2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE - (Page 58)

ELVENEZUELA SALVADOR San Salvador Ringed by hills and volcanoes, San Salvador makes an ideal home base for business and leisure travelers. Right in the capital there is lots to see. By day, you’ll ﬁnd the most important buildings grouped around the Plaza Barios, including the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral, while east of the plaza is the beautifully restored National Theater. And above all, the capital’s museum scene is rich with the David J. Guzman National Anthropology Museum displaying a grand treasury of Mayan artifacts; the Museum of Modern Art highlighting Latin American artists; and the Museum of Popular Art, showcasing a ﬁne collection of folk art. By night, tourist-friendly Zona Rosa is the neighborhood to be in. It’s lively and full of good restaurants—Alo Nuestro, for example, with outdoor deck dining and tasty dishes—and good hotels, such as the Hilton Princess and Suites Las Palmas. Positioned right in the center of this smallest country in Central America, San Salvador is a great jumping-off point for touring travelers. Just 30 minutes south along Costa del Sol, you’ll ﬁnd a stretch of Paciﬁc beach to call your own and world-class surﬁng waves to share. You can also go 30 miles north to Sochitoto—everyone’s favorite getaway— and see the country’s best-preserved colonial town, a cultural hub of art, food and local traditions, with arts and foods festivals in full swing on weekends. The country’s Route of the Artisans runs to the folk art villages of Ilobasco (clay miniatures), San Sebastian (weavings), and La Palma (crafts inspired by the famous artist, Fernando Llort), while the scenic Route of the Flowers threads through the mountainous coffee-producing area to charming villages such as Apaneca and Ataco. Also a day trip away, you can climb the Izalco Volcano when visiting Cerro Verde National Park and tour the Mayan archaeological sites at Tazumal and fascinating Joya de Ceren, a UNESCO World Heritage site. FACTS • BEST TIME TO GO: November to April; December, the coldest month, is best of all • FUN FACT: World-class Punta Roca— perfectly shaped, long, fast and strong— is the best surf wave in Central America • GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta to San Salvador • ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport • CURRENCY: U.S. dollar • MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: Pupusas (tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans, pork rinds and other ﬁllings; served with hot sauce and curtido, a slightly spicy coleslaw) • BEST BUYS: paintings, ceramics, hammocks, terrycloth towels and bathrobes • INFORMATION PLEASE: Ministry of Tourism of El Salvador— elsalvador.travel GUATEMALA FACTS • BEST TIME TO GO: November to May, and anytime there is a major traditional festival (say: Easter in Antigua) • FUN FACT: The resplendent quetzal, whose feathers provided headdresses for Mayan kings, is Guatemala’s national bird • GETTING THERE: Delta ﬂies from Atlanta and Los Angeles to Guatemala City • ENTRY DOCUMENTS: Valid passport, valid for at least six months beyond arrival • CURRENCY: Quetzal • MUST-TRY LOCAL FOOD: Pastel de tres leches (three milks cake), wonderfully light, moist vanilla cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk, cream • BEST BUYS: Colorful textiles, weavings, embroidery, tablecloths, bedspreads, wooden masks, leather goods, and carved jade • INFORMATION PLEASE: INGUAT—visitguatemala.com D58 january 2012 Guatemala City The front door to this Tennessee-size country is Guatemala City, a cosmopolitan capital that is well-endowed with ﬁne hotels—Real InterContinental, for one—and good restaurants—we like the traditional dishes at Kacao—excellent museums, a lively nightlife, new shopping centers and traditional markets. Some of the city’s most impressive buildings, such as the National Palace, border the Parque Central, and the capital’s most commanding religious building is the neo-classic Metropolitan Cathedral. The prettiest of church interiors, however, are those of La Merced and San Francisco. And there is a trio of must-see museums in town: the National Museum of Ethnology and Archaeology; the Ixchel Museum, which honors the country’s weaving traditions; and the Popol Vuh Museum, whose artifacts cover Guatemalan civilization from the pre-classic period to the colonial era. Then go to the upscale neighborhood called Zona Viva where many of the old mansions now house art galleries showcasing works by contemporary Guatemalan artists, as well as boutiques that draw on native excellence in weaving, embroidery and jewelry-making. Almost any day excursion from the capital is to a destination worthy of a longer stay. Just 30 miles away is Antigua, a picture-perfect colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage site, full of 16th and 17th century cathedrals, convents and historic mansions, many converted to elegant little inns. Two hours beyond is gorgeous Lake Atitlan, framed by three volcanoes, its shoreline fringed by Mayan villages known for their traditional dress and skilled artisans. Day-tripping from the capital to the famous highland market town of Chichicastenango is best on Thursday or Sunday when vendors from all over the region set up their stalls around Santo Tomas Church. But you’ll have to take an hour-long ﬂight to reach Tikal, the granddaddy of Mayan ceremonial cities. recommend.com http://elsalvador.travel http://visitguatemala http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE

Antigua; Aruba
Nassau
Freeport; Exuma
Bermuda; Bonaire
George Town
Punta Cana; Santiago
Santo Domingo; Grenada
Port-au-Prince; Montego Bay
San Juan
St. Kitts; Saint Lucia
St. Maarten
Providenciales
St. Thomas; St. Croix
Acapulco
Cancun
Cozumel
Guadalajara
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
Los Cabos
Mazatlan
Mexico City
Monterrey
Puerto Vallarta
Belize City
San Jose
Liberia
San Salvador
Guatemala City
Roatan
San Pedro Sula
Tegucigalpa
Managua
Panama City
Buenos Aires
Brasilia
Rio de Janeiro
Sao Paulo
Santiago
Bogota
Quito
Georgetown
Lima
Caracas

2012 DELTA TRAVEL GUIDE