ITINERARY
Day 1: San Salvador
As you fly over several volcanoes and miles of beautiful beaches, the first thought that usually comes to mind when flying into San Salvador is “Why haven’t I heard about this place?” Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel, Casa Austria, which is about an hour from the airport on the western side of San Salvador. We will have a very brief orientation dinner.

Night: Casa Austria

Day 2: Joya de Ceren – Los Andes
After a hearty breakfast we will have a country overview by the US Embassy of El Salvador. This sets the tone for open dialogue about the current and past politics of the region. We then have a short drive to Joya de Ceren, an Ancient Maya village that was buried under 18 feet of ash over a thousand years ago. This is a World Heritage Cultural Site with ancient corn, lilies, houses, tools, and other everyday objects remarkably preserved. From Ceren we continue on to Los Andes sector of Los Volcanes National Park, which sits on the slopes of the dormant Santa Ana Volcano. This is 5 Star camping with beautiful platforms nestled in the forest. Each platform has its own private bath, beds, and lounging chairs and hammocks.

Night: Los Andes Sector, Los Volcanes Nacional Park

Day 3: Los Andes – Santa Ana Volcano
We will have a full day in the field. We start off with an optional birding walk from 6:00 – 7:30 AM. After breakfast we have two options – a more leisurely hike focusing more on flora and fauna with a local naturalist; or climbing the highest volcano in El Salvador. Regardless of which option you choose, the views are spectacular from the Pacific Ocean to the western highland of Honduras. After dinner there will be an optional night walk where we will try to call in some owls and cacomistles (Ring-tailed cats).

Night: Los Andes Sector, Los Volcanes Nacional Park

Day 4: El Imposible National Park
We will have about a 1.5 hour drive from Los Volcanes to Barra de Santiago, the largest coastal protected area in El Salvador. We will have a boat tour of this rich mangrove area and then have lunch on the beach with swimming option. We will learn about the conservation efforts in the area from our local guides. After lunch we drive to El Imposible National Park, the largest park in the country. We will be staying at the beautiful Hostal El Imposible. Our cabanas are nestled into a hillside with spectacular views. The forests of El Imposible host more species of plants and wildlife than any other place in the country and is considered El Salvador´s gem. It covers an area of approximately 3,800 hectares and contains the largest tract of Pacific slope deciduous forest, some of it remnants of old growth. The Park is home to a diverse array of El Salvador´s flora and fauna, and is the last refuge for species that require large territories for their survival. There are numerous trails in the park of varying difficulty, from slightly moderate to strenuous. The cabin area is frequented by Mottled Owls, Common Pauraque and Ring-tailed Cats (Cacomistles). We will look for them over the next two nights. For the birders in the group, the park has a number of Pacific slope endemics such as the Banded Wren, Fan-tailed Warbler, Pacific Parakeet, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Long-tailed Manakin (seemingly hopping everywhere), White-bellied Chachalaca, Pacific Screech-Owl, Bar-winged Oriole, Bell´s Vireo and Ash-throated Flycatcher. Other species include the Berylline Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Blue Bunting, Thicket Tinamou, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

Night: Hostal El Imposible

Day 5: El Imposible National Park
One of the many things that makes this visit so enjoyable is the great trail system. Today we will have the opportunity to hike the long, steep “Los Enganches” trail that descends into the valley floor. We will slowly drop approximately 1,000 ft. If you prefer not to take the hike down to the valley floor there are many shorter trails close to the visitor center. The strenuous hike, however, takes us into a beautifully forested valley with a small river running through it. Its lush vegetation is a haven for wildlife where Great Curassows still roam free. Coatimundi, Armadillos and Kinkajous are sometimes seen during the day as they go to the river for a drink.

Night: Hostal El Imposible

Day 6: El Imposible to Granada, Nicaragua
After a leisurely morning, we drive to the airport for our short flight to Managua, Nicaragua and then to the colonial town of Granada. We will arrive just before sunset and our hotel is on the town plaza surrounded by a rich colonial past. Granada is in a spectacular setting between the Mombacho Volcano and Lake Nicaragua. We will explore both over the next two days. Lake Nicaragua is the only place on the planet that is home to the fresh water bull shark.

