For information about the island and accommodations, call Montecristo's two hostels or the local nonprofit CORDES (tel. 503/2235-8262 or 503/2883-4825; www.cordes.org.sv), which helps local families find work, and can arrange lodging, transportation, and tours.

The island has no shops other than a single tienda, so you'll need to head to San Salvador or Puerto La Libertad for things such as banks, hospitals, and Internet access.

Getting There

By Bus -- From San Salvador, take bus no. 302 toward Usulután and tell the driver to let you off at San Nicolás Lempa near the Texaco station. Buses leave from there for the 13km (8-mile) trip to La Pita daily at 5am and 2pm, and return at 5:30am and 3pm. The journey takes 40 minutes and costs 70¢.

By Car -- Follow Hwy. CA-2 to Km 87 and turn at the Texaco station; then follow the unpaved road until it dead-ends in La Pita.

Getting Around

Isla de Montecristo is a small, undeveloped island comprising family farms and one tiny town center with two hostels and a restaurant, which serves as the port where visitors arrive and depart. You can walk across the island from the river to the Pacific along unmarked trails in about 30 minutes -- there are no buses or taxis on the island.

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