Equilibrio – Destination El Salvador

Feb. 18-22  Tickets $120-$170

More info: futureclearproductions.com/eq2016

La Tortuga Verde, El Cuco, El Salvador

Festival season in Central America has officially started with the arrival of thousands of southbound winter travelers.

Arriving from Europe, Canada and the U.S., many of the visitors will be stopping at Envision, a 5,000-person, four-day fest in Costa Rica in March. Although many other festivals have popped up along the way to attract the alternative scene, none has managed to leave the lasting impression that Equilibrio has.

In its second year, Equilibrio takes place Feb. 18-22 at La Tortuga Verde, nestled on a private part of the Pacific near El Cuco in El Salvador. Future Clear Productions out of New York spearheads the event, and its approach is much more inclusive and intimate than just ticket sales, trance music and some organic beer.

Attendance is limited to 200 guests, and the attitude is that everyone attending is invited to share their gifts. Most of the attendees also contribute through volunteer initiatives, conducting workshops or contributing to the night program.

Workshops range from acupuncture to travel writing to natural dye making and everything in between. There is a full yoga and meditation program, and an opening ceremony and beach burn at the end. Most of the DJs are from New York, and sets range from the usual hippie-trans stuff to 90s hip-hop and more.

The crowd is a mix of New Yorkers who fly in for the weekend and travelers on their way south. The venue, La Tortuga Verde, plays a stellar host where you can mix based on taste and comfort level. It’s a sort of hostel meets resort with rooms ranging from a multi-room private residence with pool to camp space on the beach. And it’s this mix of cocktails and smoothies, of local tourism and foreigners, that sets Equilibrio apart as a truly inclusive space where you can just be yourself.

— by Anna Von Frances — photos: Jason Henry