El Salvador | Travel Guide, Tips, and Inspiration

Known as the land of volcanoes and for producing some of the world’s best coffee, El Salvador’s' beautiful weather and amazing beaches will have you feeling refreshed more than ever! Between the friendly locals and tasty pupusas, I had one of the best times as this was my first time out of the country since February 2020!

Overview

Best Time to Visit: Visit during Dry Season (December - March) if you’re not a fan of the heat and don’t want potential downpours. But if you want to see the amazing nature of El Salvador come to life and enjoy the warm weather (with the risks of thunderstorms), you can visit during Wet Season (May - October)

Transportation: Getting around El Salvador can be complicated. Uber is available within certain parts of the country (San Salvador, El Tunco) but I suggest renting a car or hiring a driver for days you will need one.

Weather: There is an average year round temperature of 75°F. The country is hotter in the months of April to September.

Language: Spanish (I suggest knowing basic Spanish before you come here)

Currency: USD

Electric: Type A and B

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Hotels

In recent years, El Salvador has seen a huge boom in beach villas, vacation rentals, and more! Depending on where you want to stay such as San Salvador, El Tunco, Mizata, and any other beach towns, you can find many budget to luxury options for what is right for you.

Click Here for a more in-depth look at where to stay in El Salvador.

📍El Tunco

Bocas Olas Resort and Villas - El Tunco, El Salvador

About $149/night

This 4-star resort is where we stayed and between the drinks, views, and staff, I cannot wait to go back!

Mandala Eco Villas Hostel - $107/night

Hotel Roca Sunzal - $109/night

Kayu Resort & Restaurant - $114/night

📍El Zonte

Palo Verde Sustainable Hotel - El Zonte, El Salvador | $139/night

Hotel Los Farallones - El Zonte, El Salvador | $115/night

📍San Salvador

Sheraton Presidente - $130/night

Best Western Plus - $101/night

Hotel Villa Florencia Zona Rosa - $46/night

📍Mizata

Lagarza Hostel - $85/night

Atami Escape Resort - $79/night

Paraíso Escondido Hotel, Villas & Resort - $220/night

Restaurants/Bars

La Bonita Beach Club: This place truly comes to life at night. I would suggest going on a Friday or Saturday to really experience the nightlife. I had some delicious loaded fries and plenty of fruity mixed drinks!

Picnic Steak House: If you’re looking into coming to El Salvador you are likely to see people sliding down a colorful slide on your TikTok or Instagram feed. Aside from the cute and thrilling slide that cost $5, I enjoyed the food authentic here, overall aesthetics, and of course the drinks.

Clavo & Canela: This was apart of our pitstop when we were waiting for our COVID test results in San Salvador. What I realized quickly is that the coffee in El Salvador is so fresh and authentic and their breakfast food is everything!

Nawi Beach House: This is another place I first saw on social media. It’s located in the Mizata area which is about 45 minutes from El Tunco. We enjoyed our day here and booked a day pass for $20 per person. It includes a complimentary drink. towels, and use of their pools, gym, and views!

Pargos: I visited Pargos for dinner on our last day and had to get some seafood since this restaurant is located right on the beach of El Tunco.

Cafe Sunzal: Right on the beach of El Sunzal we stumbled upon this great find! Their pizza was so good and you are able to sit about three stories high taking in all of the ocean breeze.

Local Food: This is a must! Everyone needs to try the street food of El Salvador as it is absolutely delicious. You can get the traditional pupusas right off the street along with other Salvadorian cuisines.

Things To Do

Cascadas Tamanique Waterfall: Perfect for lovers of nature and hiking. I didn’t get a chance to go here on my recent trip but it is up on my list whenever I return!

El Salvador Mayan Ruins: I’m a huge history nerd so this was a must for me. There are also different ruins you can visit such as San Andrés.

Lake Coatepeque: Located south of the city Santa Ana, this is a great place to go to rent a boat, enjoy the sun, and take part in other water activities.

El Salvador Volcanoes: You can hike up to the Santa Ana Volcano, El Salvador’s highest volcano and take a look into the neon greenish blue crater lake. If you want a less rigorous hike, I would suggest the Quezaltepeque volcano, otherwise known as the San Salvador Volcano. You’ll pay a small entry fee to both volcanos however I highly suggest investing in a tour guide to take you along the routes.

Imagine Slide at Picnic Steak House: Located pretty close to the San Salvador Volcano, this is where we stopped after our hike. For just $5 you can slide down the Imagine slide and also enjoy some amazing outdoor activities if you don’t want to eat here.

Food Tour: Through TripAdvisor and other sites, you can book reputable food tours that will allow you to immerse yourself in the Salvadorian culture!

Surf Lessons: For the price of $20 or less locals in the beach areas of La Libertad offer surfing lessons. This is something I would highly suggest you book for the morning as the El Salvador waves ramp up to be pretty serious throughout the day!

Overall

I had an amazing time in El Salvador! The country seems to be getting a facelift from previous bad stereotypes about violence as there were a lot of tourist from all over here! I would highly suggest this vacation to anyone. When traveling, just remember to be alert and smart and you will have a good time!