La Palma is a small mountain town about two hours north of San Salvador, close to the Honduran border. It is best known for its distinctive folk art — brightly coloured paintings and handicrafts on wood, featuring geometric patterns and village scenes. The style was developed by artist Fernando Llort in the 1970s, starting with La Semilla de Dios cooperative workshop, and spread through the town to the point where seemingly half the residents make their living producing it. You will find the work on keychains, trivets, boxes, tiles, and paintings in workshops and stalls throughout town.
The setting is cool and mountainous, a welcome change from the heat of the capital and coast. Cerro El Pital, the highest point in El Salvador at 2,730 metres, lies 12 kilometres from town on the Honduran border. The drive up is scenic and the views from the top — on a clear day — reach into Honduras and across El Salvador's highland interior.
The town itself is small and unhurried. It is a popular weekend escape for Salvadorans from the capital looking for cooler air and local crafts. The surrounding mountains are also home to Las Pilas, a farming community at altitude where strawberries, blackberries, and peaches grow in the cool highland air — unusual crops for Central America.