El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, and often gets overlooked. But despite its size, there is actually a ton of great things to do in El Salvador! Full of striking volcanos, gorgeous waterfalls, and black sand beaches, there is so much to explore. Here are the 5 best places to visit in El Salvador.
*Please note that this blog post may contain some affiliate links, which we make a small profit on, at zero cost to you. Links are only used on products & services that we've used and believe in, to give you the best buying experience. Purchasing from these links helps us to continue providing free travel guides for you- so thank you for your support!
Best Places to Visit in El Salvador #1: San Salvador
San Salvador is the capital of the country. So it's no wonder that this city is on the list of places to visit in El Salvador. Although it isn't our favorite place, we definitely think it still deserves a visit.
San Salvador is the main hub of El Salvador, and where you will find that all international flights come from. It is in the center of the country, so it also makes for a great home base if you just have a few days on your trip.
Some of the main highlights are the historical center and roaming around the giant markets that take over the city. If you plan on keeping this as your home base, we have some great day trips from San Salvador to share with you. Just check the article below for more info!
Best Places to Visit in El Salvador #2: El Tunco
El Tunco is one of the most popular places to visit in El Salvador, and even more-so with young tourists and backpackers.
Stay Up To Date📫
We have a non-spammy weekly newsletter, where we give travel tips, and exclusive content and discounts.
This small beach town has plenty of great restaurants, shops, and hotels for those that want to stay a few days. Not to mention there are some other great beach towns nearby for day trips.
Don't have time to read the whole article and want to save it for later? Just pin it!
El Tunco is just 45 minutes from the capital, and can be reached by public transportation as well. Known for its great waves, it is actually home to Surf City, an annual surfing competition that brings surfers from all over the world.
El Tunco is a backpacker's paradise.
But even if you don't like to surf, El Tunco is a great beach to go to. Characterized by striking rock formations on shiny black sand, it is really one of the best beaches in El Salvador.
Want to check out some of the best waterfalls in El Salvador? Well, Las Cascadas de Tamanique are just 20 minutes away as well!
Want to take a tour to El Tunco or Tamanique Falls? Here are a few different ones that you can choose from:
Take a look at the map below for accommodation options in El Tunco:
Best Places to Visit in El Salvador #3: La Ruta de Las Flores
La Ruta de Las Flores is one of the best places to visit in El Salvador for those that want to soak up the culture of El Salvador.
How To Travel Cheaper and Better in 15 minutes!
How much more would you travel, if it costed you less resources?
With our Free eBook, you will learn how to save money and time on your future trips. Plus, you'll see the exact system we use.
Grab your copy for free when you sign up for our newsletter 👇
This is a stretch of land in the western highlands of the country. It is known for its delicious food and even more delicious coffee.
Each small town is unique in its own way, offering a variety of features such as viewpoints, labyrinths, and colorful street art.
La Ruta de Las Flores is the perfect weekend trip. Enjoy the famous food festival in Juayua, hike Siete Cascadas, or take a ride up to Los Ausoles. There are so many ways to enjoy the nature and towns alike of La Ruta de Las Flores.
Want to learn more? Well, we have a full guide for everything to do, where to stay, and what to expect while visiting this awesome region.
Limited on time and want to take a day trip to Ruta de Las Flores? Here are a few excursions that you can choose from:
Best Places to Visit in El Salvador #4: Santa Ana
This is the best place to stay in El Salvador for volcano lovers! Santa Ana is surrounded by several volcanos, many of which you can climb to the top. The city is cute, and the nature surrounding it is really breathtaking.
Just outside of Santa Ana also lies Lake Coatepeque. This unique place is a turquoise lake that is situated in the crater of a volcano. There are even plenty of restaurants, shops, and hotels right along the lake for you to spend a full day or even a weekend.
Santa Ana is surrounded by amazing nature like volcanos and a crater lake.
Santa Ana is located just an hour and a half north of San Salvador, and an hour east of La Ruta de Las Flores. With its prime location for lots of places to visit in El Salvador, we really think it's a great place to spend a few days. Or you can make it your home base during your trip.
All Your Travels
in One Book
Transform your travel memories into a unique book, with personalized pages, country by country.
Best Places to Visit in El Salvador #5: San Miguel
This is one of the places to visit in El Salvador that usually gets skipped! But we're here to tell you that San Miguel is definitely worth a few days of your time.
Transform your photos
One click is all it takes to make your photos look stunning. Get our latest package of Lightroom presets, Into The Wild.
San Miguel is situated in the south of the country, a few hours away from San Salvador. The city itself doesn't have so much to offer per say. However, it is a great spot to keep yourself for some awesome day trips.
Take a ride over to Alegria for a stunning lake and a colorful viewpoint. Head south for the views from Conchagua volcano, or west for some of the best beaches in El Salvador.
Want to see all of the best things to do in San Miguel? Well we have a guide for the best spots to check out in the South of El Salvador, which you can check out by clicking the link below.
Want to book a place to stay in San Miguel? The map below has all of the different options:
Looking To Travel Somewhere?
Off The Beaten Trips is our travel agency.
But this isn't anything like you've ever experienced before. You'll have an epic trip without having to break the piggy bank.
Unique locations. Epic adventures. Lifetime memories.
Travel Planning Tools
Here are some useful tools that you can use for planning your upcoming trip!
El Salvador is definitely one of the most underrated countries that we have been to. This small corner of Central America is full of hidden gems, and can be explored best in one to two weeks.
Will You Buy Us A Coffee? ☕
As coffee lovers, we always enjoy the energy of caffeine. It helps us get the best free travel guides out there for you! 😄
Now that you've seen some of the best places to visit in El Salvador, you can check out our other guides. Here we share plenty of other spots to check out throughout the country.
Ready to plan your trip? Well, with Scratch Your Mapa Travel Planning we can help you explore more, and even save money in the process! Want to learn more? Schedule your free consultation today.
You'll also love:
Like this article? Please share it with your family and friends, so that we can continue to keep creating free travel guides for you! It takes just a second, and would mean the world to us. Thanks for being here!
