El Salvador

Understand

The country sits between Guatemala, to the northwest, and Honduras, to the northeast.

Although El Salvador only covers an area of about 21,040 km2 (the smallest country in Central America), it is the most densely populated. El Salvador is home to more than 6,500,000 people. It is divided into 14 sections called departamentos. It has 25 volcanoes, 14 lakes, and four large cities and is divided in to East, Central and West with the capital San Salvador in the central region, Santa Ana in the west, and San Miguel, the largest city in the east.

Get in

thumb|450px|Citizens of countries marked in green enjoy visa-free travel to El Salvador

Get around

thumb|250px|Office high-rise buildings in [[San Salvador]]

See

thumb|right|300px| Chaparrastique, [[San Miguel (El Salvador)|San Miguel - One of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador]]

A well-maintained and practically deserted national park is found in the west at Bosque El Imposible. Additionally, there is Montecristo Cloud Forest, and a quaint fishing village with incredible local hospitality and remote coconut islands in La Isla de Méndez. Isla de Olomega in the department of San Miguel is an excellent eco-tourism destination, as are the beautiful Isla El Cajete in Sonsonate, Isla San Sebastian, Conchagua, Conchaguita, Isla Conejo, Isla Teopan, and Isla Meanguera.

One should also visit the colonial towns of Apaneca, Juayua, Panchimalco, and Suchitoto as well as the Mayan sites of San Andrés, Joya de Cerén (the Pompeii of Central America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Tazumal, whose main pyramid rises some 33 m (75 feet) into the air. The on-site museum showcases artifacts from the Pipil culture (the builders of Tazumal), and paintings that illustrate life in pre-Hispanic El Salvador. Souvenir hunters will find some of the best artisans in San Juan el Espino and in La Palma (the artisan capital of El Salvador).

The capital, San Salvador, is a cosmopolitan city with good restaurants highlighting the country’s fresh seafood, and plenty of shopping, entertainment and nightlife.

San Miguel in the East offers tourists a more authentic way to see El Salvador by getting off the beaten track to see its countryside, coastline an…

Do

Surfing El Salvador is gaining a reputation for having some of the best surfing in the world. Tourists from all over Central America are discovering the surfing meccas of La Libertad (near San Salvador), El Sunzal, El Zonte (Bitcoin Beach) and El Cuco (near San Miguel ), transforming El Salvador into the fastest growing surf tourism hot-spot in Central America. Stand-up paddleboarding at the famous Intipuca Beach Water skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, parasailing, jet skiing in Playa El Esteron, one of the most beautiful beaches in El Salvador Windsurfing, swimming, jet skiing at Coatepeque Lake near Santa Ana Volcano hiking: on volcanoes such as Santa Ana, Chaparrastique, Izalco, El Boqueron, and El Impossible which are among the most famous ones Nature hikes and lake tours to Isla de Olomega on Lake Olomega Waterfalls and hot springs

Eat

thumb|Traditional Salvadoran dish, The Pupusa

The restaurant scene in El Salvador is influenced by many different cultures. Food options include Italian, Korean, Japanese, French, Chilean, American, Peruvian, Mexican, Spanish, Middle Eastern, German, Chinese, Argentinian and others. You can also easily find American fast food chains such as Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Subway, Quiznos, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's, and Domino's, in the largest cities in the country such as San Salvador, Merliot/Santa Tecla, and Santa Ana. Other franchises include Tony Romas', Bennigans and others. Some of the best restaurants are located in Zona Rosa.

The typical Salvadoran diet includes lots of rice and beans, seafood (particularly among those who live on the coast), and the most common Salvadoran dish, the famous Pupusa, a round corn tortilla filled with cheese and other elements, usually chicharon (shredded pork meat). It's widely agreed that the best pupusas in the country can be bought in Olocuilta, which you can get to along the highway on the way to the Comalapa airport. You will find more than 50 pupusa stands there, competing for business.

Also Salvadorans eat fried sliced plantains (platanos) usually with beans, sour cream, cheese and sometimes eggs, yuca con chicharron, pastelitos de carne, panes con pavo (turkey sandwiches), hand made tortillas among other very delicious Salvadoran foods.

If you are staying on the coast, make sure you try the cóctel de conchas. It is a…

Sleep

San Miguel has high end hotels on Av. Roosevelt by the Metrocentro mall and budget hotels near the bus terminal

Stay safe

thumb|Night view of [[San Salvador]] El Salvador has a bad reputation due to the civil war of the 1980s. Crime has historically been an issue just as in neighboring Honduras and Guatemala, with most of it attributed to street gangs. Since 2019, there has been a change in combatting crime and gang activity making El Salvador have one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The government is combatting the gangs with a tactic called "Super Mano Dura" which means "Super Strong Hand" and this has had an effect with homicide rates declining from 103 per 100,000 in 2015 to just 2.3 per 100,000 in 2023. This tactic includes a “State of Exception” which allows constitutional rights to be suspended for anyone suspected of gang activity with harsh prison conditions.

You should use common sense and avoid entering into a zone that does not appear safe, just like you do in any country of the world. Avoid carrying fancy items such as jewelry, expensive cameras, and watches if you are walking on the public streets. Women should avoid traveling alone as they may catch the occasional cat-calling and perhaps get felt up on tightly packed buses. As a foreigner the kind of response you might get from the police is "hit or miss." If you have been pick-pocketed or otherwise robbed without harm to your person, a visit to the police station will almost certainly be an exercise in frustration.

Due to strong local conservatism, El Salvador is not an LGBT+ traveler's friendly country. There is wide…

Stay healthy

If you are not accustomed to food sold by street vendors, you might want to stay away from food sold on the streets until you acclimatize. If you want to try a pupusa, you should try to find a restaurant to taste this popular dish rather than buying them from street vendors. Street food that you see cooked can sometimes be safer than restaurant food that you do not see cooked.

'Agua en bolsa' (water in a plastic bag) is very commonly sold in the streets and corner stores of El Salvador. Don't drink tap water.

Pharmacies are easily found all over the country. Take a first-aid kit if you travel to the countryside and to archaeological sites. Mosquito repellent comes in handy.

Respect

Salvadorans are known for their great hospitality. They are among the nicest people in the world. They are friendly, industrious people always willing to help anyone. That is what has earned El Salvador the nickname of "the country with a smile". When speaking with people you don't know, it is customary to address them in a formal manner, using señor, señora and/or usted.