El Salvador Travel Guide
El Salvador is the smallest but also the most populous country in Central America. Often skipped even on a long trip through the region, it actually has a lot to offer in every respect: pristine forests, beaches and archaeological sites.
Like neighboring Honduras, it’s labeled as “too dangerous,” but outside the big cities the country is extremely safe and the local people are among the kindest and most hospitable in the region.
I spent a couple of weeks backpacking through El Salvador, and in this guide you’ll find lots of useful tips to plan your trip as best you can.
Quick menu
- When to visit El Salvador
- Documents and vaccinations to enter El Salvador
- What to do and see in El Salvador
Destinations
- Travel itinerary in El Salvador
- How to get around El Salvador
- Backpacking El Salvador: costs
- Backpacking El Salvador: safety
On the streets of Suchitoto.
When to visit El Salvador
There are two distinct seasons in El Salvador:
The rainy season, which runs from May to November, is characterized by thunderstorms concentrated mainly in the afternoon and usually lasting no more than a few hours. The hottest and most humid months are March and April.
The dry season runs from November to April and is generally the best time to go to El Salvador, but obviously also the most expensive and crowded.
I visited the country during the month of August, and honestly, the brief afternoon downpours were never a big problem.
Documents and vaccinations to enter El Salvador
Italian passport holders receive a 90-day tourist visa when they enter the country (the rules change depending on your nationality, so check yours).
Note: El Salvador, along with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, is part of CA-4, an agreement allowing a maximum stay of 90 days within these four countries. For example, if you spend 40 days in Nicaragua, then 20 days in Honduras, and another 20 days in El Salvador before entering Guatemala, you’ll only be given a 10-day visa when you enter Guatemala.
You can renew your visa for another 90 days for the entire region simply by crossing the border by land into Mexico or Belize to the north, or Costa Rica to the south, or by flying in from any other country, even on the same day, doing the so-called “visa run.”
Alternatively, you can renew your visa for another 90 days at an immigration office in one of the four countries. This process can be done only once, and the cost varies by country.
El Salvador officially requires vaccination against yellow fever if you’ve recently been in an at-risk country (much of South America and Central Africa). This check seems to be discretionary, but if you’re coming from one of these countries it’s advisable to get the vaccination to avoid problems. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations are always recommended.
For up-to-date information on visas and everything else, check your own government’s official travel advice (for example, the UK’s Foreign travel advice).
Abandoned art school in Santa Ana.
What to do and see in El Salvador
In this guide, you’ll often find references to prices, so just to be clear, the official currency in El Salvador has been the U.S. dollar since 2001. The exchange rate is about 1€ = 1.12$. For the current exchange rate, take a look at this page.
As you can see from the map, El Salvador, which is already a really small country in itself, has all its main attractions concentrated in the west, so getting around never takes too long.
Note: Several times throughout the guide you’ll find links to https://www.alltrails.com/. If you want to use offline navigation directly from the AllTrails app, you have to upgrade to the pro version. However, you can get around this by downloading the coordinates from the desktop version of the site in “Google Earth KML” format and then uploading them to Organic Maps, which is by far one of my favorite travel apps.
San Salvador
The capital of El Salvador is the second-largest city in Central America after Guatemala City. The city doesn’t have much to offer and still bears the scars of the long civil war and of the 1986 and 2001 earthquakes. There are, however, some interesting attractions in the surrounding area.
What to do and see in San Salvador
Once considered a place to avoid, the city’s historic center, and in particular the area around Plaza Gerardo Barrios (Google Maps) and Plaza Morazán (Google Maps), is now a pleasant place for a stroll. Take the opportunity to admire buildings like the National Palace (Google Maps) and the iconic National Theater of San Salvador (Google Maps). Don’t miss Iglesia el Rosario (Google Maps), a unique architectural gem.
For an upscale neighborhood experience, head to Colonia San Benito (Google Maps), part of the Zona Rosa. While it doesn’t offer many specific attractions, its pleasant atmosphere makes it an enjoyable area to explore on foot.
Puerta del diablo
Puerta del Diablo (Google Maps) is a sacred site not far from San Salvador and was used in the past by the Maya to perform sacrificial rites. The climb is steep but not too long. From the top you get a great view of the capital and some volcanoes in the distance. Plus, if you’re interested, you can do a number of activities like climbing and ziplining.
