糖心传媒

El Salvador is the wildcard of Central America. Often, travelers remember old news headlines about gang violence and civil war and dismiss the country out of hand, missing out on the cultural and natural riches that this small nation has to offer. 

Those who make the effort to come will find busy surf beaches, quaint country towns wrapped around pretty stone squares, fuming volcanoes, vivid blue crater lakes, bird-filled nature reserves and cultured cities that place the nation鈥檚 heritage and cuisine in the center of the frame. Ordering a cup of Salvadoran coffee in a public plaza and watching daily life unfold is one of Central America鈥檚 great pleasures. 

While it鈥檚 true that some areas are best avoided, the government has made major advances in reducing crime, and a newfound energy is sweeping through the capital, San Salvador, and other major cities. You鈥檒l sense a similar buzz along the coast, where beach towns such as El Tunco are emerging as hotspots on the international surfing scene. 

But this is a nation that sits slightly off the travel radar, so the best spots to visit might not leap off the map. To help, here is our guide to the best places to visit in El Salvador. 

1. San Salvador

Best for big city vibes 

San Salvador, the nation鈥檚 capital, was once considered a place to be avoided, thanks to a reputation for lawlessness and political unrest, but a few years of stable governance has done wonders for the city鈥檚 reputation. Today, San Salvador is emerging as a growing center for technology and business 鈥� thanks in part to the government鈥檚 openness to cryptocurrencies 鈥� and locals are throwing their energies into showcasing the nation鈥檚 culture and food.   

Start in the handsomely restored Palacio Nacional, where tours explore the fires and earthquakes that shaped its history, then take a turn around the Jard铆n Centroam茅rica and high-tech 鈥嬧�婲ational Library. Architecture fans will be struck by the rainbow of stained glass at the Iglesia El Rosario, and the imposing Catedral Metropolitana, where Archbishop 脫scar Romero gave powerful speeches arguing for human rights before he was assassinated in 1980. 

Before leaving the city, get some culture at the Museo de Arte de El Salvador and the Museo Nacional de Antropolog铆a David J Guzm谩n, home to some of the nation鈥檚 best Mesoamerican treasures. Also swing by the Mercado Sagrado Coraz贸n de Jes煤s to browse for clothing and graze at inexpensive comedores (simple eateries) serving authentic Salvadoran fare, or investigate the vendors selling traditional herbal remedies in the Mercado Central. 

Planning tip: Add an extra day to your itinerary to hike on the slopes of Volc谩n de San Salvador, which dominates the city skyline. Wrapped around an 800-year-old crater, Parque Nacional El Boquer贸n is crisscrossed by scenic trails, passing viewpoints that look down into the intensely green, 500m-deep basin below.

2. Suchitoto

Best for small-town charm

Colorful, creative and welcoming, Suchitoto was briefly named the country鈥檚 first capital by the Spanish in 1528. Sitting around 50km northeast of San Salvador, charming 鈥淪uchi鈥� is the cultural capital of the country, and its cobbled streets are alive with food vendors and arts and crafts, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays, when weekenders flock here from the capital. Experience Suchitoto鈥檚 artistic spirit at the engaging Centro Arte para La Paz, which uses the arts to combat domestic violence.

Historically, Suchi was a major hub for the production of 补帽颈濒 (indigo), a natural dye prepared from the leaves of the Xiquilite tree by the Indigenous Pipil people long before the Spanish arrived in El Salvador. Learn more by touring the family-owned indigo farm to see the preparation of raw dye, or shopping for indigo-dyed clothing at the design boutique. 

Planning tip: Set aside a day to visit the countryside around Sushitoto 鈥� rewarding detours include the columnar basalt waterfall of Cascadas Los Tercios, which resembles a Salvadoran Giant鈥檚 Causeway.

3. Joya de Cer茅n  

Best for ancient history

While you won鈥檛 find anything on quite the scale of Guatemala鈥檚 Tikal or Mexico鈥檚 Chich茅n Itz谩, Mayan civilization extended deep into El Salvador, leaving some fascinating ancient sites to explore. One of the most remarkable sites is Joya de Cer茅n, famed not for its towering stone pyramids, but for the intricate details it revealed about rural life in the Mayan world. 

Like Pompeii in Italy, this ancient farming village was smothered by 鈥� and preserved by 鈥� a shower of volcanic debris. However, the ash produced by the Loma Caldera eruption of 600 CE was cool and it fell quickly, trapping the village under an airtight blanket. Joya de Cer茅n鈥檚 human inhabitants escaped, but they left behind thatch-roofed homes, communal adobe buildings, storehouses and a treasure trove of artifacts, including foodstuffs such as chili peppers, beans, cassava and cacao. 

