jepclg98's VirtualTourist Home Page

Welcome to the tiniest country in Latin America. I have collected all this information to let you know that El Salvador is beautiful. It is also my aim to invite you to visit my magic place. I am sure this little piece of information would be a great help for tourists who are planning to visit my country and would be of great remembrance for those whose are far away form this outstanding piece of land. I would like you to come and spend your vacation, enjoy our savory and unique food and get in contact with nature. There will not be any doubt about the great time that is waiting for you, your family and friends.

San Salvador is an interesting and 'exotic' place. It's overwhelming with activity, people, noise, etc. The Alcaldia Municipal (City Hall) has been doing a lot of efforts to try to clean up the downtown area and have been somewhat successful in some places. A lot of work still remains to be done. If you decide to visit the 'old' San Salvador, visit the National Palace (a jewel of 'tropical' neoclassical architecture, the National Theatre (undergoing renovation after the 2001 earthquake), the cathedral (modern), Iglesia del Calvario, La Basilica, Iglesia Don Rua, Mercado Cuartel (for local handicrafts- very interesting). In downtown keep your eyes open since there are beautiful 19th century buildings that haven't been restored but offer a good idea of what the place must have looked like some 100 years ago, visit La Casa de la Cultura del Centro where they usually host different kinds of exhibits, musical presentations, theatre, literature, poetry readings, and a small cafe. I found a good website containing some excellent pictures of downtown San Salvador at www.asa2000.org.sv.

A great place to visit while in San Salvador is Punto Literario in Zona Rosa. They have a small cafe (good food and tropical fruit juices in a courtyard-garden), a book store with excellent books about El Salvador and a wonderful art gallery that showcases salvadoran artists.

The Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens) of La Laguna are a must see in San Salvador. They are located in the crater of an extinct volcano and surrounded by a small tropical forest. They are impeccably kept and offer a relaxing day trip to learn about the rich flora and fauna of this beautiful country.

Another great place is the Teleferico San Jacinto, an amusement park on top of a mountain. There is a wonderful view of San Salvador on one side and lake Ilopango on the other side. You go up by way of a cable car, which in itself is worth the trip for the amazing views.

The nearby archeological site of Joya de Ceren is part of UNESCO's World Heritage since it's the only example of a Mayan village preserved by the eruption of nearby Volcano Caldera (called the Pompeii of Central America) it's a truly interesting site with guided tours for a small fee - given the nature of the place it's worth it to take the guided tour to really know what you're looking at. They also have a small museum with pieces coming from the site. Their web site is: http://ceren.colorado.edu/ Nearby the ceremonial center of San Andres with it's small but well presented museum completes the visit. This is a truly exceptional site and worthwhile to visit. Don't expect to find the soaring pyramids of Guatemala but instead an insight into Mayan daily life.
A unique place to visit when in El Salvador is the Cerro Verde National Park. The view from the spectacular Hotel de Montaña on to the Izalco Volcano is one you will never forget. The Cloud forest around the hotel is very beautiful and there are clearly marked pathways leading to amazing vistas of Coatepeque lake, Santa Ana Volcano, etc. If you like hiking in the mountain and volcano climbing this is a good place both for beginners and pros.

When arriving in El Salvador you will pay a $10 USD entrance tax when you present your passport at customs. When You leave, expect to pay $25 as an exit tax! US currency is the standard in all of El Salvador. Occasionally you will find colones (ARENA got rid of them so I think you can only purchase bills as antiques)used in the smaller stores or in remote areas.
Be always cautious about roadsite food booths but there are many that apparently are okay because almost anybody gets sick! and you can find oyster cocktails, pupusas and ice cold beer. Since you´re not used to eat uncooked foods at vendor booths you could get a little bit sick (we eat in these booths all the time and we never have any problem) so be careful and check the hygiene of the place. These booths are just in any place of the coast.
The good thing about El Salvador is its compact size, this allows you to visit the country with ease since there are never great distances to travel. El Salvador hasn't been discovered by the mainstream tourist, and this gives it a particular charm and authenticity. El Salvador has been hardly hit by natural disasters and civil war, and I guess that therefore many of the reviews that we get tend to be negative. On the other hand many tourists have loved visiting El Salvador and they expect to go back, there are many places to visit. Besides salvadorans are hard working people, truly engaged in having their country make a come back. It's important to remember where you are in order to know what to expect, if you do so I'm sure that El Salvador will reward you with a wonderful experience.

When in San Salvador don't forget to visit the National Archealogical Museum, it's a brand new building with a very interesting collection of pieces (it's actually an anthropological museum, so its an interesting starting point to learn some of the history of the country). The collection is well presented and starts with the first civilizations of El Salvador (more than 10,000 yrs. old), followed by the Mayas, Pipiles, Lencas et al. the arrival of the Spanish(the ones who stole almost all our treasures), religion and culture, ethnography, etc
Nightlife is basically concentrated in the Zona Rosa area, paseo general escalon and the Blvd. de los Heroes -Metrocentro area. They both offer a big choice of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and dancing.

