The painted walls
Suns, flowers and faces.
Samuel Cruz Prado — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sammiethedeadrat — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sammiethedeadrat — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jose Quintanilla — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sammiethedeadrat — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Samuel Cruz Prado — CC BY-SA 3.0
Concepción de Ataco is a small mountain town on the Flower Route, known for its painted walls, stone streets and crafts. It draws visitors with its bright cheerful mood, coffee and shops, one of the most pleasant towns to walk around in western El Salvador and liveliest at weekends. Its name means high place of springs in Nawat, and it was founded by the Pipil people. In 1770 it had 303 families speaking Nahuat and Spanish, according to a report by Archbishop Cortés y Larraz. The town lives mainly from coffee. Tourism began only in late 2004, after which it became a rival to nearby Apaneca. You walk cobbled streets past big wall paintings of suns, flowers and faces, and red and yellow houses with iron balconies. The square has trees and purple flowers, facing a white and blue church with arches. The market sells crafts including weaving, embroidery, candles and carvings, and local coffee is served in small cafés. The town is 5.8 km in a straight line south of Ahuachapán and 11.4 km west of Juayúa, so the two combine easily. Weekends are best for the market, and other days for calm. It is cooler than the coast, so bring a light layer. The church is a place of worship, so dress modestly. Ask before photographing people and check prices before buying.
Suns, flowers and faces.
Purple flowers and trees.
Weaving, embroidery and candles.
Concepción de Ataco, Ahuachapán Department
Yes, both are on the Flower Route, about 11 km apart.
Weaving, embroidery and local coffee.