To reach Puerta del Diablo: from downtown take bus number 12 that runs along Avenida Cuscatlan, about 40 minutes, $0.30.
Volcan el Boqueron
Volcan el Boqueron, also known as Volcan de San Salvador (Google Maps), is a giant volcanic crater about 5 km wide and 558 m deep. Admission to the park costs $2 and there are a couple of well-marked trails to follow. The main one leads to a number of viewpoints and isn’t too long (about an hour), and if you want, you can also go down into the crater (All Trails).
The bus you need to take leaves from a side street near the “Plaza Marilot” shopping center. It runs every twenty minutes and costs $0.50, and it drops you off about 1 km from the park entrance.
The crater of Boquerón Volcano.
Joya de Cerén
Joya de Cerén (Google Maps) is an archaeological site named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It’s a Maya village that was extraordinarily well preserved thanks to a volcanic eruption that buried it in ash more than 1,400 years ago, which is why it’s called “The Pompeii of the Americas.”
About ten buildings have been unearthed, and honestly an hour is more than enough time to visit the site. Admission is $10, closed Mondays.
The site is located about halfway between San Salvador and Santa Ana and can be visited as a day trip from either city, or, to save time, you could visit it while moving from one city to the other, leaving your luggage at the entrance.
From the Occidente terminal in San Salvador take the bus to Opico, about an hour and a half, $0.50. From Santa Ana, on the other hand, take bus 201 or 202 to San Salvador, ask the driver to let you off at the junction for Joya de Ceren and wait for bus 108 coming from San Salvador.
The Joya de Ceren archaeological site.
Where to sleep in San Salvador?
La zona Hostel is a good hostel in Colonia San Benito.
El Tunco
Let’s face it, El Salvador doesn’t have a noteworthy coastline for anyone looking for white beaches and crystal-clear water, but there are plenty of options for anyone looking for good surfing conditions or wanting to learn to surf.
The most popular destination among travelers and tourists is undoubtedly El Tunco. I didn’t personally visit the town since I’m not into surfing, but if you’re looking for a surf spot with great nightlife, look no further.
A friend of mine had suggested I visit the nearby Tamanique waterfalls in case I decided to pass through El Tunco. On this page you’ll find lots of ideas in case you decide to visit El Tunco.
The beach at El Tunco.
Santa Ana
It’s the second-largest city in El Salvador and by far the tourist capital of the country, with plenty of activities to do in the surrounding area.
What to do and see in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, unlike San Salvador, retains several colonial buildings. Its historic center is worth exploring for a couple of hours, particularly the cathedral (Google Maps) and theater (Google Maps), both of which overlook the main square.
I also recommend that you check out the now-abandoned old art school (Google Maps) located in front of Parque Colon. Admission is free, just register at the entrance.
Santa Ana Volcano
The volcano is undoubtedly Santa Ana’s number one attraction: inside the crater there’s a sulfur lake of a truly incredible turquoise color. You also get great views all around, since Santa Ana Volcano is the highest peak in the country.
The volcano is within Cerro Verde National Park and can easily be reached on your own. Once you get to the park entrance, however, you have to join the police-escorted tour that leaves every morning at 11:00 (in the past there have been robberies along the trail). The hike isn’t particularly demanding if you’re in decent shape, about an hour and a half to climb, just under an hour to descend (All Trails). Since it’s a single tour that everyone is required to join, try to avoid weekends.
The bus from Santa Ana goes directly to the entrance and departs daily at 7:30 from Vencedora Terminal (Google Maps), bus number 248, just under 2 hours, $0.90. Entrance to Cerro Verde Park costs $3, plus $1 to be paid to the guide and $1 to cross private property, $6.80 for the entire excursion. The bus returns to Santa Ana at 16:00.
A reader let me know (thanks, Marco!) that an additional cost has been added: now foreigners, on top of the costs just mentioned, have to pay $6 at the park rangers’ station (Estación guardaparque), while locals and residents of the country get a discount ($3).
The crater of Santa Ana Volcano.
Ruta de las flores
It’s a route that passes through several really pretty mountain villages surrounded by coffee plantations and pristine forest. Many people decide to spend a few days stopping at the various places along the way, but it can easily be done in a day as follows.
