Cinquera is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the Cabañas department of El Salvador.

Local Attractions

* Hostal de Cinquera (translation: Hostel of Cinquera) * Memorial de el conflicto armado Park (translation: memorial of the armed conflict park) * las flores Park (translation: the

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

park) * Iglesia Catolica de Cinquera (translation:

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

of Cinquera)

Cinquera Ecological Park

Walk through the peaceful woods of Cinquera Ecological Park, a former base for guerrilla bands during the civil war and now a serene conservation region. The area around the small town of Cinquera, 18km from Suchitoto in northern El Salvador was afflicted by heavy fighting during the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, many of the inhabitants left the area and the

guerrillas Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, raids, petty warfare, hit-and-run tacti ...

moved in. Their bases came under attack from the army and they took shelter within the forests landscapes. After the war, the returning population started to clear the woodland for agriculture, much to the chagrin of former rebels who respected the environment for having offered them shelter. An

ecological reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

was established to conserve what remained of the native vegetation. It also maintains various vestiges of the war such as the rebel hospital and kitchen. You can walk around the reserve with a local guide: most guides are former guerrillas and can relate many poignant tales from the wartime period. You’ll also appreciate the beauty and serenity of the countryside at peace.

References

{{Cabañas Department Municipalities of the Cabañas Department