La Palma – A wonderful holiday destination

The town of La Palma is part of the Chalatenango department of El Salvador. This town is surrounded by mountainous terrain and is spread over an area of about 131.89 sq km. There are an estimated 24,000 residents in the town.

The town is home to a lively artisan community and is a very major center for arts in the whole of El Salvador. The economy of the town is predominately based on arts and craftwork.  As per estimates, around 75% of the population survives on artwork and the tourism industry has helped the town and the nation earn the much needed foreign exchange.

The remaining 25% of the population is all about agriculture, with the corn, vegetable coffee and beans are the order of the day for the farmers.

The coffee production industry has been declining in the city and the main reason for this slump is that the local producers are not able to compete with the foreign companies. This in turn has had an adverse effect on the exports of the nation as a whole.

The town has a small place in the country’s history as well. La Palma was the place where the government and the guerrillas sat for negotiations during the bloodiest part of El Salvador’s history, the civil war from 1980-92. This war saw some 75,000 people lose their lives.

Let’s go through some of the attractions of the town in brief.

Miramundo:
This place is situated in a hill forest and is a perfect place if you wish to experience cool temperatures unlike any other part of El Salvador. The average temperature here is just 12 degrees Celsius. The place is set at an altitude of 2400 above sea level and is located some 13 kilometers from La Palma.

San Ignacio:
This place is just 3 km away from La Palma and is famous for the reputed hotels and other fun activities. The Lempa and Citala Rivers are the highlights of San Ignacio.

Las Pilas:
This place is situated in the hill forests of the town. It enjoys a very cold climate and as per a majority of observers, the place is cooler than Miramundo. Agriculture constitutes the economics of the area and the main produces of the area are cabbages, peaches, lettuce along with strawberries and blackberries.

Cayahuanca Stone:
More popularly known as Piedra Cayahuanca, this rock is situated at a height of some 1550 above the sea level. The rock marks the territorial border of El Salvador and Honduras. Owing to the height, one can experience spectacular views of both nations.

This site comes alive every year during the Easter celebrations. The event sees the locals and visitors come together at the Rock and they also camp the night away.

El Pital:
If you are still not satisfied with cool temperatures, there’s one more place for you to visit, that’s the El Pital. Situated at a height of 2730 meters above sea level, the site holds the distinction of being the highest point in the entire territory of Salvadoran. In simple words, it is a spectacular mountain in the middle of a forest full of clouds, and the annual temperature averages at 10 degree Celsius, now that’s really cool, isn’t it.

The date April 13, 2004, goes down in history as the temperatures in the region hit record lows on that day. On that day, the mountain was covered by ice and frost and the event caused uproar among the locals as they attributed the event to a ‘Nevada.’

Quinta Las Piñuelas:
Without a shadow of a doubt, this marvelous country home is considered to be Central America’s best. This huge house has 5 bedrooms along with another 5 bathrooms, besides a huge kitchen full of all the modern accessories and appliances. Located some 5 miles from La Palma city, this house is unique in many aspects and the most notable aspect is its design and the materials used during the construction.

The house is the best get away spot to forget all about your office worries and just chill.

The location of the house is ideal for the perfect vacation, as there are several tourist spots in the near vicinity like the Historical church, which saw the 1984 peace treaties. The other major towns of El Pital and San Ignacio are not far away either.

Listed below are some of the questions which may be on your mind.

How do I reach the town of La Palma?

La Palma lies in the northern region of El Salvador. You need to enter the country via the nation’s only international airport at Comalapa, which is some 50 kilometers off the capital.

This airport hosts flights from the US and other major nations. Once inside El Salvador, you can travel to La Palma via a hired cab.

Alternatively, you may also use the country’s public transport system, which is very cheap. However, traveling by bus will take a lot of your time though. You will first have to take a bus to San Salvador and then take bus no 129 to Suchitoto. From Suchitoto you will have to change another bus to Aguilares and you will have to board bus no 107 and subsequently bus no 119 will lead you to your destination of La Palma.

Where do I stay during my La Palma holiday?

There are a number of good accommodation facilities in and around La Palma. Some of the prominent landmarks are Hotel La Palma, Entre Pinos Resort, El Pital Highland Mountain Hotel, and Posada de Reyes.

When is the best time of the year to visit La Palma?

La Palma can be visited throughout the year. However, it is recommended you avoid the rains, which occur from May to October. Hence, you should visit the place from the months from November through April.

In conclusion, La Palma is a unique place in El Salvador. Considering the fact the nation enjoys a tropical warm climate, the town is very cool and hence is completely different from the rest of the country.

The chilly weather makes the perfect setting for that ideal holiday. So, what are you waiting for, just go ahead and plan that all important trip to La Palma.