Aelfgifu Travels

Hi Aelf Crew,

Our first stop in El Salvador – the charming city of Santa Ana. I stayed at Urban Nest Hostel, a lively spot and a great place to meet other travellers.

Walking Tours in Santa Ana

I had been recommended to join Hector’s Walking Tour, but having met Gio in my hostel, I instead went on an information-packed tour with him. This was full of fascinating stories and no question was too much or too silly! I highly recommend him and have linked his website here: https://beacons.ai/learnupidiomas

What stood out most to me wasn’t the scenery or food, but the people – Salvadorans are genuinely some of the kindest and warmest souls I’ve met. Spending the day with a local guide, learning about their lives and laughter, made this one of my favourite memories in Central America.

Seven Waterfalls Hike

The Seven Waterfalls, also known as Las Siete Cascadas, is a collection of waterfalls in the Ruta de las Flores region of El Salvador.

A guide is required (because the trails aren’t clear to find), and it costs about US$20 per person. It is only about 4 miles in length but you will get soaked, muddy, and likely come out with some cuts and bruises. It is less of a hike and more like wading through rivers and scaling 40-meter waterfalls. I read online some guides even provide helmets and ropes – it seemed I had a more adventurous guide who just told us to place a “hand here” and a “foot there” and hope for the best!

Somehow, despite the name, my group ended up doing ten waterfalls in total. One unexpected highlight came halfway through when our guide stopped by a patch of mineral-rich clay and encouraged us to smear it on our faces as a natural mask. This would definitely count as the most chaotic spa treatment I’ve ever had.

The final part of the hike led my group to Los Chorros de la Calera, which are the biggest waterfalls of the collection, including a large manmade pool where I cooled off and enjoyed myself after the hard graft – it felt like a reward. You can swim in the pools and even brave a dark tunnel that connects two of the cascades.

I went in the rainy season, which meant the waterflow was very heavy – especially during the climbing. I would recommend planning your visit to the Seven Waterfalls and El Salvador in general during the dry season, from November to April. 

If you plan to visit, here are a few things I learned:

• Bring a waterproof bag and waterproof phone case: you will get drenched. I didn’t have one, so I used my everyday small rucksack and lined it with a plastic bag to keep my things in.
• Don’t overpack: I found this particularly difficult as I require a lot of sunscreen and bug repellent but as you are scaling rocks and gushing waterfalls, it is best to pack on the lighter side.
• Towel: this would be useful to dry off at the end, but with my bag not being particularly waterproof I had to opt out of this.
• Water bottle: this is a 6 hour hike, so you will need it!
• Wear sturdy shoes with good grip: you’ll be scrambling over slick rocks.
• Avoid the rainy season (May to October) if you can: the waterflow is intense and the climbs become trickier.

As you all know by now I hate hiking and in terms of intensity, I have to be honest and say I really struggled with this hike. As it was rainy season the ground was slippery and having just recovered from an ankle injury I was very conscious of this along with the climbs up gushing waterfalls. I am glad I did it, but would never choose to do it again.

Does this type of trek appeal to you or do you think I’m insane?! Let me know in the comments!

If this saved you a headache (or at least made you feel prepared), you can subscribe using the yellow button at the top or bottom of the page.

Still drying off from waterfall number ten,

Aelfgifu