Key structures to investigate include the intriguing House of the Shaman 鈥� discovered full of objects that suggest the resident shaman was a woman 鈥� and the temazcal, an Indigenous sweat lodge used for healing ceremonies and childbirths. 

Detour: For more Mayan insights, tack on a visit to the ruined complex at San Andr茅s, midway between Santa Ana and San Salvador, where you can view a stepped pyramid and ceremonial courtyard. 

4. El Tunco 

Best for surfers

The Costa de B谩lsamo was once celebrated for the resin-giving balsam trees that flourished along its shores, but today it鈥檚 all about the beaches and surfing. The center of the action is the former fishing village of El Tunco, where the consistent point breaks perform year-round, with the best surfing conditions between March and October. A recent influx of government investment has accelerated El Tunco鈥檚 transformation from sleepy surf hideaway to busy holiday hub.

Travelers come here to unwind, enjoy the black sand and pebble beachfront and spend a few days (or weeks) riding the waves. There are numerous surf schools offering lessons and renting out boards, including the , and , owned by local surfing champion Jose Diaz. 

As with backpacker towns everywhere, the surf scene comes with a supporting cast of traveler-oriented restaurants and bars. El Tunco is known for its sunsets, so grab a beer and sit on the beach to watch the sun go down.

Detour: For a slightly different surfer vibe, head 11km west of El Tunco to the beachside village of El Zonte 鈥� one of the first places in the world to adopt Bitcoin as a local currency. In addition to paying for things in cryptocurrency, you can enjoy the laid-back mood and a fine right-hand point break. 

5. Los C贸banos

Best for exploring an underwater world

In contrast to El Salvador's many black-sand volcanic beaches, the 264-sq-km at the western end of the Costa de B谩lsamo has fine golden sand. Adding to the tropical mood, the beach town of Los C贸banos has plenty of hotels and resorts, and local boat operators offer trips to the largest Pacific coral reef system in Central America, which lies just offshore. 

There鈥檚 great snorkeling and diving here, particularly from November to March, with abundant parrotfish, angel fish, rays, eels, starfish and green and olive ridley turtles. Wreck divers can explore the rusted hulk of the SS Douglas, a freighter that sank while transporting coffee from El Salvador to Germany in 1980. 

Planning tip: If you come to Los C贸banos between November and April, you can witness the annual migration of humpback whales on whale-spotting tours. Winter here doesn't mean winter weather 鈥� daytime highs often hit 29掳C even in December. 

6. Ruta de Las Flores

Best for experiencing rural life

Slicing through the hills south of Santa Ana, the much-loved Ruta de Las Flores is one of the nation鈥檚 most popular travel routes, connecting the attractive rural towns of Nahuizalco, Juay煤a, Salcoatit谩n, Apaneca and Concepci贸n de Ataco on its way from Sonsonate to Ahuachap谩n. At just 35km, this short route shows off the best of rural El Salvador, and buses run regularly between all the towns along the way.  

The Ruta de las Flores takes its name from the white coffee blooms that open up every spring in this coffee-growing region, and you can squeeze in side trips to coffee plantations, thermal springs, waterfalls and scenic lagoons as you enjoy the idiosyncrasies 鈥� and fun food markets 鈥� of each town. The best place to start is Juay煤a, with its famous weekly food festival.

Detour: Don鈥檛 overlook Nahuizalco at the start of the Ruta de Las Flores; the town is a thriving hub for Indigenous Pipil culture. As well as producing traditional crafts, the town is home to many brujos 鈥� shamans who perform healing and cleansing rituals and practice divinations using tobacco leaves. 

7. Lago de Coatepeque

Best for swimming

About 18km south of Santa Ana, the vast crater lake of Lago de Coatepeque is fabulously picturesque and a popular spot for city dwellers seeking a day out beside, on, or in the water. This sparkling caldera lake undergoes a mysterious transformation every few years, when its waters turn a vivid turquoise. (Scientists credit either the proliferation of algae or chemical changes to the mineral content and pH levels of the water.)

There are free-to-access public sections of the lake, but it鈥檚 more rewarding to pay the small entrance fee to access one of the many stilted restaurants that line its shores. In addition to enjoying a hearty Salvadoran meal, you can swim, sunbathe or go paddleboarding, kayaking or jet skiing. Lago de Coatepeque is also a growing center for freshwater diving, exploring submerged forests and underwater lava flows. 

Planning tip: Lago de Coatepeque is usually reached from El Congo to the north, accessible by a half-hourly bus from Santa Ana. 

8. Santa Ana

Best for coffee culture

Santa Ana earned its place as the country鈥檚 second city thanks to the wealth generated by the coffee beans that grow abundantly on the volcanic slopes around the city. At the start of the 20th century, as money poured in from the coffee plantations, Santa Ana lavished spending on grand buildings such as its elegant theater, laying the foundations for the vibrant modern city. 

