El Salvador - Central America at its best!

Playa Las Flores in the very early morning around 5am - always worth it waking up early!

P L A Y A    L A S    F L O R E S

For all of these who don't have time to read through this blog, just check out my latest El Salvador Edit which takes you only 4 mins.

Together with Elliot and Sean, I took the shuttle bus from Leon in Nicaragua going to El Cuco, El Salvador. On the way we met Sam, another Aussie surfer who stayed with us for the next five days. Without any expectations to the surf we landed in Playa Las Flores and stayed at Bladimirs place right on the beach. The perfect accommodation, a room for 4 people included AC, good food and really friendly people everywhere around. It was very similar to a homestay, as all family members were staying within the day at that place. If anybody travels to Las Flores, hit me up for Bladimirs contact details (andreas@andreas-muellner.de). 

But right now let the pictures speak for themselves.

Waiting for the bus in Chirilagua, a town next to Playa las Flores and hanging out with the local kids

Tortillas, which accompanies most tipical food in El Salvador

Sitting on the back of a Pick-Up going to Playa las Flores

Beautiful artwork at Playa Las Flores

Las Flores when its on! Beautiful long breaking righthand point break

Talking to some locals before going to surf

Las Flores has a very easy drop and various sections to play around with, where you can go for cutbacks and train your maneuvers 

Totally done after a nice afternoon session - If there is more than 3ft swell, you can surf Las Flores 24/7

Hang Loose!

Beautiful sunset session

Unfortunately that evening I hit the surfboard with my chin...

That was the last day surfing Las Flores, as it was a deep cut. Fixed it with some butterfly tapes

There was no other option than relax and have some beers on the beach

The boys were lucky, like this I shot a lot of pictures of them surfing las Flores

Elliot

Elliot

Sean

Sam

Watching the boys surfing - wasn't that bad as I had heaps of waves the days before

The end of a really good session

Our ding repair master with his outdoor office on the beach

Living the simple life at Bladimirs homestay!

Strange animal life

Las Flores from far away

Playa La Vaca was most times completely uncrowded ... a lot of potential!

Leaving Las Flores and heading to the Ruta de las Flores

R U T A   D E     L A S    F L O R E S

After I realized I cannot go into the water for a couple of days because of my chin injury, I decided seeing the biggest touristic attraction in El Salvador, the Ruta de las Flores, a couple of beautiful mountain villages in the northwest of El Savlador.
Lucky me, I arrived just for the weekend, as big street food festivals are held every Saturday and Sunday. But I did not only discover great food, also nice landscape and really really friendly people, what excited me finally most about that region. But have a look yourself.

Beautiful landscape paintings on many of the nice rural buildings in Juayua

A huge waterfall in the middle of the mountainous jungle

Another smaller one, which was perfect for having a refreshing bath

Huge trees...

... great coffee ...

... incredible food and again coffee ...

lots of mural paintings

and coffee again :)

Pupusas, the most typical food in El Salvador

Which are Tortillas, filled with mashed beans, cheese, veggies and or chicken - served together with fresh salad and homemade tomato sauce - for only 50 Cents each!

Fruit markets - believe me, I ate a lot!

C O S T A   D E L   B A L S A M O

El Salvadors most touristic beaches are next to the capital San Salvador. Some of them are way to crowded and druggy like El Tunco. But there are also some beautiful spots like El Zonte, KM59 or Mizata, where you will find your peace and more or less uncrowded surf. The surf tough was during my time over there a little bit inconsistent, which was a bit disappointing for me. And finally I got another injury on my foot, which still affects me here in Guatemala. 

Beautiful El Zonte beach

The same at sunset dawn

Another time a injury and that in pretty bad conditions which were not worth surfing in ... 

Mizata beach, lonesome and no waves unfortunately...

Mizata from the road

El Zonte and its cows

Cool artwork in El Tunco

Another one in La Libertatd, Punta Roca

R O A D T R I P    T O    E A S T   E L    S A L V A D O R

In El Zonte, I met a couple of surfers and we decided to get a car and explore some remote parts of El Salvador. At some stages of the road trip it was a bit difficult to get along with the group, as we were five people, but we finally made it to Punta Mango, another hidden paradise.

Somewhere on the peninsula de Jiquilisco 

Checking out some beaches with the gang

Some volcanoes visible in the background of the Bahia de Jiquilisco

Our stopover for lunch ...

 ... where we had amazing food!

Puerto Barillas 

Pooltime

Looking down to the Bahia de Jiquilisco

Group picture of the gang

Poor dog on the beach with his puppies

 P U N T A   M A N G O 

Punta Mango was one of the most amazing places I've ever been to. Far away from any busy city, from pollution and a really rural lifestyle, which made me sometimes want to go back to civilization. It is a stunning place and waves can be really really good, when we arrived it was ok and when we left, the right hand point break was so much on fire. I will definitely come back. Magic!

Punta Mango on a onshore afternoon with his wild horses hanging around

Rancho Mango, our simple but beautiful accommodation

Piglife at its best

Another lonesome beach not far away from Punta Mango

Early morning surf with my GoPro ... the next session I lost it anywhere in the rocks, thats the last picture taken with my Session Camera, I will definitely miss it!

Sunny morning session the next day

Will I make it or not?

The best session in El Salvador I had so far!

Sneaking in the tube - and coming out of it for the first time in my life!!! I was sooooooo stoked :)

My last day at Punta Mango, I did not surf anymore as my ears were filled with water and could get infected and my wound on my foot became more and more a crater ... 

Like this I had a least some beautiful sunrise pictures from it

Amazing place, I will miss it!

To be honest. El Salvador was the best so far. People, landscape, food, pricing, waves and everything. I enjoyed every minute of it. A lot of people are scared to go to that country because of its high crime rates, but you won't explore hidden paradises without taking any risk.

I wish you all the best back home,

Cordially

Andreas