Welcome to flower country, welcome to coffee country. Apaneca is up in the western mountains, at an elevation of around 1,500 metres, which gives it a perfect moderate climate for coffee, tourism or both!
Apaneca is along a string of villages of the Ruta de Flores, the Flower Route which probably is the main tourist attraction of El Salvador. But there is much to see and do beyond flowers, which makes it an excellent destination for those who want to avoid the more busy and touristic Ataco and Juayua.
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General introduction
Perched between the main road and the surrounding hills, Apaneca is another of those typical small mountain villages. A meticulous mathematic grid of streets converges around a central square including a cute church. That is where the main food court is as well. And from there the town stretches for a couple of blocks, noticeably the brand new Calle Francisco Menendez at the easten edge of the central park which has been converted into a pedestrian street with lots of flowers.
Once you travel to nearby Juayua or Ataco you will notice what Apaneca does not have: a thriving tourism industry. There are some tourist-focused outlets, especially the agencies offering rides on 4×4 quads, but the town is mainly a jumping base for many things to do nearby.
Food and drinks
The food court, in a hall at the central park, is a good starting point. It mainly features pupuserias and juice bars and is a good way to experience the local way of life.
La Cocina de Tia Nubia might even be better for that. Two ladies look like they opened their own kitchen, not only for pupusas but also for platos tipico, usually involving some beef (or chicken), avocado, rice and vegetables. Nothing world-shocking, but filling and also very Latin.
Que Chivazo / Que Chivo is another no-nonsense place. It has a lot of Mexican dishes (tortas, burritos, tacos) but also ‘plato tipicos’ and burgers. This all for affordable prices which will not kill your wallet.
A special mention deserves Santa Catalina. They have one branch on the north side of the village on the main road, which serves breakfast and lunch and is very good. We ate there as it had the same owner as our guesthouse, and breakfast was included. They serve similar dishes during the evening as well, but then in a different location one block away from the main square. The Axul cafe is a good choice for coffee, cakes and evening dishes as well.
Activities / things to do
Apaneca itself is not the star of the show. You go there to go somewhere else. But still:
- the Iglesia San Andres Apostol was one of the oldest in the country. An earthquake in 2001 completely destroyed the building. The current one is therefore the new version, which tried to stay as close to the original as possible
- on the eastern hill overlooking Apaneca is Las 3 Cruces, the three crosses. The picture of that site, including the grid-like green squares below it, is the symbol of the village. The green grid serves a purpose as well though: it is to protect coffee plants there. The hill is a nice target for a nice walk
- talking about coffee: there are several farms in the area that also offer tours. We had an excellent time at Entre Nubes, which also had English-speaking staff. It is both a model coffee farm and a coffee bar, restaurant, event space and a garden. Oh, and of course they process coffee from bean to cup. Great place, two kilometres southwest of Apaneca in the direction of Ataco
- the neighbours of Entre Nubes are also worth a visit. El Jardin de Celeste has a good reputation far beyond the mountains as an excellent meat and fish restaurant. It also has cabins and a huge garden, you can buy flowers and plants as well. Reserve in advance, especially on weekends
- further up the road towards Guatemala, next to Ahuachapan city, is Santa Teresa hot springs. It is an absolutely lovely place, a must-visit. Santa Teresa features 15-20 smaller and bigger natural pools, with temperatures varying from 28 to 37 degrees, It has cabins for overnight stays, simple catering, and a lovely vibe in the hills. You can even get mudbaths (against extra payment). It experienced a mud explosion in 2024 though, shutting the site down for three months to allow renovation of the nearly-destroyed place. There were luckily no wounded persons
- back to Apaneca, there is the Laguna Verde lake in a former volcanic crater. It is a rather adventurous drive there (this is where the 4×4 quads actually go), which meant it was a bit of an overconfident drive with our rental car. It is a small, quiet place, nice for a quick one hour walk
- much more spectacular, but further away are two national parks. To the west is El Imposible, which is actually quite hard to reach, with two main entrances far away from each other. You need your own car there, which also goes for Cerro Verde to the east. That is the one we choose, encompassing a nice 1,5-2 hour drive back to Sonsonate and beyond. Up the mountain are several food stalls, a small botanical garden, a path through the forest (only accessible through hourly free guided tours). And the main attraction: views of the Izalco volcano (which is still very active) and Santa Ana volcano (accessible in a guided tour through a multi-hour hike). It is very busy in weekends, some of the best views are reserved for the restaurant of Casa 1800, the same chain as the one in Suchitoto
Getting to Apaneca and getting around
- bus: it was rather adventurous to take the famous chicken bus in 2019. You need one from San Salvador to Sonsonate, and then change there for a bus to Ahuachapan. It’s a very authentic, cheap, not so comfortable experience. There are obviously also tourist shuttles (usually mini-vans for up to fifteen people), that usually serve the entire Flower Route
- within the city: as said, Apaneca is not exactly huge so everything is within walking distance
Miscellaneous
- Weather: comes much fresher during the night. Yes, we wore sleeves and trousers in the evenings (in December though). As it is up in the mountains, the weather is also noticeably less stable than in the lower regions, with rain showers a possibility throughout the year
- Safety: absolutely not an issue
