On and Off the Beaten Path: Suchitoto
Today we are not winding down the hill below Suchitoto to catch a boat on the shore of Lago Suchitlán . Today we are not going to hear a grandfather's story while bumping along on the road between Aguilares and Suchitoto. I realized today that Suchitoto appears as a character in several of my stories, but never as the main character. So today, it's time to actually go to Suchitoto. Central Plaza in Suchitoto (©2023 Linda Muth) The city of Suchitoto is situated between the Guazapa volcano and the Lempa River valley, on the western edge of the Department of Custcatlán. The name "Suchitoto" originates from a Nahuat word meaning "bird-flower." Archeologists believe the town was established as a Pipil (indigenous) settlement in the mid-11th century CE. Near to the city (and within the Suchitoto municipality), Spanish colonizers established what is known as the second "Villa de San Salvador" (the capital of San Salvador) in 1528 CE. Although the town