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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Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
- Take a stop in El Salvador on a 32-day tour of the best of Central America
- Travel overland from Panama City to Mexico City on a 55-day trip of a lifetime
- Journey through El Salvador on a 17-day trip along the backroads of Central America
Last updated: Feb 1, 2013
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Update for travellers: post-earthquake Japan
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A massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on Friday, March 11, causing a tsunami that has resulted...
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El Salvador
Things to do
- All things to do (219)
- Activities (17)
- Entertainment (31)
- Restaurants (72)
- Shopping (33)
- Sights (58)
- Tours (8)
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.