Try to visit La Luna - its a great place. They have a small but good menu if you want to eat and always all sorts of funky activities: live music, exhibits, etc. the word to describe it I guess would be 'salvadorean cutting edge'. well worth it, located on the Miramonte area, not far from Metro Centro Camino Real Intercontinental, etc.

You will also find live Marichi bands and live salsa music as well in the area of the Blvd de los Heroes, with live music until very late.
Salvadoreans love to party....they are also very friendly with foreigners so it will be easy to make friends.
Dress Code:
Depending where you go, but in general El Salvador is a warm country, so dress comfortably. It may get somewhat cool at night so it will be a good idea to carry a light sweater or jacket. For dining especially if going to a nice place dress accordingly, otherwise let you common sense guide you.

It's funny to read that most people when asked about salvadorean typical food will say 'pupusas' - corn tortillas stuffed with cheese,beans, pork or mixed and served with a vinegar preserved chopped cabbage salad and spicy tomato sauce. However this is not the only traditional dish, salvadorean food is very rich, let's not forget that Central America claims the origins of potatoes, tomatoes, squash, cacao, peppers, beans, corn, and countless others, with this wealth of ingredients salvadoran cooking is a savory mix of the ancestral mayan traditions mixed with the spanish and creole influence. If you have a chance 'A lo Nuestro' restaurant in the Zona Rosa is an excellent place to try varied salvadoran food or excellent creations of the chef inspired by traditional salvadoran ingredients. It's an expensive restaurant, but if you can afford it's really worth it. but if you can´t wait there is place called El Leñador located in your way to San Salvador (when you are coming from the airport to Sal Salvador) For pupusas any good 'pupuseria' found anywhere will do the trick. The best pupusas are sold in Olocuilta at La paciencia, Tania, El Manguito, El Texano(el botudo), Abrego y otros mas some 30 min. from San Salvador and about 6 minutes from the airport. Otherwise many restaurants offer excellent seafood and meat dishes. There are also very reasonably priced international restaurants and some more expensive ones. Once again if you're in San Salvador the choices are varied and will depend on you budget. I have a complete listing in my San Salvador page.

Restaurants in La Libertad will offer a wide variety of very fresh seafood and fish. Don't hesitate to try the oysters or the mixed seafood 'coctel', they are very good and very reasonably priced. In addition to the fresh seafood all of these restaurants offer great views of the pacific ocean. On the road from La Libertad to Sunzal beach is the Cafe Sunzal - a good restaurant ($$$), beautiful setting and wonderful view, you can watch the surfers from this place.
Restaurants in Olocuilta:
Any dish that is typical salvadorean will be a good bet. But if you want to taste the most savory typical food you can go to Juegos Exclusivos of Don Lito Cumbo y Doña Gloria in Olocuilta, here are a few names of the delicious food they serve:
1.Gallo en chicha (a type of 'coq au vin')
2.Sopa de frijol negro (black bean soup)
3.Sopa mariscada (sea food soup)
4.Tamales de elote(corn), de gallina, tayuyos (well, there are several varieties)
5.Ceviches (these can either be seafood, fish, mixed etc. remember that it's raw fish marinated in lime juice)
6. Plato tipico (will generally be a grilled steak with rice and beans, fried plantain, avocado and cheese.)
7. Platanos rellenos (plantains stuffed with minced meat, baked and grilled with white cheese and sour cream)
8. Chiles rellenos (stuffed peppers with meat and vegetables, very, very good)
9. Sopa de Gallina india (hen soup -broth- with vegetables and generally served with tortillas, very savory and a meal in itself.)
10. Pan con pavo or pan con chumpe (a turkey sandwich with a delicious ground spice sauce)
11. Chilate con nuegados (fried yucca with honey)
12. Grilled or fried Cotuza (the peace corps really enjoy this)
13. Consome de Garrobo(to increase your sexual power)
14. Cuzuco
Visitors form other contries (Spain, US, Japan, Mexico )have tasted these food and when they have visited Olocuilta again they asked for Juegos Exclusivos again. But be sure to make the order before hand to find everything you want, you can get in touch with the help of La alcaldia Municipal de Olocuilta (City Hall of Olocuilta)
But if like Mexican food you can go to Los Antojitos, a nice place where delicious food is served by a very famous salvadorean chef.

Let's start by saying that El Salvador in itself is off the beaten path. This has its advantages and inconveniences (tourism facilities are only being developed).

