Travel
El Salvador, for visitors.
Everything you need before you book: whether it is safe, what it costs, when to come, and which tours are worth paying for. Every page is dated, and we say when we last checked it.
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Things to do in El Salvador
The famous places and the ones worth the detour — volcanoes, surf, colonial towns, Maya ruins and coffee country, ranked by whether they justify the drive.
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Is El Salvador safe to visit?
El Salvador went from the highest homicide rate in the world to one of the lowest in the Americas. Here is what changed, what is still true, and what to actually watch out for.
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The travel guides
The practical side of a trip here, from the airport to the insurance.
Surfing in El Salvador
Where to surf in El Salvador — Punta Roca, Sunzal, El Zonte and the east — with wave type, skill level, best swell and what a week of lessons actually costs.
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The best beaches in El Salvador
Black-sand surf beaches, calm swimming bays and the empty east — the nine beaches worth your time in El Salvador, with what each is actually good for.
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Cheap flights to El Salvador
Routes, airlines, the cheapest months and the fare traps — how to find cheap flights to El Salvador (SAL) from the US, Canada and Europe.
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Where to stay in El Salvador
The best places to stay in El Salvador — coast, capital, coffee country and lake — with who each base suits and roughly what a night costs.
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El Salvador tours
Day tours in El Salvador — the volcano hike, the coffee route, the archaeology loop and the city walk — with prices and whether each is worth paying for.
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The best eSIM for El Salvador
Which eSIM works in El Salvador, what it costs, coverage on the coast, and whether a local Tigo or Claro SIM is cheaper than Airalo.
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Renting a car in El Salvador
Car rental in El Salvador — what it costs, the mandatory insurance, road conditions, the night-driving rule, and when a driver is cheaper than a rental.
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Travel insurance for El Salvador
Medical cover, surf injuries, volcano hikes and rental-car excess — what travel insurance for El Salvador should cover, and what the cheap policies leave out.
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El Salvador itinerary
A ten-day El Salvador itinerary — coast, volcanoes, coffee country and a colonial town — with three hotel bookings, realistic drive times and what each day costs.
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Salvadoran food
A guide to Salvadoran food — pupusas revueltas, yuca frita, mariscada, atol and the chicha — what to order, where, and what it costs.
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San Salvador airport guide
San Salvador airport (SAL) — arrivals, the $12 tourist card, taxi and shuttle prices, the drive to the coast, SIM cards and what is open before a dawn flight.
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Where to go
Start with three places.
Nine destination guides, but almost every good trip is built around these.
