Exploring El Salvador | Virginia Aquarium

Date:
Aug 18 - Aug 24, 2019
Duration:
7 Days
Price:
From $2,595
Interests:
Student Travel
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Land + Air Cost

$2,595

Per Person

About this price

Land cost + air from Norfolk. Baggage fees may apply.

Single room supplement $340

Daily Itinerary

Print Itinerary
San Salvador
Upon arrival in San Salvador, after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met and transferred (with boxed lunch) to Boquerón Volcano. Our Group Leader will take us on a walk on local paths to a lookout point where we can get good views of the crater. Next visit Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen "Museum of the Word and Image" to learn more about El Salvador’s history and culture. The museum is dedicated to documentation of the historical memory for peasant communities and also organizes workshops on human rights. Afterwards we’ll go on a walking exploration of historic San Salvador. We’ll gain an appreciation for the country’s capacity for revival at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Since its construction in 1892, the Cathedral has been damaged and rebuilt three times and is viewed as a symbol of the nation's ability to rebuild after tragedy. We’ll also visit El Rosario, the striking Rosary Church, built in 1971 by architect and sculptor Ruben Martinez before dinner at the hotel.
Lunch-Dinner included
Real Intercontinental San Salvador
Jiquilisco Bay
This morning visit Hacienda Los Nacimientos, the main indigo producer in El Salvador. A certified organic plantation, it also produces and exports products such as hibiscus and cashews to Europe, Central, and South America. The hacienda owner will give us a presentation and we'll participate in a hands-on indigo production workshop, where we will get to learn the dying techniques and dye our scarf. After lunch travel to Jiquilisco Bay. Recognized both as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar wetland, Jiquilisco Bay encompasses a variety of habitats including forests, coastline, islands, and the largest mangrove estuary in the country. The mangroves provide vital habitat for 37 endangered and 58 threatened species, including the only primate still found in El Salvador, a critically endangered subspecies of the Geoffroy's spider monkey. The bay is also the largest nesting area in the region for hawksbill sea turtles.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Puerto Barillas Lodge and Marina
Jiquilisco Bay
This morning, attend a lecture by a local biologist to learn more about turtle conservation programs and the importance of Jiquilisco Bay to local communities as well as conservation efforts. Afterward, head to the bay's largest island, La Pirraya, home to an important fishing village and one of several turtle hatcheries. Here, explore the island while discussing its role in sea turtle conservation. After lunch, take a panga boat ride to Samuria, where mangrove seedlings are grown for habitat restoration. Gather mangrove seeds at the site, which you'll be able to plant tomorrow. Return to the hotel.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Puerto Barillas Lodge and Marina
Jiquilisco Bay
After breakfast, transfer to Puntarenas to plant the seedlings collected yesterday, with assistance from community volunteers. This afternoon, visit one of the most important hawksbill turtle nurseries in the area at Punta San Juan. Here, you'll have the chance to help NGO volunteers; activities may include cleaning nests, releasing turtles, and recording data on population growth. Tonight assist researchers with a turtle patrol at Punta San Juan. After receiving an orientation to the evening's turtle walk, patrol the beach to watch for turtles nesting on the beach.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Puerto Barillas Lodge and Marina
Suchitoto
This morning depart for the Joya de Cerén archaeological site "the Pompeii of the Americas" a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves a pre-Hispanic farming village buried by volcanic eruptions in 600 A.D. As the UNESCO inscription states, the exceptional condition of the remains provide an insight into the daily lives of the Central American populations who worked the land at that time. We’ll have a presentation by our Group Leader on the discovery and importance of this site then explore with an expert archaeologist. We’ll move on to the nearby San Andrés archaeological site, relatively small but one of the largest pre-Hispanic sites in El Salvador. It was an agricultural community, a trading center, and a regional capital of the Mayan empire. Our archaeological expert will again lead our exploration. Lunch at a local restaurant before departing for Suchitoto, a beautiful, historic colonial town with panoramic views of Lake Suchitlan. Suchitoto is often called the cultural capital of El Salvador due to its abundance of art galleries, cultural centers, and shops featuring local handicrafts. After checking in to the hotel and dropping our luggage, we’ll walk through Suchitoto with our Group Leader.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Los Almendros de San Lorenzo
Concepcion de Ataco
Travel to Volcanoes National Park today where we'll take a nature walk with a local park expert and our Group Leader. The altitudes of its three main peaks range from 1,640 feet to 7,808 feet above the sea level. Ilamatepec - Santa Ana Volcano - is the tallest in the country and one of the most active, with an enormous, boiling crater lake in its center. Izalco Volcano is one of the youngest volcanoes in Latin America, "born" in 1770 and has been quite active in the past. Wooded trails encircle Cerro Verde and the mountain forest is home to birds, coffee bushes, and exotic flowers.

