Destination: El Salvador? Yes! Maybe you’ve heard it’s dangerous, or maybe you remember its civil war. El Salvador does bear the scars of war, and its people have suffered. Gang activity led to high crime until about 2020. Don’t be afraid to go! It is a developing country, and a beautiful, colorful one. Under the current administration, crime has dropped significantly.
The country boasts a year-round warm tropical climate, 23 active volcanoes, beautiful towns and villages, a stunning coastline with black sand beaches, world class surfing, amazing coffee and cuisine, an abundance of flowers, and incredibly warm people.
Why El Salvador?
For US travelers, El Salvador is easily accessible (eg, flying to San Salvador from Atlanta only takes 3.5 hours). It’s in the GMT +7 time zone (the same as Mountain Time in the US), so “jet lag” is not a big issue if traveling from North or South America. The official currencies are the $USD – no need to calculate exchange rates or convert your $USD – and Bitcoin! Further, El Salvador is on the same electrical standard as the United States, so all your electrical devices will plug right in. Finally, El Salvador is an inexpensive travel destination.
But the best thing about El Salvador are its people, kind, gracious and friendly. Oh, and did we mention the food?
Getting To and Around El Salvador
Most US-based airlines have nonstop flights into the capital city of San Salvador from major cities like New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. A flight from Atlanta takes about 3.5 hours.
Arrival at SAL Airport
The main international airport in El Salvador is the International Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez Airport (SAL). It’s modern, with plentiful and convenient facilities including duty-free shops, fast food and full-service restaurants, and bars.
International flights deplane on the second level. Tourists arriving into SAL must pay a $12 tourist fee. Have this ready in $USD cash. This is the first thing you will do after leaving the plane and before arriving at Immigration. Turn left from your gate to pay the fee, then proceed on to Immigration, where you will show your passport, be asked why you are coming into the country (you are a most likely a tourist), and where you will be staying. Have the address of your first night’s stay ready.
Baggage claim is on the lower floor. Upon exiting the airport, you will be in the transportation area, which has a nice food court complete with some fast food chains. These include local chains as well as familiar chains such as Pizza Hut and Subway, and coffee shops.
Getting Around El Salvador
Private Driver
Hiring a private driver for your travels within San Salvador, for daytrips from the city, or even for extended travel throughout the country, can make a lot of sense. If you are traveling as a couple, a family, or a group, this may be a great option.
Private drivers charge much less than in the US or other developed areas, you can be dropped right at your destination and picked up later, and private drivers know the streets and how to drive in El Salvador (driving is aggressive in the cities).
We recommend Papagayo Adventures for private driver / guide hires. We know the owner, his son Gerardo, and several of the other drivers. In addition to driving, Papagayo Adventures provides private guides for any of El Salvador’s many destinations and attractions. Message them on Instagram: @papagayoadventures or email [email protected].
Other Hired Transportation Options
Uber is super cheap and quick in San Salvador. We paid about $2 for a 2.5 mile ride within the city, and less than $40 for a ride for two with luggage from the airport to the east side of San Salvador.
Tip: While easy and cheap within San Salvador, you may have trouble or a long wait getting an Uber back into town from destinations like El Boqueron National Park. We recommend hiring a driver for day trips from San Salvador.
Tuk tuks are small, motorized, three-wheeled vehicles that operate like taxis. You can find tuk tuks in most medium to large towns in El Salvador. Retractable roofs allow for an open ride or cover during rain. They are extremely cheap, sometimes costing less than $1 to travel a few blocks. A tuk tuk can accommodate two passengers. To hire, simply approach any driver as you would a taxi and pay in cash.
Renting a Car
If you will be traveling around the country, renting a car may make the most sense. Most of the large car rental companies have operations at the San Salvador airport and some have other locations in the city. We paid about $70 for a 5-day rental, picking up in the city.
Note: We do not recommend driving in San Salvador, as traffic is a little chaotic.
Planning This Itinerary
After a number of iterations via our itinerary building approach, we settled on the following itinerary.
Download as Open Document Sheets and use in Excel or a cloud spreadsheet tool (e.g., GoogleDrive or Office 365). Update your arrival date in cell A2 and get started on your itinerary (automations/equations are embedded to make a few things quicker). This file can serve as a template for other trips as well.
Here is a map of our recommended route and sights.
Download as a KML file and use in Google Maps, Google My Maps, OpenMaps, or other mobile apps from the full screen view.
Destination Guides included in our Perfect Week in El Salvador
We’ve created separate guides for each destination in our Perfect Week in El Salvador. In order recommended itinerary, they are:
- Top Sights in San Salvador, El Salvador
- How to Spend a Perfect Day in Suchitoto, El Salvador
- Essential Guide to Santa Ana, El Salvador
- Ultimate Guide to Hiking the Santa Ana Volcano Hike, with Stay on Lago Coatepeque, El Salvador
- Three Amazing Stops on the Rutas de las Flores, El Salvador
- Two Perfect Days in El Zonte, El Salvador
Eating and Drinking in El Salvador
Food in El Salvador is delicious – and inexpensive by U.S. standards. Seafood, as well as steak, is prevalent on menus, and fresh and tasty.
In restaurants, a 10% tip is added to all checks – no need to tip beyond that amount.
There are countless food stalls all over El Salvador selling handmade tortillas, pupusas, tortas, fruit, fruit drinks, and soda. Many El Salvadoran woman eke out a living at these stalls.
For a modern grocery store, visit Super Selectos, which has locations in San Salvador and Santa Ana.
In El Salvador, a backpacker on a budget can eat well for a few bucks per day.
Breakfast (“Desayunos tipicos”)
In restaurants, where prices are low by U.S. standards, choose the traditional El Salvadoran breakfast. It typically consists of two eggs cooked your way, refried beans, fried plantains, tortillas or other bread, and sour cream or cheese. Cost is around $8-10 and is substantial enough to power you through the morning and beyond. Also check to see if breakfast is included with your accommodations.
Pupusas
The national food of El Salvador, pupusas are ubiquitous at roadside stands and on restaurant menus. Pupusas make a great lunch, consisting of thick tortillas stuffed with cheese and frijoles as the staple ingredients. They may also include chicken, pork, seafood, vegetables. Sometimes pupusas contain loroco, an edible flower used in cooking throughout El Salvador. Pupusas are inexpensive, delicious and filling and are usually served with sour cream and a cabbage relish and/or salsa.
Coffee
El Salvador is known for coffee (“café”). Years ago, when the indigo industry began to suffer, many landowners moved to coffee as a crop. In the 1920’s and 30’s, coffee represented 90% of the country’s exports1.
Any coffee fan will be delighted with Viva Espresso, an upscale shop in the Col. San Benito area of San Salvador (map). There is a limit on how much coffee you can take out of the country, so keep that in mind when making purchases.
Aguas Frescas
These fresh fruit drinks are blended, not-too-sweet, and refreshing. A variety of fruits including strawberries, melons and papaya may be used. El Salvador also boasts delicious lemonades (limonada).
Pollo Campero is popular fast food chain.
- A Caffeinated Crisis: An Unfiltered Look at the Struggles of the Coffee Industry in El Salvador (harvard.edu) ↩︎
Other Related Guides
Ultimate Guide to Hiking the Santa Ana Volcano with Stay on Lago de Coatepeque
Three Amazing Stops on the Rutas de las Flores, El Salvador
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Thank you for your kind words. We’re glad our guide is helpful!