preference.
Our staff at our eco resort are more than happy to help to accommodate any of your requests. Sandy, our bartender, can make a drink that you can enjoy poolside or while you are on the beach in El Salvador!
There are many things to do in El Salvador; however, surfing in El Salvador has become increasingly popular in recent years. For one thing, the beaches in El Salvador are not crowded making surfing in El Salvador a nice tranquil surfing location. The best time to surf in El Salvador is during March to October when swells can reach 10 feet; however, surfing in El Salvador is remarkable year round.
El Salvador is set facing south so the country is arguably one the best place for waves in Central America for south swells. The right hand point waves are a dream for any surfer. There are over 200 miles of beaches in El Salvador which means that there are many possible places to surf in El Salvador. La Libertad and El Sunzal are probably some of the more well-known El Salvadorian beaches, but Barra de Santiago should not be overlooked at all.
At Barra de Santiago, you can look forward to consistent surfing in El Salvador year round. The sandy beaches at Barra de Santiago provide for a nice beach break rather than the point breaks at some of the other beaches in El Salvador. Whether you are an experienced surfer or have never surfed before and just want to try it, surfing in El Salvador is something that you should experience. While surfing is near the top of the list of things to do in El Salvador, at Barra de Santiago there are many things to do.
When you are staying at an eco resort in El Salvador, there are a variety of things to do when you maybe want to take a break from surfing but don’t want leave the beach. There is year round fishing in El Salvador which can provide for a relaxing experience. You can also kayak, sail, and water ski.
During the months of October through February the flowers are blooming on the Ruta de las Flores, or “Route of the Flowers.” The road, which is located near our eco resort, gets its name from the white flowers that blossom on coffee plants that are in region. The “Route” through its 36 kilometer road will take you through El Salvador’s coffee growing region and links five towns together where locals have kept their traditions and culture very much alive.
In the town of Nahuizalco, you will be able to admire the beautiful hand-crafted furniture and enjoy the night market that is illuminated by oil lamps, lanterns, and candles. Juayúa offers one of the largest food and artisan festivals where you will be amazed at the variety of local and international food that you can eat. A notable black Christ statue is located in Juayúa at La Iglesia del Cristo Negro or “Black Christ Church.”
Apaneca has two lagoons, Laguna Verde or Green Lagoon and Laguna de las Ninfas or “Nymphs Lagoon,” which provides for stunning landscapes. You can soar over Apaneca through forests while getting a bird’s eye view of the area with an Apaneca Zip Line Tour.
Every weekend in Salcoatitán, you can enjoy a large selection of food in front of the colonial church of San Miguel Arcángel. El Salvador’s first coffee plantation was located in Salcoatitán. Be sure to check out the local art galleries and eco-art.
The “Route” ends with the village of Concepción de Ataco. Concepción de Ataco is rich in history as it dates back to pre-Columbian times. There are viewpoints where you can gaze at the town and its surroundings. While driving, there are multiple viewpoints where you will be able to pull over and enjoy the scenic views that El Salvador has to offer. La Cocotera’s closeness to Ruta de las Flores makes this a must do activity for any eco-friendly traveler.
El Salvador is a nature-lover’s paradise. With a large variety of unique plants and wildlife, its geographic location is ideal for those seeking an eco vacation. With so many sights to see, from the breathtaking volcanic lake, Lake Coatepeque, to El Imposible National Park, El Salvador is the perfect place to experience the beauty of nature first hand. Many nature tours in El Salvador are available through La Cocotera Resort as well as various tour groups in the area.
La Cocotera offers exciting eco and nature tours including an exploration of the Ruins of Joya de Ceren and San Andres, a Santa Ana Volcano Tour and a day hike in El Imposible National Park.
Ruins of Joya de Ceren
Visit the Mayan ruins of Joya de Ceren and San Andres on this unique, full day nature tour. Named a UN World Heritage Site, this archaeological region offers unforgettable panoramic volcanic views from beautiful Cerro Verde. Tour includes transportation, a pack lunch, park entrance fees and a guide. Cost: $175 for up to 2 people.
Volcano Tour
This tour is for the athletic and adventurous. Climb the Santa Ana Volcano, the highest in the country, with magnificent views of other volcanoes and lakes. The effort will be well worth it! This full day trip is relatively strenuous and sturdy shoes are necessary. Transportation, lunch, entrance fees and a guide are all included. Cost: $165 for up to two people.
El Imposible National Park
The San Salvador area is well known for El Imposible, a tropical rain forest and El Salvador’s largest national park. Explore its diverse collection of animals and plants on this educational hike. During the nature tour, you will also learn about the Scarlet Macaw reintroduction program. The trip is a 1/2 day hike and includes transportation, drinks, entrance fees and guide. Cost: $150 for up to 2 people.
