El Salvador. With an area of 21,040 km2, it is the smallest country in Central America and the most densely populated with more than 6,500,000 people. It has 25 volcanoes, 14 lakes, and four large cities and is divided in to East, Central and West with the capital San Salvador in the central region, Santa Ana in the west, and San Miguel in the east.
A civil war from 1980-92 (between three leftist organizations united to form FMLN and the government) claimed the lives of over 75,000 people and caused the exodus of hundreds of thousands more who fled to the United States, Canada, and other countries to escape the violence.
The FMLN has become a legal political party and won 30-40% of the vote in elections from 1997 to 2015, but won less than a quarter of the vote in 2018. Apart from economic woes a big problem the country still faces is also somewhat of a legacy of the war as some people who left El Salvador ended up in American jails and upon release were deported to El Salvador bringing with them US-style gang culture. As many of these people were very young when they left El Salvador more or less their only source of identity was gang culture, and thus combating these extremely violent groups has proven to be extremely difficult.
Today, El Salvador is stable and with a growing economy, leaving behind its painful history.
Capital. San Salvador
Currency: US dollar
Population: 6.4 million
Country Code: +503
Climate. Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on the coast; temperate in the uplands.
As this is a tropical country, temperature doesn’t depend all that much on season but rather altitude and time of day. If you have never been to the tropics and want to capture a sunrise or sunset be very quick, as the sun sets and rises much faster than in the temperate or even polar zones.
Holidays
August Carnival. 1st week August, celebrates El Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador
November 2. Day of the Dead. A day on which people usually visit the graves of deceased loved ones.
Final week of November. San Miguel’s Carnival.
Get in. El Salvador International Airport in Comalapa (SALl) 50 km south of the capital city (US$32 departure tax). Avianca, the national airline has a monopoly and high ticket prices, especially for travel within Central America. Shop around for deals. Aeromexico Connect (Mexico City, American Airlines (Miami, Dallas), Copa Airlines (Panama City), Delta (Atlanta) Iberia (Madrid), Spirit (Fort Lauderdale), United (Houston, Newark)
The Pan-American highway is a safe route for entering the country and travelling between San Miguel in the East and San Salvador in the West
Get around. Rental car, buses and taxis. San Salvador is not a square city, but has long avenues that are straight and streets that aren’t. That said, in some areas walking is a great option, such as in Zona Rosa.
“El Salvador now has a well developed GPS navigation system called QFind that can help you move around either in urban or rural areas. This is a fully functional system with thousands of points of interest and turn by turn routing to your destination.
Buses are very cheap.
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Chaparrastique, San Miguel – One of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador
The countryside of El Salvador is breathtaking, with volcanoes and mountains offering “green” adventures. Many of environmentally-oriented community-based organizations promote eco-tourism, and there are a number of beautiful and secluded beaches and forests scattered throughout the country.
Bosque El Imposible. A well-maintained and practically deserted national park in the west. Montecristo Cloud Forest
La Isla de Méndez quaint fishing village with incredible local hospitality and remote coconut islands in.
Isla de Olomega excellent eco-tourism destination, as are the beautiful Isla El Cajete in Sonsonate, Isla San Sebastian, Conchagua, Conchaguita, Isla Conejo, Isla Teopan, and Isla Meanguera.
Colonial towns of Apaneca, Juayua, Panchimalco, and Suchitoto
Mayan sites of San Andrés, Joya de Cerén (the Pompeii of Central America and an UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Tazumal, whose main pyramid rises some 33 m (75 feet) into the air. The on-site museum showcases artifacts from the Pipil culture (the builders of Tazumal), and paintings that illustrate life in pre-Hispanic El Salvador.
Souvenir hunters will find some of the best artisans in San Juan el Espino and in La Palma (the artisan capital of El Salvador).
San Salvador, is a cosmopolitan city with good restaurants highlighting the country’s fresh seafood, and plenty of shopping, entertainment and nightlife.”San Miguel in the East offers tourists a more authentic way to see El Salvador by getting off the beaten track to see its countryside, coastline and lakes
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Surfing El Salvador is gaining a reputation for having some of the best surfing in the world. Tourists from all over Central America are discovering the surfing meccas of La Libertad (near San Salvador), El Sunzal, El Zonte and El Cuco (near San Miguel ), transforming El Salvador into the fastest growing surf tourism hot-spot in Central America.
Stand-up paddleboarding at the famous Intipuca Beach
Water skiing, tubing, wake boarding, para sailing, jet skiing in Playa El Esteron, one of the most beautiful beaches in El Salvador
Volcano hiking up Chaparrastique – One of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador
Nature hikes and lake tours to Isla de Olomega on Lake Olomega
Waterfalls and hot springs
El Salvador’s official currency is the U.S. dollar. Carry only $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills as most stores won’t accept $50 or $100 bills that are almost unspendable. Get change wherever you can — gas stations and banks are the best.
El Salvador has an electronics and luxury tax of 30-75 percent depending on the demand.
Food. Rice and beans, seafood and the famous Pupusa, a round corn tortilla filled with cheese and other elements, usually chicharon (shredded pork meat). Fried sliced plantains (platanos) usually with beans, sour cream, cheese and sometimes eggs, yuca con chicharron, pastelitos de carne, panes con pavo (turkey sandwiches), hand made tortillas among other very delicious Salvadoran foods.