Having said this visit the town of Perkin in Morazan (the Hotel Perkin Lenca is the place to stay) the hotel has nice facilities in wooden cabins, restaurant(very good) and bar (check the accomodations sections of this page), activities in the Hotel, besides relaxing include hiking, birdwatching, rockclimbing etc. Around this area you will find pristine rivers, mountains and lakes. Make sure to visit the Museo de la Revolucion, which houses artifacts of the salvadorean civil war 1980-1992. The town of Perquin is a quaint little village, from here you can visit other places of interest including the villages of Cacaopera (native folk traditions), Guatajiagua (black pottery - beautiful and very inexpensive), la Cueva del Espiritu Santo a grotto with petroglyphs that are over 10,000 yrs old. Check a great website for Morazan at: www.prodetur.losrecursos.com
There are also camping facilities.

If you're into surf, El Salvador is the place, excellent waves 30 mins. from San Salvador. There are well organized facilities for complete information check out: www.puntamango.com.sv They also offer guided tours to different beaches even if you're not a surfer and other tours as well.

The Jiquilisco Bay is a memorable experience. The bay is made up of hundreds of mangrove islands and canals with wild birds and monkeys and truly exceptional unspoilt beaches, Corral de Mulas is truly one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, with miles of sandy beach, coconut plantations as far as your eyes can see, and quint little fisherman villages. NO FACILITIES, this is truly an uspoilt beach. There are a few places to stay nearby and if you have a boat there is an excellent marina, they have facilities and offer some small bungalows. I haven't visited the marina but was told that they are open to visitors, their website is: www.barillasmarina.com

I must agree with some of the other reviews, that El Salvador doesn't have many of the typical tourist traps. People are so friendly and welcome tourists that it's actually quite the opposite. Wherever you go you'll be treated like royalty. Keep also in mind that as of january 2002 El Salvador adopted the US dollar as their currency so prices will be quoted in colones (the old currency) and US dollars. Basically everyone welcomes the dollar and colones are not circulating very much.
El Salvador is a really authentic place and people are among the friendliest I've met, especially with tourists, allways willing to help. The Mercado Cuertel and the Handicrafts market sell many typical things, vendors expect you to bargain so it's up to you to get the best price for what you'll buy.
I believe the biggest tourist trap is to hear people advicing not to come here. El Salvador has been off the tourist guides for a long time, because of civil war that ended in 1992....the country is back on it's tracks but not the guide book editors or people who came here before that time and never came back.
The Olocuilta's church was used in the independence to hide one of the men who freed our country from wicky and tricky Spaniards who stole most of our precious metals and natural resources (At that time, it was legal to steal and put people in slavery and misery) The sanctuary was rebuilt in 2007 by the priest and people from Olocuilta's own money. I believe it still need resources to finish rebuilding it.

When traveling to El Salvador let your common sense be your guide. Salvadoreans are friendly people that warm up to foreigners with ease and will be helpful if you ask them for tips. Don't forget that El Salvador went through 12 years of civil war and is only beginning to readapt, so don't be surprised if you see armed security in bank offices, same goes for many other countries in the region. As anywhere else in Latin America, Asia, Africa, etc, there are certain do's and don'ts. Avoid driving at night, don't go to the markets or downtown with all your tourist regalia - be discreet.There are strict controls for drunk driving. Don't eat raw fruits and vegetables or buy food from street vendors unless the people who is handling the food has clean hands and if the product is covered because there are a lot of flies that contaminate and transmit sicknesses.. As in any tropical country drink only bottled water. Walking downtown San Salvador at night can be unsafe (OK during the day), in small towns people is so friendly and it is ok if you walk at night. Once again be discreet, use your common sense, wear a cheap watch, have a photocopy of your passport, don't be afraid to ask when in doubt, Unfortunately there are young men who belong to gangs and they are sometimes dangerous so it is not a good idea to wear jewelry when you come to visit my country, you can recognize them because the are tattooed with the number 13 or 18, There are a lot of crazy taxi and bus drivers. If you?re renting a car be careful of pedestrians they don't fear cars and trucks missing them by centimeters.

