Indigo Blue and Suchitoto
General Facts:
| Time: | 8 Hours |
| Departure: | 8.30 am |
| Service: | Private |
| Operates: | Daily |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Price includes: | Private vehicle, private driver/guide, indigo workshop, sales tax. |
| CODE: | ODT04-A |
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Walking shoes.
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat.
- Fresh clothes.
For more info contact us:
Description
In this tour we will visit Suchitoto, one of El Salvador’s colonial towns. Its name means the place of the Flower Bird. Walk along the charming cobblestone streets surrounded by lovely old colonial homes. Suchitoto is home to Santa Lucia Church, built in 1853, majestically situated in the town’s central square.
We will enjoy an Indigo Workshop. Indigo is a natural colorant extracted from the Xiquilite plant. It was a very important element for the Mayans since they used it for magic/religious rituals, as a medical plant, for pottery, and for painting. When the Spanish “Conquistadores” arrived to El Salvador in 1524, Indigo became the new source of wealth in the region.
Pedro de Alvarado noticed how the Indians used several shades of blue in their clothes. In 1558, the Habsburg King Charles I ordered the territories of Guatemala and Cuscatlán (El Salvador), to produce indigo for Spain.
The commercial route was through Granada, then to Cartagena de Indias from where it travelled to Spain. In the XVII century, the ounce of indigo was as valuable as gold. El Salvador’s indigo, has always been recognized as top quality worldwide. We will learn the process of indigo as well as art techniques used on clothing as we experiment in designing our own scarf.
Free time to enjoy lunch on your own. Then continue exploring this charming town.
