Discover El Salvador

by Vanessa Henriquez
(Vancouver, Canada)

El Salvador surfing

Adventure Travel in El Salvador is about nature, culture, and fun activities. On top of that, it is still unspoiled by tourism. A great destination!!

Usually, one of the first things that may come to mind when people hear of El Salvador is images of the civil war, and rightly so, it lasted over 10 years.

But now, that is history and it's time for the rest of the world to discover the other side of El Salvador.

Small and overlooked

Being the smallest country in the Americas, it is often overlooked as a tourist destination and to an extent, that has favoured those who do travel to El Salvador - no overcrowded hotels, beaches or tourist attractions. With its great rugged beauty, it has all the ingredients for a great vacation!

Maybe I'm biased?, maybe, after all I was born there but let me back up my claims...

From warm sandy beaches to rich culture, history and delicious food... it's all here. And because tourism is so new in El Salvador, the locals treat visitors more like friends than foreign tourists!

The Pacific coastline

El Salvador boasts over 200 miles of Pacific coast line, so finding a beautiful beach is easy. I will briefly mention here only 2 of my favourite ones.

La Libertad: Every time my family and I go back to El Salvador, a visit to the beaches of La Libertad is a sure thing. This area is composed of several beaches right next to each other and the area is gaining reputation in the surfing world. It's been nicknamed the "land of the rights" for its consistent right point breaks - great for adventure seekers!

La Costa del Sol: (Sunset Coast) My very favourite one of them all! Known for its magnificent sunsets, this coastal area is well developed for tourists. Several all-inclusive resorts are in the area as well as other more affordable hotels. La Costa del Sol is home to the estuary of Jaltepeque, a rich bio-diverse eco system.

Kayaking through the estuary and mangroves is an awesome experience, being able to spot Spider Monkeys and rare butterfly species, as well as many migratory birds - a great adventure! But there's more to do in other beaches too, like diving and snorkeling.

Scuba diving companies in El Salvador also offer day and night diving tours in crater lakes. OK, I haven't tried this one myself, but I'm sure it would be great for those who love the underwater.

Great Historic Sites

For those interested in history, a visit to one of the archaeological ruins would be the thing to do. One very significant site is Joya de Cerén, located in La Libertad. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It's been referred to as the Pompeii of the Americas because its level of preservation is comparable only to that of Pompeii - amazing!.

Another important site is Cihuatán, on the north end of San Salvador. Covering an area of about 70 hectares, it's the largest archaeological site in El Salvador.

Nature Adventures: Volcanoes and lakes

There's also the nature adventures, like hiking, rappelling, canopy tours. One of my favourite places to visit is Cerro Verde (Green Mountain) it's beautiful and great for hikes, with awesome views of volcanoes and lakes.

Another tour I like is to El Boquerón Crater Park. El Boquerón is the volcano located in San Salvador, with rich flora and fauna, so I make sure to always bring my camera to try to get that perfect shot of nature!

There's so much to see and do in El Salvador, one has to go to really see the beauty of the region first hand. So come and discover this new destination in the heart of Central America, and try the delicious Pupusas while you are there, you will not be disappointed!

Visit the Explore Beautiful El Salvador travel guide for more information about El Salvador.