Start with a bus to Juayua (ideally on a Sunday, when there’s the “food festival”). Visit the nearby La Calera waterfall (Google Maps), which is about 2 km outside the village. Return to the village and take the bus to Apaneca where you can visit the nearby Laguna Verde (Google Maps); there are pickups that go back and forth for $0.25.
From Apaneca you then take the bus to Concepcion de Ataco, enjoy the village and the small main square (Google Maps), from here you then continue to the last stop, Ahuachapan, before returning to Santa Ana.
Total cost of the buses for the whole day: $2.40. There are frequent connections between the villages.
La Calera waterfall.
Tazumal
Tazumal Archaeological Park (Google Maps) is undoubtedly one of the most impressive sites in El Salvador and the largest Maya temple in the region, although it’s a far cry from sites like Tikal, Copan or Teotihuacan. If you’re in Santa Ana, consider visiting it.
Admission to the park, which is open Monday through Sunday from 9:00 to 16:00, costs only $5 and includes the small museum attached. It can be easily reached by bus from Santa Ana by taking bus 218, about half an hour, $0.30.
Finally, Lake Coatepeque (Google Maps), located halfway between the volcano and the city of Santa Ana, is another popular destination, but I didn’t go there. You can easily get there by bus from Santa Ana, but it seems that getting to the shore isn’t easy, as there’s a lot of private property. It’s best to ask at a hotel or restaurant. The lake is the caldera of a volcano that’s no longer active and from the photos it looks really nice. You can find a complete guide on this page.
The Tazumal ruins.
Where to sleep in Santa Ana?
Hostal Casa Verde is a hostel that everyone recommends, and it’s no coincidence it’s rated 9.8 out of 10, but when I was in Santa Ana it was sold out and I opted for Casa Frolaz… I couldn’t be happier! The two brothers who run the hostel are wonderful people. One afternoon they invited me to a friend’s house to taste different types of coffee and the next day to dinner at some other friends’ place. Fantastic!
How to reach Santa Ana?
From the Terminal de Occidente in San Salvador, there are buses about every 15 minutes. If you’re coming from Guatemala, take a look at the Crossing the El Salvador–Guatemala border section below.
Planning your trip? If you still need travel insurance, you can find my guide to the best travel insurance here. Purchasing through the links in the guide supports this site at no additional cost to you.
Suchitoto
Tucked away in the mountains of El Salvador, “Suchi” – as the locals call it – is probably the best-preserved example of colonial architecture in the entire country.
The town is as cute as it is tiny, so a day or two is more than enough. During your stay you could go down to Lake Suchitlan – not particularly spectacular – or visit the nearby Los Tercios waterfall (Google Maps) where there are some interesting rock formations.
Photogenic Suchitoto.
Where to sleep in Suchitoto?
There aren’t many options online, but there are plenty once you get there. I slept at Posada Blanca Luna, really nice and extremely cheap, $6 a night for a private room with a shared bathroom.
How to reach Suchitoto?
From San Salvador take the direct bus 129 from the Oriental terminal, about an hour and a half, $0.90. If, on the other hand, you’re coming from the border with Honduras (El Poy), take any bus heading to San Salvador or passing through Aguilares, where you then have to change buses to Suchitoto.
La Palma
La Palma, near the border with Honduras, is a small town famous because an internationally renowned artist named Fernando Llort spent several years there teaching his style to locals who still largely make their living from art.
I only passed through the town by bus, but it struck me as really charming, with colorful murals everywhere. It might be worth stopping for a couple of hours or for a night, especially if you’re continuing to Honduras or vice versa, since La Palma is on the main road connecting the two countries.
To wrap up the section on what to do and see in El Salvador, I recommend this interesting article that explains in detail how to visit El Imposible National Park on your own.
On the streets of La Palma.
Crossing the El Salvador–Honduras border
This is the border to cross if you plan to reach the ruins of Copan. But if you want to cross the border further south toward Tegucigalpa or directly into Nicaragua, check out this post.
From Terminal de Oriente in San Salvador take bus 119 bound for the border town El Poy, about 4 hours. Once in El Poy, walk across the border and then take a shared taxi to Nueva Ocotepeque (10L) from where there are buses to La Entrada (4 hours, 120L). From La Entrada there are frequent buses to Copan Ruinas (2 hours, 70L). Try to leave early in the morning.
