Colonial Cities and Lava Lakes

Joya de Ceren

Joya de Ceren is an archaeological site located in the department of La Libertad in El Salvador, and contains the remains of a pre-Hispanic farming village that was buried by a volcanic eruption in the seventh century AD. The site was discovered during the construction of grain-storage silos in 1976, when a bulldozer exposed a clay-built structure. The circumstances of the Loma Caldera eruption led to the remarkable preservation of ancient architecture and artefacts, with the latter remaining in their original positions of storage and use.

A pre-Hispanic village was uncovered from the volcanic ash, with its architectural remains grouped into compounds that include household, civic and religious buildings. A total of 18 structures have been identified, to date, and 10 of these have been either partially or completely excavated. The structures are made of earth and display important features such as thatched roofs. Excavated structures include a large community building on the side of a plaza, two houses of habitation, three storehouses, one kitchen and a sweat bath. There is a religious building located on the northeast side of the plaza, which was devoted to communal festivities and there is also one where a shaman practised.

Organic materials that were part of the subsistence and daily life of inhabitants have also been uncovered, such as garden tools, bean-filled pots, animal remains and religious items. These items would usually deteriorate in tropical conditions but have been preserved as carbonised materials or as casts in ash deposits. Cultivated fields and other vegetation have also been uncovered, including fields – containing both young and mature maize plants – a herb garden and various fruit trees including guava and cacao. A visit to this magnificent time-capsule provides an in-depth insight into the daily lives of ancient Mesoamerican farmers.

Suchitoto

50km northeast of hectic capital San Salvador sits the cultural capital of the country, Suchitoto. ‘Suchi’ – as the name is abbreviated – is a laidback town with a languid pace of life. Overlooking the enormous Lake Suchitlán that flourishes with migratory birds, Suchi’s cobblestone streets are lined with a mix of white, pastel and brightly coloured houses with red tiled roofs and these streets come alive at the weekends. The Parque Central is graced by the mid-1800s Santa Lucia Church taking pride of place in the town and standing out with its bright white façade, and rotund local ladies wearing aprons, sell fried plantain chips and ‘pupusas’.

In the early 1500s, the Spanish settled in Suchitoto, using it as a base to extend their land grab across the region. Subsequently, waves of wealthy Salvadorans added traditional, elegant structures to the town and it flourished through agriculture and the indigo trade.  Earthquakes, a massive dam project and a civil war all followed but against all odds the beautiful buildings and historical charm of Suchitoto survived.

With all of the villages around Suchitoto being targeted during the war, as they were and still are home to supporters of the FMLN (the left wing anti-government guerrilla organization), Suchitoto was spared due to its lack of FMLN targets and the presence of an imposing military garrison. Villages just a few miles away were obliterated, whilst not a single bomb was dropped on Suchitoto.

Cinquera

Formerly the stronghold of the FMLN, Cinquera has been transformed into a successful example of grassroots tourism. The initial aim of the ex-guerrillas when creating the ecological park here wasn’t to care for the environment but simply to protect the forest that protected them during the war. As the end of the war approached, wounded soldiers were sent to safety to recover and to take care of other jobs such as training more infantry and coordinating supply shipments from San Salvador to the areas around Cinquera.

Repopulation efforts began in 1991 and people started to return to Cinquera to try and rebuild their lives, but those who fought in the war found that large tracts of land had been cleared for agriculture. This upset them greatly as the forest was their hideout for some time and it saved many lives. All of the guides in the park are ex-guerrilla soldiers and will share the stories of their past as you explore sites such as the make-shift hospital, Vietnamese kitchen and the tail-end of a helicopter shot down by the guerrillas.

Whilst also appreciating the natural beauty of the area, you will notice the guides’ knowledge of the species in the park and their importance. As the reserve is still not protected by El Salvador’s government as a national park, the guides often patrol different sections of this massive 10,000-acre reserve to check that no one is destroying the forest. What started as a plan to save the forest that served them so well, is continuing to grow into a project of greater concern for environmentalism and eco-tourism.

Leon

León is a city of crumbling colonial beauty, fantastic art collections, awe-inspiring churches and vibrant streetscapes. With vibrant nightlife and cosmopolitan eateries, the city is buzzing with energy. León has long been noted as a liberal political centre of Nicaragua, and an intellectual one too, even having educated one of the greatest Spanish-American poets, Rubén Dario, who once called León home. Furthermore, the city is the centre of an important agricultural and commercial region, with sugarcane, cotton and rice being the principal crops, whilst cattle are raised for export and manufactures include processed cotton, shoes, saddlery and cigars.

The city was founded in 1524 on the edge of Lake Managua, but due to an earthquake was moved to the old Indian capital of Subtiaba in 1610. León was the capital of the Spanish province and of the Republic of Nicaragua until 1855 although Granada, its political and commercial rival, long disputed the honour.