Any major US airline has direct flights to El Salvador from major US cities(NYC, Miami, Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, New Orleans, etc) There is also the local Grupo TACA, good option if travelling within Central America, they fly out of the same major US cities and also from Toronto and Montreal, Canada. El Salvador International Airport is modern and functional and is also a hub for travel in Central America, there are many daily direct flights to any Central American destination. The airport is located about 45 min away from San Salvador and about 20 mins. from the Costa del Sol resort.
Traveling around El Salvador is easy. Don't forget that you are in Central America and that El Salvador is recovering from 12 years of civil war and a major earthquake last year so don't expect German highways. The main roads are well kept (for Central American standards), so you shouldn't find any difficulties if driving. Always carry a detailed map since there are roads that are not well signaled. Car rental is cheap, numerous travel agents organize bus tours, 4X4 rentals, and more, check the different options. Once again since El Salvador is not a major tourist destination you may be surprised at the price of some of these options. The public transportation system is not very good and I wouldn't recommend it, but there are some intercity bus lines that are OK (to go to Santa Ana, San Miguel, from San Salvador). There is an excellent bus service from San Salvador to Guatemala City and to Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula in Honduras ($40.00 for a round trip San Salv/Guatemala City/San Salvador luxury bus ticket with A/C, movies, and full meal). But if you want to have some freedom you can call Mr. Koky Naves who is an excellent guide and possess some good microbuses lines (La Hollywoods A1)and can take you to the most outstanding and beautiful places known only for salvadorean natives, I bet you will be enchanted with his services and you will be amazed for the low prices he charges.

Travelling by car allows you a certain freedom and time to take in the spectacular scenery that the country offers.

Some scenic roads are: Carretera los Naranjos in the Apaneca mountain range, the road from Santa Ana around the rim of lake Coatepeque and up to Cerro Verde, la Carretera litoral between La Libertad and Sonsonate takes you along th Balsam coast - breathtaking, the road connecting the Indian villages of Sonsonate (Izalco, Nahizalco, Caluco, etc)

Many holidays in El Salvador are religious. Towns, villages and cities hold festivals for their patron saints, while Christian holidays are celebrated nationally. Local fiestas and carnivals occur throughout the year to venerate saints, to have fun, to raise some money, to rebuilt, to improve or to fix the local area. Let me tell you about some our customs:
Carrera de Cintas. If you want to see this event it is a good idea to visit Olocuilta City, in Departamento de La Paz, 22 kilometers from San Salvador. This event takes place next to the Old Pupusodromo (where the best pupusas are sold all over the country)You can see 15 horses, or more, and riders who take turns galloping full speed toward a horizontally stretch rope. On the rope there are hanging small metal rings probably about an inch in diameter. The rider has to attempt to spear the ring with a stick not bigger than a pencil while attempting to control his horse and not get "clotheslined" by the rope. If they achieved this task, they returned to the area of the Fiesta Queen contestants to receive a small prize and hopefully a kiss(beso in Spanish) from one of the most beautiful native contestants.
Fiestas Agostinas(del Divino Salvador del Mundo) This is the National Saint Day in El Salvador. It is on the first week of August but we the Salvadoreños start early with celebration and make a week out of it. In San Salvador there are many fiestas with dancing in the street and a big parade. Check with the National Office of Tourists to get the exact schedule.
Carnavales de Octubre en Olocuilta. For one week, people in Olocuilta celebrate parties every night with the best live musical band and groups of El Salvador. Every neighborhood starts the day (5 a.m.)with fireworks, playing marching bands, giving some atole chuco(a drink made of corn mixed with some nuts) with some bread, gifts and music. During the whole day, they prepare many contests where everyone is welcome to partipate and get some fun and some money. Early in the evening, city streets are close and club members create a beautiful scenanario where you can dance, buy some salvadoran souvenirs (very cheap handicrafts)eat some local food or just drink a couple of beers. These carnivals are worth going. If you go to Olocuilta, You'll soon find out why everyone agrees that salvadoreans are friendly people, getting to meet the locals will be a highlight of your trip, take the time to mingle. Religious people hold processions in honor of Olocuilta´s patron saint "San Juan Bautista", People represent Jesus´calvary in 18 stops where everybody kneel down, pray and ask forgiveness for the siners. they also organize fairs, meals, religious services, and venerate saints. This is a must see activity to the ones who want to be closer to our lord.

If you want a sample of local culture make sure to check the cultural activities in San Salvador, the National Symphony Orchestra has regular concerts at Teatro Presidente (near Zona Rosa) for an incredibly low price. Visit local galleries to see the works of salvadorean artists, it's free and there is a lot of talent, I would especially recommend Galeria Vilanova at Punto Literario in Zona Rosa, and El Arbol de Dios at Colonia Maqulishuat.
Most villages have their own patron saint festivities and are a must see mix of religious, popular and folk traditions.
In these festival you find a wonderful selection of handicrafts (hammocks, archelogical reproductions, machetes, textiles, pottery, etc) , be prepared to bargain with the vendors.
A list of our holidays
January 1
New Year's Day
March or April
Holy Week
Holy Thursday
April 8
Good Friday
April 9
Eastern Saturday
April 10
May 1
Labor Day
May 3
Day of the Cross
June 22
Teachers’ Day
Aug 1 to 9
Feast of the Saviour of the World
Sept 15
Independence Day
1st and 2nd week
Carnivals in Olocuilta
Oct 12
Day of the Race
Nov 2
All Soul’s Day
Dec 12
Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Dec 24/25
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day