Start your explorations at the Catedral de Santa Ana, a gleaming white neo-Gothic masterpiece that is brilliantly illuminated at night. Nearby is the main square, Parque Libertad, where you can grab a snack from a food stand, park yourself on a bench and watch life go by. 

Sample the local beans in town at or , both just east of the cathedral, then arrange a visit to one of the coffee plantations outside the city. Just west of Santa Ana, offers tours exploring their plantation and the production process, with tastings of the house coffees. 

Planning tip: For a memorable meal in the center, enjoy Salvadoran cuisine with Canadian overtones at , an atmospheric eatery sprawling around the garden of a colonial-era house. 

9. Parque Nacional Los Volcanes (Parque Nacional Cerro Verde)

Best for hikers 

Soaring to the south of Santa Ana, Parque Nacional Los Volcanes (also known as Parque Nacional Cerro Verde) is dominated by the mighty volcanic cones of Santa Ana (2381m), Izalco (1958m) and Cerro Verde (2030m). The park is a beacon for hikers, with each of these primal peaks offering a distinct hiking experience. 

Volc谩n de Santa Ana is El Salvador鈥檚 highest volcano, and the popular 8km return hike to the summit offers views over a smoking crater lake colored bright turquoise by sulfuric minerals, and dramatic panoramas of the national park from the rim. A steeper 7km hike with take you up the barren slopes of the perfectly symmetrical Volc谩n de Izalco, once known as 鈥淓l Faro del Pacifico鈥� (the 鈥淟ighthouse of the Pacific鈥�) for its regular eruptions. It鈥檚 been dormant since 1966, and guides can lead you to the top on weekends. 

As you might expect from the name, Cerro Verde is lush and verdant, and it鈥檚 great for families as the shortest hike here takes less than an hour. The slopes of the volcano are covered in forests that are alive with hummingbirds, mockingbirds, cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercers and turquoise-browed motmots. 

Planning tip: Take the experience upmarket by combining a hike with lunch or an overnight stay at , a characterful boutique hotel complex with fantastic views and delicious food. 

10. Chalchuapa

Best for Maya heritage

About 14km west of Santa Ana, the Chalchuapa archaeological zone spills out of the suburbs of the town of the same name. Spanning thousands of years, the Mesoamerican settlements here were important hubs for mining and trading obsidian, the black volcanic glass used by the Maya people to make razors, blades and arrowheads.

The most visited complex is Tazumal, whose name means 鈥渢he place where the victims were burned.鈥� Inhabited between 400 CE and 1200 CE, it served as a key ceremonial hub, with a 24m-high stepped pyramid, a ball court, a sophisticated underground drainage system, and stone altars and monuments. The site museum displays some of the interesting artifacts found here, including carved figures and pottery from as far as Costa Rica and Mexico. 

A short walk away is Casa Blanca, a Maya site located on a former Spanish coffee plantation, which was once a center for indigo dyeing. In addition to exploring the ruins, you can visit an indigo workshop and learn to dye your own clothing. Nearby is Laguna Cuzcachapa, a large sulfuric pool reputedly haunted by a spirit selling tamales wrapped with human skin!

Planning tip: Laguna Cuzcachapa isn鈥檛 suitable for swimming, but there are several water parks and public pools nearby, including and .

11. El Oriente Salvaje

Best for getting away from it all

Locals call the eastern part of El Salvador 鈥淓l Oriente Salvaje鈥� 鈥� the Wild East. It鈥檚 a fitting name for this verdant and virginal sprawl of thick mangrove forests and pine-clad mountains on the border with Honduras. Jungle rivers and gushing waterfalls tumble from the hills to meet the sea by unspoiled surf beaches and dotted tropical islands. 

The gateway to this under-explored region is the town of Alegr铆a on the slopes of Volc谩n Tecapa, famed for the rainbow-colored Mirador de Las Cien Gradas staircase that runs through town, and the stunning viewpoint at the top. About 2km from Alegr铆a is La Laguna de Alegr铆a, a sparkling watering hole said to possess medicinal properties. 

This coastline southeast of San Miguel is a designated World Surfing Reserve, with satisfyingly consistent point breaks at laid-back surfing centers such as Punta Mango, Playa El Cuco and secluded Playa Las Flores. A little further west is the Bah铆a de Jiquilisco, fringed by the largest mangrove forests in El Salvador 鈥� a home for myriad species of birds, including ospreys and pelicans, and a nesting site for hawksbill turtles. 

Planning tip: Extend the adventure on the bird-filled islands of the Golfo de Fonseca; boat tours can be arranged to the islands of Isla Ilca and Isla Zacatillo from La Uni贸n (about an hour east of El Cuco).

This article was adapted from 糖心传媒鈥檚 guidebook, published in October 2025.