Excelencias Turísticas del caribe y las Américas
Stories of the Sea
IN PUERTO LA LIBERTAD, IN EL SALVADOR, A DIFFERENT WORLD DEFINITELY UNFOLDS. OVER THERE, EVERYTHING IS A SPECTACLE THAT IN NO WAY LEAVES VISITORS –EITHER LOCALS OR FOREIGNERS- UNMOVED
Separated by little more than 30 km from San Salvador, Puerto de La Libertad, one of the top tourist sites of the country, stands tall. Its magic dazzles in one fell swoop because it's got everything it takes: beaches of black sands, due to its volcanic origin, that invite for a swim; typical marine gastronomy irresistible for those who love good food; striking crafts which are expressions of an authentic culture; and a calm and safe environment in which people with skin tanned by saltpeter and sun stand out. That result of direct contact with the sea expresses an identity, a very peculiar way of being. Hundreds of fishermen, vendors, processors, traders, assistants... make up the soul of a city that in no way leaves visitors unmoved, no matter whether they are locals or foreigners.
Either down the coastal road or hitting the San Salvador-La Libertad thoroughfare, you can access the former first commercial seaport of El Salvador, which today accounts for the most important fishery enclave. If you prefer, there is an option of hopping on Bus 302 that departs from Bolivar Park in the capital, which also gives trippers the opportunity to gaze at the striking landscape as you go all the way to this traditional territory that has made tourism around 80 percent of its income source.
Blessed with numerous beaches (San Diego, El Obispo, Conchalío, Majahual, La Paz, Toluca, Las Flores, Ticuizapa, Las Bocanitas, Cangrejera and Los Pinos), plus restaurants scattered throughout the littoral and its crafty dock, it seems as if the Port of La Libertad does not rest with the constant hustle and bustle of its inhabitants, who are proud of such projects they call their own as Plaza Marinera, a place that has now given —with the help of the Salvadoran government— a new lease on life to the Malecon seawall. But above all, it enhances this location from both a tourist and economic standpoint, a place that by and large one of the country's top wonders.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Action at the Malecon pier never stops. With its infrastructure already upgraded, it ends in a breakwater where the famous fresh seafood market fresh is perched on. The site provides many of the delights that swim in the Pacific Ocean: lobsters, crabs
(popularly known as jaibas), red-mouth fish, squids, shells, shrimps, clams, mackerels, stingray, sharks... you name it. And they can be purchased by the pound and at very affordable prices.
An authentic expression of the country's culture is the dock and the many outlets that are craftily set up for the sale of the seafood. A good case in point is the irresistible ceviche that Maria dishes out at prices that range between 3 and 5 dollars. “We have very tasty fish, but are also delicious mixed species with squid, shrimps, shell and octopus,” she says as she removes the lids off the see-through and colorful containers.
But that's just one of the many offers that whet the appetite from a variety of counters in which vendors, mostly women, call out their products all the time, no matter whether the passersby finally buy them. Beatriz's fort is salted fish. Her curvina is famous in the surroundings, but she does not reveal the secret of how she performs the preparation process. “You corn it and let it dry for a couple of days, and then it can be kept for a long time,” she says before keeping her mouth shut for good.
Marcos, who inside the market tries to beat the competition with an outlet that only sells shrimps, is talkative all the time. “The large-tail shrimp, the semi jumbos, are perfect for cooking in garlic or fried; we also have smaller-tail shrimps (we call them chacalines) that we combine with midsize shrimps for cocktails. And, well, we have the jumbos, from six to eight inches, and the lobsters (two add up one pound) that I sell for six dollars”, he beams.
Jaibas for soups and shellfish stews, clams, mussels, along with stingray fillets, curvina, red and golden mouths, “which are the specials”, round out Marcos' offers, who cashes in on the opportunity to speak about the Pacific squid. “The Japanese call it ika, the Americans squid, and we call it calamardo. It's true that the ones in the Pacific are larger, but ours, with their characteristic taste, is quite an eating experience.”
YARNS TO SPIN
On the breakwater, David earns his living as a maneuver. “We are tasked with putting the fishing boats ready to sail, so that fishermen can get their job done. We start working around 7:00 am because they begin sailing around 9:00 am or later. We make sure to secure what they require for the trip, and in the meantime they buy all the food they'd need for their fishing trip”, says this man as he does his chores with his wife.
“They pay us in kind, with fish, which we will then sell to tourists. The skewer (five fish that weigh about four pounds) goes on sale for five bucks, but if they pay me $3, it's alright for me, because we rather sell that fish than put it on ice.”
David works for people like José, who every time he takes to the sea on his boat named “Ayre de Mar”, he is entrusted to San Rafael Archangel, saint patron of all fishermen and of the residents of Puerto de La Libertad, to protect and help him . “We do not always get lucky and we can capture several red mouths, tuna, horse mackerel and especially big-tooth fish, formidable both for their size and the delicious taste of their meat. They are called that way because they've got huge teeth, like fangs.
“We are already used to it, but it is two days that we spent on the high seas. We would make a special offering to San Rafael Archangel if we returned to the dock with a thousand pounds of fish, but we know it is normal for us to come back with 400 or 300 pounds. Sometimes the Pacific does not do honor to its name and its waters are choppy. Then, we cannot expect much. We anchor and put a pichinga at the tip of the boat to prevent it from resounding too much until everything goes back to normal and we put hands on the job full of hope”.
In Puerto La Libertad, there's definitely a different world to live. Over there, everything is a show, a must-see no one visiting El Salvador should afford to miss out on. It's a keepsake for the senses and an opportunity to get in touch with plain people who, like genuine “sea lions”, always have a yarn to spin.
As an authentic expression of the country’s culture many outlets that are craftily made rise in the docks
Plaza Marinera, a place that has now given a new lease on life to the Malecon seawall. But above all a place that by and large one of the country’s top wonders