My last trip to El Salvador left me with a desire to discover more about my father’s country. After all, my first visit was a last minute decision and without knowing too much about the country except that it had beautiful beaches and lots of volcanoes, I only booked a getaway for 4 days.

I was a little more prepared this time. I had a driver – Rafael (his contact information can be found at the end of his post) – I was comfortable with and a little bit more of a plan of where I wanted to visit, but I also knew I wanted to use some of this time to relax and recharge. With the intent to get away in the symbolic sense, I booked a dome at the Kafen Glamping Site in the mountains of Juayua among the coffee plantations. That afternoon I spent in solitude feeling disconnected from the world even though I had access to electricity and WiFi, because let’s face it – I’m not THAT ready to go off the grid for any amount of time. That night I slept in comfort in one of the most of the comfortable beds I slept in in my life in glorious air conditioning, but not before sitting outside gazing at the stars of the night sky. Being from the city,  star gazing away from light pollution isn’t something I get to do very often. Although I did’t use it, my dome had a private jacuzzi while others had a private pool. One of the things I liked about Kafen’s glamping domes /tiny homes is that even though there are several sites, you really do feel a sense of privacy as they are strategically spaced out. 

The next day my best friend, Margaret, and I  went for a hike to visit the 7 waterfalls of Juayua with our guide Eduardo with Metiditas Tours arranged through Kafen. This hike began as a leisurely walk among thick and lush vegetation with the aroma of the coffee plants before we descended down, with the aid of a rope at one point, to our first waterfall. The walk between the falls took us to wade in the streams, climb over rocks and scrambling over a few boulders. The most memorable walk between the waterfalls is between the 5th and 6th waterfalls when we climbed vertically along the waterfalls to reach the 2 higher ones. Eduardo made sure we all hiked and climbed safely and whenever we doubted ourselves, he gave us encouragement for a boost of confidence. When we finally ended our hike, we were greeted with the surprise that we were still a few miles from our hotel and that we would be riding in the back or a pickup truck to return. 

When we finally crossed our imaginary finish line, Rafael was waiting to take us to our next location: Hotel Cardedu at Lake Coatepeque. I found out about Hotel Cardedu when the Miss Universe Pageant was held in El Salvador. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the customer service at all. The front desk was not welcoming, messed up my excursion reservation and did not even offer to fix it (even though the boat that I had booked was sitting at the dock the next day), nor was I offered an apology. There are 2 sites to this property. One sits atop a hill while the other one is lakefront. There is also a residence location which I assume is located next to the container rooms sitting on the hill.

The rooms are pretty standard. The lakeside rooms have a better aesthetic but the beds were not more comfortable. It’s a one and done stay for me. The highlight of the weekend stay was the lake itself. Lake Coatepeque changes color during the year due to the algae blooming. It turns a turquoise color. I didn’t go swimming but we did take a “ferry” ride from Las Palmeras Restaurant. Their food is pretty affordable and decent. While staying at Lake Coatepeque, we visited the nearby Cerro Verde overlook for the perfect view of Cerro Verde and Izalco volcanoes. Afterwards, we had dinner at Casa 1800 which was just a short walking distance away with incredible views and so-so food.

Sunday afternoon, we stopped by the Juayua Food Festival and Ataco on our way to next stay: Los Naranjos – a different part of Juayua. I chose another glamping site, but this time my stay was in an A-frame tiny home. No air conditioning was provided here but also not needed as I was freezing overnight. The view here was top notch of the orange groves and of Izalco volcano nearby. There was an onsite restaurant that gave me the option to eat there or deliver to my room. Having a restaurant definitely proved to be more convenient. I would definitely stay here again.

The next day I took a trip my father’s hometown of Ishuatan/Santa Isabel to meet some of my father’s family members for the first time and learn about my family history and father’s upbringing. It was my first trip to the town and it had been a dream of mine to know where my father was from. After a fulfilling morning, I spent the afternoon at Nawi Beach House. I enjoyed spending time on the beach and in their infinity pool before a sunset photoshoot which was the perfect way to end this Salvadoran getaway.