Next, we'll travel to a nearby farm home for a workshop on pupusas, the national dish of El Salvador. For thousands of years, corn has played an integral part in sustaining the peoples of Mesoamerica. Pupusas are thick, hand formed cakes made of corn stuffed with either white cheese or ground pork and beans. After the filling has been put inside, the pupusas are grilled and served with curtido, pickled cabbage slaw, and salsa roja, a tomato sauce, for dipping. After seeing how it's done, we'll try our hands at making our own pupusas. After lunch engage in a "Share Smiles" activity with children from the community. Share Smiles is a local non-profit organization whose aim is to help children in rural areas complete high school. For 15 years they have provided children in local communities with school supplies, transportation to school, leadership and development programs and English classes. They also offer children exposure to the tourism industry, so that after high school graduation they can benefit from the economic opportunities of a growing industry in their country. We'll also have a presentation on non-profit work and community development through tourism.
Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner included
Hotel Mision de Angeles
Check out of the hotel and transfer to the international airport for flights home.
Breakfast- included
Land + Air Cost

$2,595

Per Person

About this price

Land cost + air from Norfolk. Baggage fees may apply.

Single room supplement $340

Pricing Details

Cost is based on a minimum of 7 participants in double occupancy. Program may incur unforeseen fuel surcharges.

A $200 per person deposit and enrollment form is due to hold your space on this trip. This deposit is refundable 120 days prior to departure excluding a $100 cancellation fee. Cancellations after this date will result in loss of full deposit.

Travel/trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. For more information call Travel Insured at 800-243-3174 or visit travelinsured.com. Holbrook Travel's agency number is 15849.

Single room supplement $340


Final payment due date: May 15, 2019

Travel Info

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Entry & Exit Requirements

U.S. citizens must have a valid passport to enter El Salvador. Passports must be valid for at least the duration of your stay. As this requirement is subject to change at any time without notice, we recommend at least 6 months' validity.

A visa is not re­quired. Upon arrival, you must purchase a tourist card for USD $12. Payment must be made in cash.

If you are not traveling with a U.S. passport, please check with the Embassy of El Salvador for the requirements based on your nationality. 

Health Information

IMMUNIZATIONS

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all travelers be up to date on routine vaccinations such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine, varicella (chicken pox) vaccine, and your yearly flu shot before every trip.

There are no vaccinations required for entry into El Salvador, unless you are arriving directly from a country where yellow fever is a risk.

Some physicians recommend that travelers get hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines before visiting El Salvador.

Please consult your physician for additional information and recommendations based on your individual circumstances.

MALARIA

Travelers to Central America may be at risk for exposure to malaria. According to the CDC, the risk of malaria in El Salvador is very low. Malaria is caused by a parasite found in Anopheles mosquitos, which are active from dusk until dawn. The CDC recommends that travelers to El Salvador protect themselves from mosquito bites. Please consult your physician to determine whether the use of an anti-malarial drug is recommended based on your individual circumstances.

CHIKUNGUNYA

Locally transmitted cases of chikungunya have been reported in El Salvador. Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area have been infected with chikungunya and are spreading it to people. The CDC recommends that travelers to El Salvador protect themselves from mosquito bites.

ZIKA VIRUS

Locally transmitted cases of Zika virus have been reported in El Salvador. Local transmission means that mosquitoes in the area have been infected with Zika and are spreading it to people. The CDC recommends that travelers to El Salvador protect themselves from mosquito bites. As a precaution, the CDC advises women who are pregnant to consider postponing travel to any area where Zika virus transmission is ongoing.

SUN EXPOSURE

The effects of the sun can be damaging to the eyes and skin. Spending time outdoors exposes you to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, even on cloudy days. To protect yourself from the sun, use a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 15, protect skin with clothing, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and drink plenty of fluids.

Resources

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Suggested Packing List

To help you get ready for your expedition, below is a suggested packing list. You may find many of these items in our Gear Store, plus many clothing and accessory items.

CLOTHING

  • T-shirts and one long-sleeved shirt for sun and mosquito protection
  • Shorts for the field and in towns
  • Pants (lightweight cotton), for protection against mosquitoes
  • Lightweight jacket/poncho or sweater/sweatshirt
  • Underwear
  • Bathing suit
  • Socks
  • Shoes
  • Hat or sun visor
  • Waterproof gear -- coat, hat, shoes/boots

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Binoculars and/or scope and lens cleaner
  • Camera and extra batteries
  • A pocket calculator or phone to assist with currency exchange
  • A small backpack for day walks
  • Photocopies of all documentation, passport, and tickets
  • Prescription drugs and a copy of the prescription
  • Sunscreen
  • Water bottle
  • Non-perishable snacks

In addition to your toiletries, it is useful to pack a small medical kit, which you can easily prepare. Helpful items include bandages, mosquito repellant, antihistamine, a pain-reliever, individually wrapped moist towlettes, anti-diarrhea medicine, anti-fungal cream, and an extra pair of disposable contact lenses or eyeglasses if you wear them.

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