What is there to do in El Salvador?
Take a tour with Ec Tours- They are truly amazing & I felt well talking care of & educated about El Salvador once I left!
Santa Teresa Thermal Hot Springs- Its about a hour and 30 minutes form the city but worth the relaxation. The fee to enter is $10USD. If you want to mask in the mineral mud there is an extra $10USD fee. Santa Teresa also offers a restaurant & hotel on site if you don't want to take the long drive back to the city. Santa Teresa offers over 30 natural pools on site.
Visit Mercado Ula Ula market- Here you'll be able to buy anything & everything for an affordable price. Most locals shop here downtown but you'll find lots of local street food & souvenirs. You can also tour with EoTours to do a FREE walking tour in this area!
Santa Ana Volcano- Is one of the most famous hike people visit while in El Salvador. The hike approximately 2 hours in total. 1 hour going up & 1 hour going down but worth the view! Just make sure you wear good hiking shoes because as you get to the top, the path gets steeper.
Visit the rainbow giant slide at Picnic Steak house. You don't have to dine here to slide down but there is a $5 fee to go down!
Visit El Boqueron Volcano- This is the volcano I hiked with my 2 year old son! Its an inactive volcano with an amazing view at the top but only a 10 minute hike up!
Visit the town of Ataco. Its a local town but famous for its colors & morals on the walls.
Visit a Maya Temple: Joya de Ceren, San Andres, & El Tazumal.
Take surfing lessons. El Salvador's waters are known for their waves & many surfs come here to surf.
Malls: WTC(Plaza futura), Multiplaza, & La Gran Via.
Visit Lake Ilopango.
Casa Blanca Archaeological Site
Beaches
La Libertad- Is a popluar beach peeople.
El Zonte- Popular for international surfers. This is my favorite where I stayed at The Mizata! This beach has the softest black sand and the waves aren't as ruff which is perfect for small kids.
El Cuco- Great for surfing & turtle hatching.
Playa El Cuco offers many seafood restaurants & great surfing. This beach also faces the Gulf of Fonseca, which is shared by Nicaragua and Honduras.
Playa San Diego- Offers a white sand beach with calmer waves, which is great for swimmers than surfers.
Entry FEE to get in El Salvador!
You need a passport and either a Salvadoran visa or a one-entry tourist card to enter El Salvador. You may obtain a tourist card when you arrive at the airport or seaport from immigration officials for a $12 fee. The card is valid for 90 days.
How to get to your destination from the airport?
Taxi or private transfer
Taxis are located outside the airport or you can book a private shuttle before arrival. The drive is about 1 hour to 2 hours depending on where you are heading to.
By Car
At the airport, you'll find many car rental options if you do decide to drive around during your stay. Before booking a car service just make sure the car rental services are open when you land because the airport services are not open 24 hours.
Uber
is a safe and more affordable way to navigate the city.
New with Uber? Sign up and use my code for a discount(link):jessica43008ui
How to get around El Salvador?
By Bus
Traveling by bus is fairly easy around the city and only cost 25¢ to 35¢.
El Salvador's larger cities have dedicated bus depots, but in smaller villages, the buses often come and go directly from the main square.
Uber
is a safe and more affordable way to navigate the city.
New with Uber? Sign up and use my code for a discount(link):jessica43008ui
By Car
If you plan to tour most of El Salvador on you're on own I would recommend renting a car. You can drive around the whole country in 4nhours. The roads are newly constructed, and well-marked highways running the length of the country from east to west and north to south. To minimize your risk of robbery, do not drive at night.
By Taxi
Taxis are safe to take but make sure you negotiate a price before driving off. You can hail a taxi on the street, except at night, when you should have your hotel call you one.
By TukTuk
TukTuks are located in El Salvador but only in the smaller cities! You won't find them in the larger city but if you do, you can hope on one for as little as 25¢ .
Hire a driver
If you don't want to rent a car, hire a driver. It's a great way to tour the country and also get some local input on where you can & can't go. Drivers must be at least 21 years old and hold their licenses for 1 year.
When to travel to El Salvador?
The best time to visit El Salvador is during the dry season from around December to March.
We traveled to El Salvador in Mid-March & the weather was amazing! The temperatures ranged from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The rainy season is from May to October, but it doesn't mean that you'll get caught in downpours all day. You just may experience light rains & foggy days.
Sea turtles nest from May to September, with the hatchlings emerging around eight weeks later.
Where to eat in El Salvador?
Picnic Steak house- This is where the rain slide is located & a mini farm on site.
Finca San Cristobal has a mini play area while you are eating which is close to El Boqueron Volcano. They also have the best Pupusas! Pupusas is a famous dish you must try here! Also try their famous drink called Horchata! its so good and well know through out the city.Pupuseria Antigua
Entre Nubes Has a playground onsite for kids, flower garden, & a coffee plantation you can tour.
Visit Juayua food market. if you want to grab great local food for cheap you should visit! Th market is only Saturday & Sundays.
Paseo El Carmen is an avenue with restaurants, bars & shops.
La fisheria- Seafood
LacaLaca- Mexican food
Chapultepec- Good for beer & Snacks.
Linda Vista-Breakfast, at the volovano of San Salvador.
Cadejo- Local crafted beer & good food.
Kombucha-Vegan
What language is spoken in El Salvador?
Spanish.
Currency?
El Salvador only takes the US dollar, so yay for us if you're an American.
Learn basic Spanish.
Buenos días — Good morning
Buenas tardes — Good afternoon
Buenas noches — Good evening / Good night
¿Cómo estás? — How are you? (informal)
Muy bien — Very well
Mi nombre es — My name is
¡Muchas gracias! — Thank you very much!
¡De nada! — You’re welcome! / No problem!
Por favor — Please (generally used at the end of a sentence)
¡Perdon! — Excuse me!
¡Disculpe! — Excuse me! (to apologize in advance for being a bit of a bother)
¡Lo siento! — Sorry! (to apologize for a mistake)
Things you should know when traveling to El Salvador?
El Salvador has 170 volcanos & only 6 are active now.
El Salvador is the smallest country in Latin America.
El Salvador is pretty safe. Most people that are from El Salvador that migrated out of the country experience the civil war. The civil war ended in 1992 & most Salvadorans never came back to see the improvement! That's not too long ago, but much has changed since then! Don't be afraid to get your own option on this beautiful country! It is now one of my favorites countries & has a piece of my heart!
You can drive around the whole country in 4 hours.
Guatemala is the next country over and a frequent easy drive over for locals but welcome for tourists to do so too. There are many shuttle bus that leave from El Tunco to Guatemala.
Hitchhiking is common and payment is often refused. Just be aware of the inherent dangers of this mode of transport.
The name El Salvador translates to “the saviour” in Spanish.
The capital city of El Salvador is San Salvador.
It's the only country in Central America without a Caribbean coastline.
El Salvador offers layover tours, so if your stopping by check out Ectours.
Is El Salvador kid-friendly? Things to do with kids?
There's no doubt that El Salvador is kid-friendly. The Salvadorans are all about family & there are many family fun activities to attend on the weekends. Most restaurants we dined at had play areas for the kids while waiting for our food.
Tin Marin, Children's Museum
Visit Furesa Zoo
Visit the National Zoo Of El Salvador
Parque Saburo Hirao play ground
Termos del Río water park
Dr. David J. Guzmán National Museum