Other types of nature tours and activities that are readily available at or near La Cocotera Resort include ocean and estuary kayaking, deep sea fishing, birdwatching, and a behind the scenes eco tour of our resort.
If you have other nature tours in El Salvador that you would like to book while staying with us, we would be glad to help point you in the right direction.
From popular beaches such as El Sunzal and El Tamarindo to lesser known spots like La Barra de Santiago, such ideal locations, have made surfing in El Salvador a must for the surfing enthusiast to the novice surfer. If you are looking for warm, tropical weather, unspoiled beaches and challenging waves, then El Salvador has everything you need.
The beautiful beaches and favorable geographical location of El Salvador’s long stretch of Pacific coastline provide some of the world’s best areas for surfing. With mostly vacant waters, El Salvador’s beaches are not only the perfect place to catch a wave, but to soak up the sun and explore the natural surroundings in serenity.
For the longest wave in El Salvador that’s perfect for both long and short boards, try El Sunzal. The waves are big and surfers are often found spending their time here. In fact, many wave seekers refer to El Salvador’s coast as a “surfer’s heaven.” The coast to the west of El Sunzal has many beach breaks and a few river mouths, and it enjoys some of the most consistent surf in the country of El Salvador.
El Salvador has a dry season (November - April) and a wet season (May-October). While the wet season is characteristic of rain, there is also plenty of sunshine and the biggest surf. Waves up to 8-12 ft are not uncommon! The dry season offers beautiful sunny weather and calmer waves, with more consistent surf. Depending on what kind of vacation you prefer, either season may have just the perks you’re looking for.
Experienced surfers may want to check out Barra de Santiago. It is a small coastal village with deserted beaches and consistent year round surf. Beginners can go down the beach towards village where the waves are much softer. When you’re not surfing, you can explore the estuary, observe the local wildlife or just enjoy the gentle breeze.
At just a short five hour flight from Los Angeles, surfing in El Salvador is well within reach for west coasters and a worthy vacation destination for those coming from farther away. At La Cocotera eco resort, you are only a few steps from the beach. Just roll out of bed, grab your surf board and go! Other water activities are also readily available, including kayaking through the Barra de Santiago estuary. La Cocotera is an all-inclusive resort, so leave the accommodations and meals up to us, and we’ll leave the surfing to you.
Great news! We have officially received two Scarlet Macaws as part of an educational component of a larger reintroduction program with SalvaNatura, El Salvador’s largest NGO. Their names are Lily and Tito. No one knows their exact age, but they came to us from a rescue center where they had spent the last 15 years of their lives in a cramped cage. The birds now reside in an aviary that we have built for them and are happily enjoying the larger space.
Lily and Tito, El Salvador Scarlet Macaws at La Cocotera Eco Resort
The Scarlet Macaw is an incredible bird, now extinct in El Salvador and most of Central America. Hunting, poaching for the pet trade, and the destruction of habitat through deforestation have all been contributing factors in their population decline. As an environmentally active eco lodge in Central America, we are working in conjunction with SalvaNatura to sponsor a project that reintroduces macaws into the wild and establishes a self-sustaining population.
SalvaNatura is a private, nonprofit organization recognized nationally and internationally for its successful work on the issue of environmental conservation in El Salvador. For more information, visit www.salvanatura.org. You can read more about the Reintroduction of the Scarlet Macaw to El Salvador here.
One of the great advantages of ecotourism is having the opportunity to witness the wonders of nature first hand. Just one of the many unique and amazing animals that reside in our little area of El Salvador is the Olive Ridley sea turtle. If you are lucky, you may be able to see this sea turtle on the Barra de Santiago beach.
Olive Ridley turtles get their name from the coloring of their heart-shaped shell, which starts out grey when they first hatch, but becomes olive green once the turtles are adults. Olive Ridley turtles are one of the smallest species of sea turtle, with adults reaching 2 to 2.5 feet in length and weighing 80 to 110 pounds.
Female Olive Ridleys have a remarkable way of nesting that sets them apart from other animals. Large groups of turtles gather off shore, then simultaneously come ashore to nest and lay their eggs. The nesting rush is known as an “arribada”, which is Spanish for “arrival”. During these arribadas, hundreds to thousands of females come ashore to lay their eggs.
The Olive Ridley turtle’s conservation status is threatened, which means it is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve. In breeding populations on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, the Olive Ridley turtle is endangered. The main cause of the historical decline of the Olive Ridley sea turtle is the collection of eggs and killing of adults on nesting beaches.
