| The smallest and most densely populated | | | | |
| country in Central America, El Salvador is | | | | Playa El Sunzal, La Libertad proclaimed as |
| chiefly remembered for the vicious civil war | | | | one of the best surfing spots worldwide by |
| of the 1980s, when streams of harrowing news | | | | those who regularly ride the waves, El Sunzal |
| stories brought this tiny country to the | | | | is similarly a great beach for snorkelling |
| attention of the world. For a decade, | | | | and diving. |
| atrocity followed atrocity in a seemingly | | | | |
| unstoppable sequence | | | | The area where the borders of El Salvador, |
| | | | Honduras and Guatemala converge receives |
| The best time to visit El Salvador is during | | | | 200cm of annual precipitation, experiences |
| the dry season from November to February. | | | | 100 percent humidity and rises to an |
| Though temperatures reach a high of around 30 | | | | elevation of 2400m ideal conditions for a |
| and in the coastal lowlands, it feels much | | | | cloud forest. |
| hotter because of the humidity its easiest to | | | | |
| get around at this time and even the back | | | | In the Montecristo cloud forest, oak and |
| roads are accessible. | | | | laurel trees grow to 30m and their leaves |
| | | | form a canopy impenetrable to sunlight. |
| In January and February 2001, a series of | | | | |
| powerful earthquakes, the strongest measuring | | | | Ferns, orchids, mushrooms and mosses coat the |
| 7.6 on the Richter scale ripped through El | | | | forest floor, and the local wildlife includes |
| Salvador, killing over 1000 people and | | | | rare and protected spider monkeys, two |
| causing widespread destruction. The | | | | fingered anteaters, pumas, agoutis, toucans |
| earthquakes produced over 600 landslides and | | | | and striped owls. |
| destroyed more 145,000 homes, along with | | | | |
| schools and hospitals across the country. | | | | The cloud forest is in the Parque Nacional |
| | | | Montecristo El Trifinio, northeast of sleepy |
| Sadly, given the beauty of the country and | | | | Metapan and a four hour bus ride due north of |
| the character of the people, El Salvador can | | | | San Salvador. You need advance permission |
| be a dangerous place to travel in. Since the | | | | from the National Parks and Wildlife Service |
| signing of the Peace Accords in 1992 street | | | | at the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente in San |
| crime and delinquency have risen, and levels | | | | Salvador. |
| of civil violence continue to spiral upwards. | | | | |