The Dock of Acajutla, a Tourist Spot with a Rich History in the Western part of El Salvador
Just an hour’s drive from the Salvadoran capital traveling along the Pan-American highway, towards the west of the country in the department of Sonsonate, there is a small place but with much to see, breathe, buy and enjoy in the Acajutla Dock. The small wharf, bustles with the trade of seafood featuring catch like the boca colorada, an exquisite fish enjoyed by foreigners and locals. Here the fishermen set out at dawn in search of daily sustenance. After a day’s work, they disembark at a small pier where the buyers are waiting for the fresh seafood.
This site hosts several cooperatives that house up to 70 members each. These are organized to be able to market their fish. Tourists from all over the world come here to enjoy not only the pier but also what surrounds it, such as the Acajutla Pier and the impressive ships that arrive from different parts of the world carrying merchandise to the dock.
Acajutla is home to four protected natural areas including important ecosystems of mangroves and coral reefs. The main uses of the soil are agricultural, urban and salty forests. Acajutla is one of the sixteen municipalities of the department of Sonsonate, it has a territorial extension of 166.59 km² and is located in the coastal-marine area to the west of the country. The population of this municipality registered in the VI Population Census and V Housing Census of 2007 was 52,359 inhabitants, of which total, 48% reside in the urban area.
The economic activity in Acajutla has diversified with the greatest participation being trade and services, followed by agricultural, industrial and transformation activities. The Acajutla seaport, the logistics and its industrial zone are important to its economy. Acajutla’s coastal location, with this important port, and accessible national highways are outstanding strategic assets of this municipality.
Maritime Cultural Heritage of El Salvador
Maritime and subaquatic archeology have discovered important histories of the port of Acajutla. During the colonial period, the Spanish realized the wealth of the region through the quality of cocoa that was produced. The port of Acajutla became a point of contact with trade and the rest of the world. After 1856, following the inauguration of the Panama railroad, the first exploratory ships arrived in the port.
The global industrial revolution introduced machinery and steamboats begin to frequent the port of Acajutla. In 1848, gold was discovered in California. People from all over the world wanted to travel to California along the maritime route from Panama to San Francisco. Central American ports were on that route. In 1855, the Panama Railroad was built, speeding up inter-oceanic transport between the Atlantic and the Pacific. All these changes influenced the port of Acajutla.
Many archaeological materials have been found in excavations detailing histories of commercial exchanges. Acajutla was an important port of entry and exit. At first, a wooden pier was built. In 1871, the iron dock of Acajutla was inaugurated. Acajutla’s iron dock was an advanced technology introduced from England. This innovation allowed the dock to withstand the storms.
In 2014 funds were obtained from UNESCO to carry out an archaeological investigation in the old port of Acajutla. The endeavor was part of the project of registration and documentation of maritime archaeological sites by the National Museum of Anthropology. Divers conducted underwater investigations into the remains of the iron docks of Acajutla and archeologists conducted land excavations that allowed them to reconstruct an old customs house known as, the Pirate’s Gate La Puerta del Pirata.
The customs house was built in 1855 in Acajutla. It was two stories high and could be easily seen from a distance by ships approaching the dock. Archeologists and divers were able to access the dimensions to build an artistic recreation of the pier throughout its history.
Historical images were complemented with the archaeological work and thus a realistic representation of what the pier used to be was made. The excavations have allowed many cultural remnants of Ajacutla’s past to be recovered. Among them, in 2014 excavations in the area uncovered a dump, where remains of wine bottles and champagne bottles coming from Europe, mainly France, and fragments of medicine containers from England were found.
In 1900 a customs house was built that is part of the industrial heritage of the town along with a warehouse to store goods from the interior of the country as well as goods imported from Europe. All these goods arrived in Acajutla and from there were distributed to Sonsonate and San Salvador.
Artisanal Fishing in the Municipality of Acajutla, Department of Sonsonate.
Today, Acajutla attracts many visitors eager to learn the craft of artisanal fishing and watch the fishers prepare their nets and boats before going out to sea. Every morning, fishers travel several kilometers out to sea on a boat in search of the catch of the day. The artisanal fishing trade is usually a family trade learned from mothers and fathers that have dedicated themselves to this field. Fishers devote themselves fully to this work despite the risks involved. They have a love of the sea, and when the catch is good, it provides a good source of income to the family economy.
Fishing life starts early, around 4:00 in the morning where fishers begin to set up fishing equipment for the day. For the dedicated artisanal fisher, every day is a good day to fish. Fishermen travel up to 5 nautical miles (8 kilometers) offshore, and their tasks can last more than eight hours at sea. Sometimes they must endure the inclemencies of the sun and the moods of the sea. Fshers tell that sea fishing requires a lot of strength, dedication and the ability to stay calm under any risk scenario.
Preparing for the day, artisanal fishers engage in a series of daily tasks. They fish using simbra, a mother line of strong yarn purchased for fishing nets. It is usually made of polyethylene, strong fibers that can resist a heavy load of fish and the currents of water. The fishing line is knotted with enough hooks. Every 3 brazadas, a knot is made that creates a loop where a hook is placed. Every 15 hooks a loop is made and a fishing weight of about one to two pounds is added to the line.
In the Acajutla sales room, a huge painting decorates the space. It was ordered to be made in memory of more than a hundred dead fishermen who have disappeared at sea since 1960.
There is much to see walking along the right side of the pier where you can see the merchant ships and all the movement of the oldest pier in El Salvador. Visitors can enjoy a long beach walk where they can bathe and enjoy the sea breeze and its restaurants that await tourists with fresh catch of the day.
Although the port and the urban area that surrounds it are dedicated almost entirely to maritime trade, there are in its vicinity a large number of attractions such as restaurants that offer the best of the daily catch, as well as establishments that offer land and boat tours to beautiful nearby beaches. Acajutla is also the main destination for tourist ships and cruises that arrive in El Salvador.
In the surroundings of this place there are hotels where you can stay in a small town just 5 minutes from the pier where there are handicrafts and souvenir shops. Visitors can buy seafood of all kinds at a good price. Some people arrive ready with their bathing suits and go for a walk on the shores of this place and take the time to enjoy the sunset.
The port of Ajacutla is only 20 minutes away from Los Cobanos Beach, a paradise of more than 264.6 km² of protected marine ecosystem. The area is a favorite spot for diving, snorkeling or simply walking along its shores. Undoubtedly an experience that you cannot miss to enjoy with your family and friends.
Mauricio Alexander Cáceres García | Correspondent for El Salvador & Latin AmericaMauricio Alexander Cáceres García is a Correspondent for Latina Republic focused on El Salvador and Latin America. He is a renowned Photojournalist and Documentarian from El Salvador. Migration is personal to him. His father and family moved to the United States as migrants. His work showcases the power of human stories. Among his specializations, Cáceres has reported on “The migrant route” of the Guatemalan border, Mexico and the United States. He personally completed the migrant route to the US on four occasions. Cáceres has a degree in Migration from the Universidad de Centro América, UCA. Cáceres has served as an Editor of the newspaper Más, EDH and elsalvador.com. He has extensive experience in national and international news coverage, studied journalism and has won several photography awards throughout Latin America, including second place in a photographic contest centered on the migrant woman, and earning the Santa Clara de Asís prize for his report on the migrant route.
