Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador

A route of about 36 km through the coffee-growing mountains of western El Salvador, linking colourful colonial villages: Nahuizalco, known for wicker and wood crafts and its candlelit night market; Salcoatitán; Juayúa, famous for its weekend food festival; Apaneca, with zip lines and coffee tours; and Concepción de Ataco, with murals on every wall. The road is lined with flowers from about October to February.

Buses run along the route, and Juayúa and Ataco have good places to stay. Nearby are hikes to waterfalls such as the Chorros de Calera, and the volcanoes of Cerro Verde. El Salvador is hot and humid all year, with rain from May to October, but it's cooler in the mountains. Dress modestly in rural areas.