Hello, my wife (Sierra Lima Hotel) and I travelling by 2 F650GSes from our home in Calgary to Argentina, we will be in Guatemala City tomorrow to pick up some tires then we're heading to El Salvador. We're in a bit of a hurry as we have a boat to catch in Panama on Oct 24th. Any advice on where to cross into El Salvador, which route to take, or advice to ensure quick and passage across the counrty would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
After you pick up your tires from Guate, the quickest way to is to cross on CA-8 if you are going to stay in San Salvador, but its not a very nice ride. I did that in about 4 hours a few months back, but if it was a race, Mario and I would have been far ahead of everyone else. We were moving pretty good to put it mildly. Alternatively, crossing into El Salvador on CA-2 at La Hachadura gives you a nice scenic ride on the coast to La Libertad and only takes about 30 minutes more of driving time if you are trying to get to San Salvador. I would recommend taking the La Hachadura crossing, then spending the night around Sunzal where there are some nice beach hostals (La Guitarra in Sunzal is a very nice place to stay on the beach), just before you get to La Libertad, instead of going into San Salvador to spend the night. From there, the fastest way is to head to the El Amatillo crossing into Honduras, then El Espino crossing into Nicaragua. You should be able to make La Libertad all the way to Esteli, Nicaragua in a day with a very early (pre-dawn) start. From Esteli, you can make it all the way to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua in an easy day, or mabye even push on to Costa Rica if you get an early start. From San Juan del Sur, using the Peñas Blancas crossing, you can make it far into Costa Rica, probably around Dominical or Uvita. From there, cross into Panama at the Sabalito/Rio Sereno crossing and make it all the way to Santiago, Panama with no problem. Although a bit more mileage-wise, I recommend this crossing because it is way more mellow than Paso Canoas and its a scenic ride through the highlands of Panama, which is worth look even if you are only passing through. Plan on an early start. This route will have you in Panama in five days from Guate if your border crossings go smoothly. Your longest day will probably be the La Libertad, El Salvador - Esteli, Nicaragua leg because you are crossing two borders with two bikes. But, its totally doable if you get a very early start. I would recommend getting an early start each day you are doing a border crossing because stuff happens like power outages, computers being down, etc, and it can make for some long border experiences. Expect to kill some time at the borders, even if everything is going smoothly. Smooth is all relative when talking about Central American borders. But honestly, they arent really an issue, they just take a bit of time. To make your border experiences as easy as possible, be relaxed, always wear a smile, be polite, and act like you have all the time in the world. With that attitude, you'll look back and think "that wasnt bad at all." Buen viaje.
Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for and is very similar to what we were considering. Great intel. You ARE the crashmaster.
A note on the Sabalito/ Rio Sereno border crossing. It is indeed excellent and easy and the road to Volcan is wonderful But do take into consideration that the Rio Sereno crossing is open only from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon on PANAMA TIME which is EASTERN and one hour ahead of Costa Rica . If you cannot make it there are good hotels in San Vito ( Las Mirlas is interesting and not expensive) and even Sabalito has hotels. The last 8km to the border are gravel road in CR, In panama you are back on pavement
Good point! I think its also closed on Sunday as well. Maybe even Saturday, but I'm not sure about that. Also SB makes another good point about the time change. Still, I would highly recommend this crossing over Paso Canoas. One other very important point, if you like a smoke now and then, make sure you pick up some great cigars in Esteli, Nicaragua. There are plenty of cigar factories right outside town, and they sell the good stuff, on par or better than any Cuban. Only open on weekdays as well.
Also, if you are going to go through Uvita, Costa Rica, about 2 miles north of town, there will be a small sign at a dirt road on your left that says "Rancho Diandrew 4km." You can camp there for about 10 bucks a night or they have a couple of very cool and well furnished private yurts for about 60 bucks a night as well as offer rooms in the main house. There are several swimming holes and waterfalls nearby and its a stunning jungle setting. But, if you stop here, you might not want to leave for at least a week. Great place, super tranquilo and very, very highly recommended hidden little gem. Chances are you will be the only ones staying there, but its best to shoot them an email ahead of time and let them know you are coming. If you stop there tell Drew and Cameron that Vinny on the big orange KTM said hello and I'm sorry I missed them a few months ago. http://ranchodiandrew.com/ The tents for 10 bucks a night: The yurts: The view: local swimming hole and waterfall:
Mario just posted on the Latin America forum that the La Hachadura border is currently closed due to a road/bridge failure. Just a heads up if you havent left Guate yet.
Red5, did everything work out OK for you? Did you beat the landslides, bridge washouts and road closures in guatemala and El Salvador?
Hey all, I'm close to crossing the border from Guat to El Salvador. Probably cross on the 9th or 10th. Does anyone have any updates on the road/bridge conditions? Thanks
I've got a good buddy who lives in Sunzal and rents rooms by the night. Clean, afforadable with a large locked/gated yard. Its called Villa V. On the main street, its on the first gate on your left after you cross the bridge from the restaurant. Spent a week there a year ago. Fun and cheap place to spend some time.
+1 to everything Crashmaster said, except I'd stay somehwere other than La Libertad. There are so many small beach enclaves on the coastal road leading up to the city that are very inviting. I stayed in El Tunco and could hardly bring myself to leave
El Tunco is right next to Sunzal, where I recommended, FWIW. There are also some great places on the coast well east of La Libertad which have the added bonus of very few tourists and rustic accommodations.