Olive Ridley Turtles
At La Cocotera Eco Resort, we sponsor a turtle release program that allows guests to participate in the release of baby Olive Ridley turtles into the Pacific ocean. Our eco lodge aims to promote ecotourism and inspire guests to help preserve our natural environment. We purchase the eggs from locals and raise them until they are ready to be released. If you would like to learn more about our eco resort and the turtle release program, contact us at info [at] lacocoteraresort.com
Don’t forget to check out the bars and clubs that makeup San Salvador’s colorful nightlife during your stay at an eco resort. When you leave your El Salvador hotel for the evening, check out the Zona Rosa district, just west of the city center. Many cafes and restaurants can be found in Paseo General Escalon, in the Zona Rosa region, while nightclubs and cinemas (many of which show English-language films with Spanish subtitles) can often be found in shopping malls, like Metrocenter or Gran Vía. One of the area’s theaters is the beautifully restored Teatro Nacional.
Along with theaters and clubs, venues like the Feria Internacional for concerts, and Estadio Cuscatlán and Estadio Mágico Gonzalez for football (soccer) matches and concerts are great for a day out.
When you go into the restaurants remember to order the national culinary specialities:
Pupusa (a fried sandwich of tortillas, filled with pork, cheese, refried beans and/ or vegetables).
Típico salvadoreño (standard Salvadoran breakfast comprising eggs, local cheese, refried beans, fried plantains and tortillas).
Corn tortillas.
Tamal de elote (cornflour batter with meat filling, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed).
To read more about traditional and specialty cuisine, see our other post on El Salvador Food!
When you go out to the shops or clubs don’t pass up on drinking some of the local specialties:
Café (coffee).
Refrescos (natural fruit drinks).
Tic tac and torito (strong alcoholic beverages made from distilled sugar cane).
In El Salvador, the legal drinking age is 18. For night clubs and bars, remember that entry charges are common. For tipping in the area, give about 10% in El Salvador hotels and restaurants, and 15% is appropriate for smaller bills. Check before tipping because service charge is often included on bill.
FYI: Certain areas are best to avoid. The actual San Salvador downtown offers little to no in the way of entertainment and should be avoided for the most part at night. Outside the capital most places of entertainment (even hotels) close early.
The estuary and mangroves next to our eco friendly resort in Barra de Santiago may have a little more magic than just the chirping of birds and rustling of wildlife. Popular among villagers is a myth called The Legend of Chasca, a tale about the goddess of fishing.
According to the story, Chasca was once a beautiful princess who fell in love with a Prince named Acayet. When Chasca’s father, Pachacuet, discovered their love affair, he ordered that Prince Acayet be killed. Devastated by the news of her lover’s death, Chasca threw herself into the waters of La Barra de Santiago, and was never heard from again. To this day, people say that Chasca still appears on some nights, sailing in a white canoe and that it is a sign of good fishing conditions. On these nights, the villagers recite these verses:
“Fisherman the moon is out
Unwrap your fishing net
This night is of good fortune
Since the beautiful white canoe is coming,
Fear not, Chasca is good,
There is nobody like Chasca.”
You too can paddle through the enchanted waters of Barra de Santiago when you stay at our eco friendly resort. To learn more about La Cocotera and our beachfront accommodations, visit lacocoteraresort.com
At La Cocotera eco resort we know that the food in El Salvador is hearty and full of soul. We want to provide you with the freshest ingredients to your El Salvadorian meals when you are staying at our eco resort.
A typical El Salvadoran diet includes rice, beans and seafood, particularly for those who live on the coast. A variety of traditional dishes are also unique to El Salvador, including the famous Pupusa, a round corn tortilla stuffed with cheese and other elements, usually refried beans or chicharron, seasoned fried pork rinds. There are also vegetarian options with ayote, a type of squash, or garlic.
El Salvador cuisine also includes indulgent fare such as fried sliced plantains (platanos), which are commonly served with beans, sour cream and cheese, and sometimes with eggs, yucca (cassava) root with chicharron, pastelitos de carne (similar to meatloaf), handmade tortillas, or panes con pavo (marinated turkey sandwiches). Panes con pavo is traditionally served with turkey, tomato, and watercress along with cucumber, onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, and mustard.
Other traditional dishes include Yuca frita, fried yucca served with chicharon or curtido (pickled cabbage, onion and carrot), and panes relleno, a Salvadorean style torta topped with a spicy sauce. Soups and stews are also extremely popular.
At La Cocotera eco resort, you can enjoy fresh El Salvador seafood dishes, freshly squeezed juice and locally grown and roasted coffee, all included in your stay. Meals are prepared in the kitchen daily and are served in the open air rancho adjacent to the pool.
Come enjoy a delicious meal with us at our eco resort in El Salvador!
