Our last glimpse of the country was back in 2011 on an ambitious, self-navigated bus haul through Central America. Tikal in Guatemala was the undisputed heavyweight champion of that trek, with its towering limestone temples practically daring you to climb them. This go-around is a bit different. We are trading grand royal propaganda for Joya de Cerén, the UNESCO-listed village famously flash-frozen under volcanic ash while everyday life was still in mid-stride, along with stops at San Andrés and Tazumal.
We are far more accustomed to rambling multi-week itineraries, but a seven-night outpost in San Salvador for Jay's birthday week leaves plenty of room for ambition. The beauty of a country this compact is the complete lack of wasted motion. When you can pivot from cloud-draped volcanoes to high-altitude coffee fincas and Pacific surf within a couple of hours, a single week suddenly feels like plenty of runway.