Night: Hotel Alhambra

Day 7: Volcan Mombacho
There will be a birding option from 6:00 – 8:00 AM. After breakfast we will depart for a private tour with our local partners of Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve. There will be two hiking options – leisurely – moderate/strenuous. This is easy access to a spectacular cloud forest. We pass through a shade coffee plantation and will have a tour and sample the goods.

Night: Hotel Alhambra

Day 8: Lake Nicaragua
We will have a full day exploring Lake Nicaragua by boat. There are a number of interesting sites that we will visit including the Apoyo Lagoon, Las Isletas, and Zapatera Archipelago. Zapatera was a pre-Columbian burial site loaded with ancient artifacts. The true grandeur of this region is seen by boat as we are surrounded by cloud forest crested volcanoes rising above the lake.

Night: Hotel Alhambra

Day 9:
Depart

Accommodations Listing
Casa Austria, 2 star, bed & breakfast, very comfortable and homey.
Los Andes, 4 star camping, beautiful beds on platforms, private bath, meals prepared.
Hostal El Imposible, 2.5 star ecolodge, beautiful cabanas on a hillside with spectacular views. Great restaurant.
Hotel Alhambra, 3 star, central location, beautiful colonial rooms, modern conveniences.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

WEATHER:
The weather, depending on our location, will vary from warm and sunny to cloudy, misty, foggy or rainy. We can expect daytime temperature highs in the low 90s to overnight lows in the low 60s.

TOUR SIZE:
This tour will be limited to a maximum of 16 participants and a minimum of 8 participants.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:
A US passport valid beyond your anticipated date of return to the US is required. Currently no visas or immunization certificates are required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Nicaragua and El Salvador for details.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS:
The fee for the tour is $2395 per person based on double occupancy from San Salvador. Single rates are an additional $400. This includes all food, three meals per day, from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 9; all lodging for 8 nights during the tour; ground transportation; one-way airfare from San Salvador to Managua, and guide services provided by the tour leaders and local conservation professionals. It does not include local guide tips, alcoholic beverages, special gratuities, phone calls, passport fees, airport departure taxes or items of a personal nature. Rates are based upon group tariffs; if the group does not have sufficient registration a small party supplement may have to be charged.

HEALTH PRECAUTIONS:
For comprehensive information please contact the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the Internet at www.cdc.gov or by phone at 404-332-4559. The CDC information is a comprehensive listing of any disease reported in a particular region or state. El Salvador and Nicaragua are included with Central America. We have not had any problems with diseases. Please consult a health care professional with any questions.

STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL ADVISORIES:
Currently there are no travel advisories for traveling in Nicaragua or El Salvador. You will be updated on any significant developments that pertain to our trip. http://travel.state.gov

TOUR REGISTRATION:
To register for the tour, fill out the registration form and include a deposit of $500 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due ninety days prior to the tour.

CANCELLATION POLICY :
Refunds are made according to the following schedule: If cancellation is made eighty days or more before departure date, the deposit less $150 is refundable. If cancellation is made between seventy-nine and sixty days before departure date, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded. If cancellation is made fifty-nine days or less before departure date, no refund is available except for amounts recoverable through our agents. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance which you will receive upon registration.

If the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA) cancels the tour or the tour must be postponed during a time period starting seven days before tour departure and /or through the duration of the tour, MEA will refund all money recoverable through our agents, not yet spent and/or all refundable deposits. MEA reserves the right to cancel, postpone or suspend any tour based on the judgment of MEA, its staff and representatives, in order to insure the safety of our guests.

RESPONSIBILITY:
The Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA) and/or their Agents act only as agents for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, motorcar, motorcoach, boat, or airplane and assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or for any reason whatsoever, or through the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. They can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. The right is reserved to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour. The right is reserved to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of the tour. Baggage is at owner’s risk.

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