Introducing El Salvador
El Salvador sneaks up on you: in lefty lounge bars in San Salvador, at sobering museums and war memorials, and along lush cloud-forest trails; it's a place of remarkable warmth and intelligence, made all the more appealing for being so unexpected. Travellers tend to skip El Salvador, wooed by marquee destinations such as Guatemala and Costa Rica, and unnerved by stories of civil war and gang violence. But the war ended almost 20 years ago, and crime, while serious, is almost exclusively played out between rival gangs; tourists are virtually never involved. And though El Salvador has fewer protected areas than its neighbors, you get them practically to yourself – including pristine forests, active volcanoes and sparkling lakes. The only place you might find a crowd is on Punta Roca, El Salvador’s most famous surfing spot – it happens to be one of the best right point breaks in the world, yet is a ghost town compared to lesser swells in Costa Rica and elsewhere. And when it comes to cities, none in Central America is smarter or cooler than San Salvador, with first-rate universities, museums and galleries, a vibrant bar and live-music scene, and an array of progressive NGOs, both local and international.
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Last updated: Jan 18, 2011
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Central America- rainy season and currency
by roquemocan 16 May 2012
If you come to El Salvador, the US dollar is the currency used here. No need to convert. Also, you can find ATM's at malls usually. …
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RE: rental car Gue/El Sal/Hon-travel with children-safety issue-itinerary
by roquemocan 16 May 2012
You should be fine in El Salvador. Don't drive more than 90 km/h - police sometimes have radar The one road that is perhaps less trave…
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RE: rental car Gue/El Sal/Hon-travel with children-safety issue-itinerary
by hopefulist 16 May 2012
Whether it's doable and whether it would be a great vacation or a laborious chore are separate issues. In theory it's doable but with…
Hotels & Hostels
Top cities in El Salvador
Browse more cities in El SalvadorFeatured property
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Marcopolo Inn Calafate
El Calafate
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El Salvador
Things to do
- All things to do (206)
- Activities (16)
- Entertainment (30)
- Restaurants (71)
- Shopping (31)
- Sights (58)
- Tours (0)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For El Salvador
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1 Ruta de las Flores
Charge the western highlands: hiking cafétales, stepping in hot springs and chowing at the weekend food fairs
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2 Playa El Tunco
Ride four great breaks, string a hammock under the palms and soak up the lax atmosphere at this great beach southwest of San Salvador
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3 Parque Nacional El Imposible
Steal stunning ridge-top views and splash in river pools hiking from the park's remote backdoor
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4 Alegría
Immerse yourself in the idyllic tiny-town life of El Salvador's mountain-top flower capital
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5 Punta Roca
Nail the longest break in Central America, or at least buy a real surfer a beer to hear about it
Fast Facts about El Salvador
- Visa
in advance US$30; tourist cards at the border or airport US$10
- Money
US dollar
- Area
21, 040 sq km (smallest in Central America)
- Population
7,000,000 (most densely populated in Central America)
- Capital
- Head of state
President Mauricio Funes Cartagena
- Phrases
Qué chivo (how cool); un cachete (a favor); guaro (alcohol)
- Country Code
503
- Number of Animal Species
897
- Top five Salvadoran surf breaks
El Salvador has dozens of named breaks along more than 300km of coastline. All the best waves here break right, whether they're zippy point breaks or long clean waves that peel off forever. Top picks include: Punta Roca (often compared to Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa); Las Flores (compared to Rincón in Santa Barbara, California); Punta Mango (comparable to El Capitan in Santa Barbara, California); Km 59; Playa El Sunzal.
Our favourite El Salvador Blogs (beta)
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Five Years on the Road: Our Trans-Americas Journey “Road-a-versary” By the Numbers
Blog: Trans-Americas Journey - 27 February 2012
Happy Anniversary to us! Or should we say “road-a-versary” (thanks Julie)? Today is day 1,825 of our Trans-Americas Journey road trip. That’s five years of active travel on the road not counting a couple of stretches when we were unexpectedly stuck in one place for reasons beyond our control (looking at you, Chevrolet). We’re not very good at math Our initial description of the Journey predicted three years and 75,000 miles to cover North, Central and South America from the Arctic Ocean to Tierra del Fuego.
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60 Tips from Kiva Fellows
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 30 December 2011
Compiled by Kate Bennett, KF16 Peru The sixteenth class of Kiva Fellows has all but left the field- but we're by no means done talking about our experiences. We've collectively spent 422 weeks in the field (just over 8 years!) and worked an estimated 16,650 hours at Kiva field partners around the world.
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Update from the Field: Expanding the Reach of Microfinance, Downsizing Development + Why We Kiva
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 31 October 2011
Compiled by Kathrin Gerner, KF16, Rwanda This week, you have no fewer than 14 new articles to choose from on the Kiva fellows blog: Let the fellows take you along on borrower visits across the world. Learn how Kiva field partners expand the reach of microfinance in Rwanda, fill the microfinance donut hole in Sierra Leone and improve social performance in Uganda. Find out what poverty is like in urban Tajikistan and rural Burkina Faso. Get inspired by one of the creative ways to bring renewable energy to the developing world in the form of a soccer ball.