On the coast, try the cóctel de conchas, a mix of black clams, lime juice, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and chiles in a spicy black sauce. You can find them for about $3/bowl, using freshly harvested clams. A wide range of other seafood dishes can also be found.
Horchata (made from rice and “morro” seeds) and Cebada (a smooth and sweet pink barley refreshment), natural juices, such as: guava, jocote, arrayan, chirimoya, granadilla de “moco” and marañon. Furthermore, you should try to savour the local fruit, as: jocotes, marañon japones, green mango (with salt, lime, alhuaiste (ground pumpkin seed), manzana pedorra (orig.from Los Planes de Renderos), “nance”, “red or yellow almendras” salvadorenias, “hicaco”, “paterna” (also try the cooked paterna seed with lime and hot pepper, and don’t miss the suave and liquory aroma of “carao”.
Stay Safe. High homicide rates, the epicenter of the gang crisis, along with Guatemala and Honduras and crime attributed to street gangs. Use common sense and avoid entering into a zone that does not appear safe, just like you do in any country of the world. Avoid carrying fancy items such as jewelry, expensive cameras, and watches if you are walking on the public streets. Women should avoid traveling alone as they may catch the occasional cat-calling and perhaps get felt up on tightly packed buses. Police may be of little help.
Many Salvadorans are armed, and shootouts are not uncommon. Extortion tactics have included indiscriminate grenade attacks on buses, businesses and restaurants, resulting in the death or injury of dozens of people, including children. Keep only necessary forms of identification, such as a driver’s license, when exploring the city or tourist locales. Copy of the passport
Salvadorans are known for their great hospitality. They are among the nicest people in the world. They are friendly, industrious people always willing to help anyone. That is what has earned El Salvador the nickname of “the country with a smile”. When speaking with people you don’t know, it is customary to address them in a formal manner, using señor, señora and/or usted.
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El Salvador – West (San Salvador, Santa Ana, West of River Lempa)
NOMAD MANIA El Salvador – West (San Salvador, Santa Ana, West of River Lempa)
World Heritage Sites: Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site
Tentative WHS
Cara Sucia / El Imposible (21/09/1992)
Chalchuapa (21/09/1992)
Ciudad Vieja / La Bermuda (21/09/1992)
Lake Guija (21/09/1992)
Borders
El Salvador (sea border/port)
El Salvador-Guatemala
El Salvador-Honduras|
XL: Guija Lake area
World of Nature
Caldera De Coatepeque
Cerro Verde (Los Volcanes) NP
Cerrón Grande Dam Wetlands
El Boquerón NP
El Imposible NP
Montecristo NP
Rancho Grande or El Junquillo Forest
San Diego La Barra Forest
Lakes
Güija Lake Tentative WHS Lake Guija (21/09/1992)
Lake Coatepeque
Lake Ilopango
Rivers: Lempa/Otopa River
Festivals
Copa Quiksilver
Festival Permanente de Arte y Cultura de Suchitoto
Fiesta de las Flores y Palmas
Las Bolas de Fuego
Beaches
Costa del Sol
La Libertad beaches
Waterfalls
Cascada Los Tercios-Suchitoto
Los Chorros (7 waterfalls)
Salto El Cubo
Cities of the Americas
SONSONATE
SANTA ANA World City and Popular Town
Museums: Santa Ana: Museo Regional del Occidente
Religious Temples: Santa Ana: Santa Ana Cathedral
SAN SALVADOR World Capital, World City and Popular Town
Airports: San Salvador (SAL)
Museums
Currency Museum
Forma Museum
Military Museum of the Armed Forces of El Salvador
MUPI (Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen)
Museum of Art of El Salvador
National Museum of Anthropology David J. Guzman
Natural History Museum
Museum of Children’s Tin Marin
Religious Temples
Cathedral of San Salvador
Iglesia El Rosario=
Botanical Gardens: San Salvador: Jardin Botanico La Laguna
Markets
Mercado Central
Mercado Nacional de Artesanias
Religious Monuments: Monumento al Divino Salvador del Mundo
Monuments: Monumento a la Revolucion
Railway Museums: Railway Museum and Theme Park
Villages and Small Towns
CONCEPTCION DE ATACO
JAYAQUE
SUCHITOTO
House Museums/Plantations: Suchitoto: Casa De Alejandro Cotto
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El Salvador – East (San Miguel, La Union, East of River Lempa)
NOMAD MANIA El Salvador – East (San Miguel, La Union, East of River Lempa)
Tentative WHS
Cacaopera (21/09/1992)
Gulf of Fonseca (21/09/1992)
Islands
Conchaguita
Meanguera del Golfo
Borders
El Salvador (sea border/port)
El Salvador-Honduras
XL. Isla El Espiritu Santo
Museums”Perquín: Museum of the Revolution
House Museums/Plantations: Usulután: Casa Del Escritor Alberto Masferrer
Religious Temples: Santa Ana: San Miguel Cathedral
World of Nature
Conchagua Forest
Jiquilisco Bay Biosphere Reserve
Lakes: Lake Olomega”
Rivers
Goascorán River
Lempa/Otopa River
Beaches
Maculis Beach
Playa El Cuco
Cities of the Americas
SAN MIGUEL
Museums: San Miguel: Museo Regional del Oriente