This rivalry brought on civil wars, and in 1853, León invited US mercenary William Walker to the fight, who after declaring himself as president and Nicaragua as a US slave state, was executed in 1857. The nation’s capital was then moved to Managua and run by Granada’s conservatives for the next thirty years. In 1956, the original dictator Anastasio Somoza García, was assassinated at a social event in León by poet Rigoberto López. The ruling family never forgot this and when the revolution came, they unleashed a hail of bullets and bombs onto the city. Further destruction followed in 1978-79, when the city was a scene of heavy fighting between Sandinista guerrillas and government troops, leaving much of the city in ruins.

Juan Venado and Palo de Oro

The ecotourism project Palo de Oro operates on Juan Venado Island, with the objective of maintaining conservation of the environment and promoting community development and participation. There are hiking and walking trails and the island is home to 163 species of migratory and resident birds, raccoons, reptiles such as iguanas and other species. From August to October, you can go on a night walk to see turtles nesting on the beach and from October to February, you can see babies in the project’s nursery.

Masaya Volcano

Masaya is the most active volcano in Nicaragua and one of only seven volcanoes in the world that has an active lava lake. Large volumes of molten lava are contained within its crater and the entrance to the volcano can be visited. There are two volcanoes and five craters in Masaya Volcano National Park (54km²) and Masaya, having erupted several times throughout history, was feared by indigenous people and the Spanish conquerors, the latter of which baptized the volcano ‘La Boca del Infierno’ or ‘The Mouth of Hell’. In the 16th century they planted a cross on the crater lip in order to exorcise the devil.

Granada

Granada is Nicaragua’s oldest and most beguiling city. Founded in 1524 by Francisco de Córdoba and nicknamed ‘the Great Sultan’ in honour of its Moorish namesake across the Atlantic, Granada is one of the oldest cities in the New World. The city’s beautiful cathedrals and cobblestone streets were first constructed as a showcase by the Spanish, as a way of proving they had more to offer than advanced military technology and religion.

The city has been through many trials and tribulations but every architectural masterpiece that has suffered, has been resurrected to original specifications, allowing the city to retain its regal charm. Granada’s position on Lake Nicaragua and the fact that the Río San Juan was navigable from lake to sea, meant it became a trade centre early on, and the Spanish made the city both rich and vulnerable. Between 1665-1670 the city was ransacked by pirates several times. Granada was rebuilt, growing richer and more powerful, and after independence from Spain, the city contested the colonial capital León for leadership.

Civil war broke out in the 1850s when León brought in American mercenary William Walker and he defeated Granada, declaring himself as president. He launched a conquest of Central America but failed, and after many defeats he set Granada alight, leaving nothing but ashes and a placard that read ‘Here was Granada’. The city was rebuilt, again, and although less powerful, it’s alluring beauty keeps curious travellers coming and the city continues to thrive.

Ometepe

Ometepe is an island on Lake Nicaragua that is composed of two volcanoes, joined in the middle by a thin, flat isthmus. The northern half of the island is dominated by the cone-shaped, active volcano Concepción, whilst looming over the southern half is the extinct volcano Maderas, swathed in cloud forest with a lagoon sitting in its crater.

Isolated from the rest of Nicaragua, Ometepe is a paradisiacal and peaceful island, rich in wildlife, entrenched in history and adorned with wide beaches. Past Indian inhabitants regarded Ometepe as their promised land and a sacred island. Spread all over the island are pre-Columbian artefacts left by the Chorotega, Nahuatl and Mayans and due to the many petroglyphs and stone idols on the island, Ometepe is considered as one of the great rock art areas of the world.

The Conquistadores converted the Indians to Catholicism but many old customs and beliefs were kept. Ometepe sees more religious and folk festivals than anywhere else in Nicaragua. The volcanic ash on the island makes the soil extremely fertile, meaning the crop yield is abundant. Sustainable farming practices are commonplace on the island these days and many of the hotels grow and serve their own fruit and vegetables.

Solentiname

The Solentiname archipelago is a cluster of 26 islands situated in the southern corner of Lake Nicaragua. Only four of the islands are inhabited and the total population of the islands is just 750. The islands were unknown until the mid-1960s when Father Cardenal from Granada arrived on Mancarrón, the largest of the islands, and established a parish church.

Before Cardenal came, the island had no schools, no boats and the locals were mostly struggling farmers. He then financed art materials and encouraged the locals into painting, helping the community to establish themselves as naïve style artists. With mind-blowing sunsets and spectacular starry skies, these impossibly lush islands teem with wildlife and are the subject of the vibrant art created by the locals that live on them.

Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge

Los Guatuzos covers 437 square kilometres and is located in San Carlos, in the department of Río San Juan. Occupied by tropical rainforest and wetlands and with an extensive network of rivers, creeks and lagoons in its interior, the reserve is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including 110 species of orchids, poponjoche and oak trees, jaguars, panthers and families of white-faced and howler monkeys. The wildlife here also stretches to include 400 species of birds, including herons, ducks, parrots and hawks and many species of reptile, not to mention breeding grounds for caiman and freshwater turtles. The reserve was named after an indigenous tribe that lived here but disappeared, and was the first national wetland to become a Ramsar site in 1997.