Former Salvadoran war zone reinvented as peace tourism destination

El Salvador – Seventeen years after the last gunshots were heard echoing through the forested hills of northern Morazán Province, where some of the worst fighting occurred during El Salvador´s 12-year civil war, the area´s farmers and Lenca indigenous population are turning this former war zone into a budding tourist attraction for peace.

According to local tourism promoter Jorge Portillo, the “Route of Peace” (www.rutadepazelsalvador.com) is “helping to keep alive the historical memory of the region so that (war) will never happen again.”

The authentic and original tour takes curious tourists to the Revolutionary Museum in Perkin, a former guerrilla camp, and the site of the 1981 Mazote massacre, where 1,000 civilians were slain by government soldiers.

The tours also include visits to the area´s many natural attractions, including rivers, waterfalls and natural lookouts.

See the May 15 Nica Times for more on this story.