Crossing the El Salvador–Guatemala border
From the Santa Ana terminal take bus 236 to the border town of San Cristobal, with departures about every 20 minutes, a one-hour ride. Once across the border there are direct buses to Guatemala City, about 4 hours, 50Q. If you prefer to go directly to Antigua instead take a look here, Santa Ana to Antigua by bus.
Note: There are also tourist shuttles and international buses that cover these routes, but they’re far more expensive.
Travel itinerary in El Salvador
If you’re not into surfing, in my opinion you can easily skip the coast and simply focus on San Salvador and Santa Ana, with maybe a night in Suchitoto.
One-week itinerary in El Salvador
I like exploring countries in depth, but honestly I think a week is enough to visit what are currently the main points of interest.
San Salvador (2 nights)
Day 1-2:
Visit Volcan el Boqueron and La Puerta del Diablo.
Santa Ana (4 nights)
Day 3:
Leave San Salvador with your luggage, visit Joya de Cerén and then continue to Santa Ana.
Day 4:
Climb Santa Ana Volcano.
Day 5:
Travel the Ruta de las Flores.
Day 6:
Tazumal archaeological site.
Suchitoto (1 night)
Day 7:
A relaxing day wandering the streets of Suchitoto.
If you’re interested in surfing or spending a few days by the sea (don’t expect spectacular beaches), add a couple of days to make it a 10-day or two-week itinerary.
How to get around El Salvador
Buses in El Salvador
Buses are by far the cheapest and most practical way to travel within the country. Local buses are called “chicken buses”: they’re basically old school buses from the United States and Canada, they can be very crowded at times but generally aren’t that bad and, above all, they’re extremely cheap.
Buses are generally safe, although remember that as tourists there’s always a risk of being targeted, so use common sense and keep an eye on your luggage.
For a look at route schedules to major tourist destinations I recommend this site.
A typical “chicken bus.”
Taxis in El Salvador
Taxis are considered safe and, for getting around some areas, especially in San Salvador, they’re the only option that isn’t risky. Meters aren’t used, so agree on the price before you set off to make things clear right from the start and avoid pointless arguments.
Hitchhiking in El Salvador
Hitchhiking is considered safe in rural areas, where it’s common to see people in the back of pickup trucks. While I was walking along the road in Cerro Verde park, some locals let me ride in the back without me even asking.
Backpacking El Salvador: costs
Cost of accommodation in El Salvador
Accommodation is cheap with hostel dorms costing on average between $5 and $10 and private rooms costing $10-15. Not all hostels have kitchens. “Hospedaje” or “posada” are generally small family-run hotels that are often cheaper than hostels.
For good hotels expect to pay around $30 per night.
Cost of food in El Salvador
The food is really cheap: especially at lunch, in local restaurants (“comedor”) you can find a full meal for less than $3. During your stay in El Salvador you absolutely have to try “pupusas,” a dough made of cornmeal or rice flour, usually filled with beans, meat and cheese, but there are various kinds. The whole thing is cooked on a greased griddle. They’re delicious and can be found for less than $0.50 each, eat 2-3 and you’ll be full!
The delicious pupusas.
Cost of transportation in El Salvador
Buses are extremely cheap, in my opinion the cheapest in all of Central America along with Nicaragua. With local transportation, so-called “chicken buses,” expect to pay less than $1 per hour of travel time.
Tourist shuttles, on the other hand, for example Ticabus, and long-distance buses to other countries are much more expensive.
To reduce exchange and withdrawal fees, see my guide to the best travel cards.
Backpacking El Salvador: safety
Is El Salvador safe? Generally speaking, yes, but a bit like its neighbors Honduras and Guatemala, if you look at the statistics you’d think the exact opposite.
It must be said, however, that all the violence you hear about is mostly related to clashes between the various gangs known as “maras,” and it’s unlikely to have anything to do with tourists or tourist areas in general. That said, following the mass incarceration campaign that started in 2022, the situation has improved drastically in recent years.
Of course, as throughout Latin America and beyond, you need to use common sense. Avoid walking alone in the poor neighborhoods of cities, especially in the evening, and, in the unlikely event that something happens to you, don’t resist for any reason and you’ll see that you won’t have any problems.
Are you planning a trip to El Salvador? Check out these posts:
Tips for planning a budget trip
Which travel backpack to choose
Do you have any questions? Updated information? Feel free to leave a comment or message me on Instagram!
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