Posts Tagged ‘eco vacation’

El Salvador Ecotourism: Ruta de las Flores

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

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.

Nature Tours & National Parks in El Salvador

Monday, August 16th, 2010

la-coco-view

Barra de Santiago, El Salvador

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.

Eco Vacation Experiences: La Cocotera On the Web

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Leave your mark! We talk so much about counteracting any “footprint” or environmental mark but forget to mention where you can leave a notable footprint. There have been some wonderful fan photos, reviews and videos out there and we want to highlight some of the real eco vacation experiences people have had at La Cocotera Resort.

From TripAdvisor reviewer TravelToLiveToday:

“This might have been the most well designed facility we have ever stayed at. We have stayed at many outstanding facilities around the world…So many wonderful things to talk about. The rooms are incredible. Some deep engineering makes the rooms so climate comfortable- without having to turn on the air-conditioning. I don’t care for air-conditioning but always use it. At La Cocotera the rooms have huge double french doors that capture the ocean breeze…Outside of the rooms are chase lounges. So incredibly comfortable, I thought I might want to sleep outside. Inside the bed, linens and pillows are simply perfect….The food is wonderful. The chef is a native Salvadorian who trained at culinary school for three years…The ocean is simply magnificent. Very private- yet the feeling of safety because the beach is wide open.”

From Tripadvisor reviewer Peckhamgypsy:

“The rooms are very nicely designed and decorated and give a feel of quality. Likewise, the whole hotel is well designed and because of it’s position, guests can enjoy the peace and solitude of the lagoon or walk a few metres and be sitting in front of the crashing Pacific waves. I don’t normally like the concept of “meals included” resorts but in this case there really is not much choice but to eat at the hotel and the good news is that the food was varied and tasty.”

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Travelers share photos from their eco vacation to La Cocotera on SmugMug.com:

“The last week of October my friend Colette and I spent 4 days at La Cocotera Ecolodge in Barra Santiago, El Salvador. We took advantage of all the resort had to offer including taking part in a turtle release, kayaking the estuary, an afternoon on the floating ranchita, a trip by panga to the local school, and a trip to a local home to learn how to make tortillas!”

View the La Cocotera Ecolodge, El Salvador 10.08 gallery here

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Check out this fun YouTube video with pictures of the resort’s gorgeous scenery:

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La Cocotera on Flickr:

See even more eco vacation photos on Flickr, or cruise through a few traveler-submitted photos on Tripadvisor.

Have photos or reviews that you’d like to share? Feel free to submit them to lacocoteraresort @ yahoo.com and we would be happy to include them in our blog.

Eco Vacations: Barra de Santiago Estuary and Mangrove Forest

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Barra de Santiago, El Salvador

La Cocotera Eco Resort is located on the sandy shores of the Barra de Santiago coast, with the Barra de  Santiago Estuary and Mangrove forest as its neighbor. If you are looking for an eco vacation that offers relaxing luxury and intriguing wildlife exploration, then La Cocotera is for you.

Barra de Santiago is home to seven different species of mangrove, and measures approximately 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres). Along with lush vegetation, the inner mangrove coastline is a haven for thousands of native and migratory birds and a various wildlife. Guests at our eco resort can see many types of wildlife while floating along the peaceful estuary waters including iguanas, lizards, marine mammals, shellfish, sea turtles, crocodiles, blue crabs and more!

If you are a nature and wildlife enthusiast who is looking for the perfect eco vacation activity, you must try kayaking through the Barra de Santiago estuary. To learn more about kayaking, see our other post on Eco Resort Nature Activites: Kayaking. For those staying out our eco lodge, kayak rentals are included.

Airline Tips & Tricks to Get You to Your El Salvador Hotel

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

It seems airlines are still finding new methods to charge more these days, a wise consumer should try to save money when it comes to flying. Here some great tips for saving money that have been collected from other travel bloggers, industry insiders and personal experiences so that you can get the most out of your vacation and visit to our El Salvador hotel.

Here are five ingenious and easy ways to get discounts when flying. With just some help from the Internet and a little time, you can find multiple sites that offer discounted rates. With even a little more work, you can find the absolute best price possible. The following are some good tips to get you discount airfares:

  • Do your research. There are a lot of offers available only on the Internet if you look closely. It’s easy to look at flight search engine sites like cheapoair.com, kayak.com and mobissimo.com. After a little research you should find it is best to book at least two weeks ahead, preferably three. Flying mid-week will also significantly drive down the cost.
  • Sometimes doing all of your research online isn’t enough. In many cases travel agents might be able to get you a deal. Ask them upfront what you would expect to pay for a particular destination such as El Salvador.
  • Travel in groups. There are a lot of travel agents out there that will offer discounts to groups of people.
  • Make sure to travel in the off-season. Like mid-week deals, airlines and hotels offer discounts in the off-season months and you can benefit by traveling at these times. For example, at our El Salvador hotel, we have lower prices during off peak months.
  • Use your research as leverage. Use what you have learned when comparing deals and talking to people. See if they can match the price or lower. Many sites and hotels offer a best price guarantee so if you find a better price after booking then they will price match.

With just a little research and help from others, you can save a great deal of money for yourself and your friends making for a great eco vacation. If you have any tips or tricks of your own, please, feel free to comment and share. Happy traveling!