La Libertad

Introducing La Libertad

Many people think of El Salvador as dangerous and chaotic. For 90% of the country, it's a bogus reputation, but for La Libertad, it's pretty accurate. And, as it happens, La Libertad is the one place in El Salvador that receives a steady flow of foreign visitors, so the negative stereotype is constantly being reinforced.

La Libertad does have flashes of gritty vitality - the market, early-morning surfers, lone fishermen plying the rocky shoreline - but the overall atmosphere is that of a grimy and decaying port town. La Libertad has a serious drug problem, which is the cause of most theft and assaults here. Foreigners are occasionally targeted; sometimes it's random, but usually the victim was buying or using drugs. Follow normal precautions - like not walking around at night or leaving valuables on the beach - and you should be fine.

There are also a number of beach lodges west of La Libertad that are safe and popular. They don't have Punta Roca on their doorstep - La Libertad will always have that - but can be a good alternative to staying in town.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009