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AJAJUTLA |
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 Beyond Sonsonate, the major town on the coast is the port of
ACAJUTLA , the site of Pedro de Alvarado's first encounter with the
Pipils in 1524, but today a hot, decaying and distinctly edgy place;
it's better to stay at Sonsonate. Acajutla lies 4km from the Carretera
Littoral, which from here runs the flat 46km or so to the Guatemalan
border at La Hachadura, a beautiful journey with the slopes of the
Cordillera Apaneca rising to the north and rolling pasturelands to the
south. After 10km, the highway passes the access road to Playa de
Metalío , a quiet, palm-fringed beach, whose beauty is somewhat marred
by the refuse washed up from Acajutla. More remote, Playa Barra de
Santiago lies 15km further up the coast, across a small estuary by the
fishing village of Barra de Santiago. A rough road leads the 7km from
the highway to the estuary; one bus a day in the morning runs along it
from Sonsonate. At the estuary, bargain with a fishing boat to take you
across to the village and the beach.
A further 10km west, the dusty village of Cara Sucia lines the highway
just east of the Río Cara Sucia. The nearby archeological site of Cara
Sucia was a Maya settlement made wealthy by trade in salt. Initial
excavations uncovered a number of structures including two pelota courts,
and though there's not much to see today, it's a peaceful place for a
picnic. There is no public transport to the site; from the crossroads
50m past the bridge at the end of the village take the road leading left,
opposite Comedor Nohemy , for about twenty minutes until you reach the
Cooperativa Cara Sucia buildings on the right; ask the guard to let you
through and follow the track round the buildings, taking the right-hand
fork to the ruins.
From Cara Sucia the highway continues the last few kilometres to La
Hachadura , a busy border crossing used by the international buses
heading for Mexico. There's a small hospedaje on the Guatemalan side,
and buses to Esquintla and Guatemala City. |
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