Understanding:
El Salvador is a small country nestled in the heart of Central America. In pre-hispanic times, the Lenca, the Mayans and the Cuzcatlecs had their presence in the region. On the 16th century, Spain conquered the territories of Central America and incorporated them to New Spain. The Spanish rule lasted until 1821, the year of El Salvador’s independence.
The next years were very turbulent, with the country being incorporated in the First Mexican Empire, and later in joint federations with other Central American states. These geopolitical changes lasted until the end of the 19th century, but civil unrest lasted throughout the 20th century. This lead to a Civil War that torn the country from 1979 to 1992.
The aftermath of the Civil War was the perfect environment for organised crime to thrive. This has put the country on the news worldwide, and not for the best reasons. Not surprisingly, tourism did not develop at the pace of other Central American countries like Costa Rica or Guatemala. Still today, El Salvador is regarded with apprehension in spite of the efforts being made to control gang activity.
In 2021, countries with a bad reputation such as Lebanon and Iraq (Iraqi Kurdistan) rewarded us with great experiences. We thus decided to give this one a chance. And once again the reality was quite different from what one might think. During our 10-day stay in the country, we were greeted everywhere with warm kindness. El Salvador is a land of rich history and beautiful nature that vastly surpasses its bad reputation granted over the last decades’ gang activity and violence.
For more information on the sites to visit in El Salvador, consider reading our 10-day roadtrip article by clicking here.
We also wrote dedicated articles to San Salvador, Santa Ana, Ruta de Las Flores and Suchitoto.
Geography:
El Salvador lies on the pacific coast of Central America, being the smallest country of continental America, affectionately known by the nickname Pulgarcito de America (little thumb of America). It has a long coastline with the Pacific Ocean (synonym of good beaches and warm water) and it is bordered North by Guatemala and East by Honduras.
The country has a tropical climate which means long wet seasons with rainfall (from May to October) but a lot of sunny days year round as well, with uniformly high temperatures.
Over 20 volcanoes can be found here. Two of them are active nowadays, and their activity leads to occasional earthquakes.
Basic info:
- Capital: San Salvador
- Population: 6.8 million (2021 estimate)
- Language: Spanish
- Religion: >80% Christians; 15% unaffiliated
- Currency:United States dollar (USD), since 2001, and Bitcoin (BTC), since 2021. Yes, this is not a mistake, actually El Salvador was the first country adopting BTC as an official currency, in hopes of boosting the economy. As of August 2022:
- 1 USD = 0,98 EUR
- Plugs:
- type A and B (US-compatible plugs)
When to go:
The best time to go is the dry season that runs from November to April. Flowers in Ruta de Las Flores bloom from November to February. April is historically the hottest month and precedes the wet season.
Thunderstorms and heavy showers are to be expected on the wet season. If you enjoy surfing though, this is considered to have the best water conditions.
Visa policy (simplified):
Visitors traveling from Schengen Area, Canada and US can enter the country for up to 90 days visa free. Nationals of other countries need to apply for a visa, show proof of sufficient funds and proof of travel to the next destination.
A tourist card with the cost of $12 is issued on arrival for travellers of some nationalities. EU citizens are exempt from this fee.
Money:
There are ATMs available in most cities. Exchange Offices, however, are few and far between. Credit/debit cards are accepted in some hotels and restaurants, but be sure to always have some cash with you.
We used our Revolut where cards were accepted and cash where it wasn’t. Small businesses such as some local restaurants and guesthouses frequently don’t have card terminals.
Bitcoin is one of the official currencies of El Salvador and businesses are slowly adopting cryptocurrency. Stores that accept BTC usually advertise it.
Expect to pay 2-3 USD for a meal in tradicional “comedores”, and 5-7 USD in middle-end restaurants. Regular accommodation (hotel or guesthouse with a double bedroom and private WC) ranges from 25-50 USD throughout the country, but the coastline tends to be more expensive.
SIM cards:
SIM cards costing less than 5$ are available in several stores such as Claro, Movistar, Tigo and Digicel.
An alternative would be to use an app to check for e-SIM card deals. We personally have been using Airalo.
What to wear:
Like other Latin American countries, El Salvador is predominantly catholic and therefore some areas can be more conservative. Over the coastline, swimsuits and miniskirts are very well perceived. In the cities, mostly in rural areas, miniskirts and tops are a bit frowned upon but sundresses, shirts and skirts that come close to the knees are okay to wear.
Safety:
El Salvador is known worldwide for gang violence and San Salvador is commonly nicknamed the murder capital city of the world. In spite of this, we found the whole country outside San Salvador quite safe and traveled without many worries, even during the nighttime. In San Salvador, the most touristic areas are fine to wander on, just avoid going out alone and after dark. Other general safety rules apply, as in any other country.
Tipping:
Tipping is not customary in this country, but tends to be more common. In middle to high-end restaurants, a 10% service tip is already included in the bill or at least expected.
Accommodation:
We stayed mostly in guesthouses and hotels, in double/twin rooms, preferably with a private bathroom. General quality in middle-end stays and guesthouses is fairly good. Apart from our beachside hotel that had a more expensive quotation (60€), we spent around 25-40€ per night.