El Salvador

The Smallest Country in Central America  

In my previous post I maintained the desire to spend more time exploring North America. Out of 23 countries in the continent as I am writing this, I have visited 15 including El Salvador. I could not be more wrong neglecting to travel through my continent using as a pretext the countries would be too similar. Thus far I discovered so many gems unique to each territory that made the journey worthwhile. 

Below is my 4 days itinerary in El Salvador. I hired a tour guide for the duration of my stay. Thankfully the gentleman was my age; he was very flexible and an entertaining companion.  

I stayed in El Zonte at Palo Verde Hotel. The sustainable hotel is small but cozy. Because I arrived late on the first day, I had to request to turn on the hot water since they didn’t keep it on 24/7. My room with a private patio was right in front of the beautiful infinity pool with a view of the surf beach. Despite being right on the coast the hotel did not have a pristine beach for relaxation. The boardwalk had rocks and pebbles just about everywhere. All the beaches visited were black or gray due to the volcanic nature of the country.   

 Day 1  

I landed at 5am my guide was waiting at the airport to go directly to Santa Ana Volcano for our 9am hike. There is only one hike per day. Starting between 8:30am and 9:30am. People are divided into groups at the meeting point in Cerro Verde National Park. The hike to this crater would take between 2 to 3 hours and can be done only with guide and two-armed escort personnel.   

 After the hike we drove to Playa El Tunco or The Pig” a prominent surfing spot. The name comes from the large rock mass out of the water that seems like a pig belly up. A large part of the beach had pebbles, so it was not the best for walking. People were swimming on one side of the beach while surfers were on the other side. In El Tunco there were many accommodations, beachfront bars, local stores, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc… Locals and tourists seemed to flock there late afternoon through the evenings. Among various other activities offered the most relevant was learning how to surf. Before heading to my hotel to finally check-in we grab dinner at  

 Before heading to my hotel, we grab dinner at La Bocana in El Tunco overlooking the ocean and below the pedestrian exploring and relaxing on the boardwalk. The Ceviche and Lobster dish were mouthwatering.  

 When I finally arrived at Palo Verde I requested for a massage and surprisingly the masseuse arrived 2 hours later around 7pm. The service was performed in my room. While she did not speak English, she was technically skilled and knowledgeable.  

 Day 2  

First thing in the morning after breakfast my driver and I left to Salto de Malacatiupan Hot Spring. This waterfall was quite unique as I have never seen one with steaming hot water and as vast. Unfortunately, I went during the rainy season and since 4 other rivers flow into it; it was filled with debris and dirt. The water who otherwise is usually turquoise.  I met the tourism ambassador and mayor of the town who pleasantly gave me a private tour. 

 Picnic Steak House is a beautiful place for families; with well-manicured trees, restaurant on the premise, trails, and the Imagine Slide. Due to its location up on the hills it has an amazing view of the city. I went specifically for the Imagine slide which was exhilarating and did not bother try their food. I love how much locals take advantage of their attractions most places I visited especially because it was their winter holidays were crowded with locals.  

 We decided to visit El Boqueron Volcano also called San Salvador Volcano since it was a few minutes away and a short hike. It was not on my to do list, but my guide insisted. It had a beautiful view of the crater and well-maintained vegetation. The trails were mostly stairs. The view of the volcano was spectacular. Vendors are stationed in odd places throughout the park. It was overall a beautiful experience.  

 This time we stopped at Beto’s for dinner. The restaurant is perched atop the palisade with spectacular view of the pacific and rock formations. The service was good enough and savory food made up for the long wait.  

Day 3  

On the following day after our morning meal, the first stop was Café Albania. A must visit place in Ruta de las Flores for adventure lovers and families. They offered a variety of activities such: a labyrinth, cable bike, ziplining, cable skiing, etc. They also have on the premises various garden areas, restaurants, and small souvenir shops.  

We continued our journey on Rutas de Las Flores visiting various communities. The area was stunning, from the murals houses and flowers along the roads to the volcanos in the background. The altitude of the area meant that temperatures were more moderate than other parts of El Salvador. Since it was Saturday, I read that the food festival in Juayua Plaza was not to miss so for lunch we stopped in town before our next location. The sleepy town square bursts into action with stalls lining the street each cooking up different delicacies for tourists and locals. Local merchants selling souvenirs and many other products. Due to the variety of dish available it was difficult to choose what to eat. Most dishes were a generous portion ranging from $5-$6, consisting of either beef, pork, chicken, shrimp or some combination of each. The dishes also came with salad, rice, and tortillas. There were plenty of drinks stalls to choose from as well. The pineapple cocktails out of an actual pineapple for $2.50 are a must. Apaneca on Ruta delas Flores was our next stop. Another small town of colorful houses and cobblestone streets, adventure, gastronomy, history, culture, colder climate, and plenty of tourist spots to enjoy. Apaneca has destinations such as Laguna Verde and Laguna Las Ninfas, Labyrinth, Canopy, Buggies, coffee farm, etc.… 

Right before going back to El zonte we stopped at La Pampa Ataco for Dinner. It is an upscale restaurant in El Salvador with good customer service and amazing food quality.  We ordered the land and seafood combination platter for 2 which did not disappoint.  

Day 4  

My flight home was not until the late afternoon so there was no better way to spend it than visiting Santa Teresa Hot Springs. Nestled in the hills of El Salvador it is one of the biggest natural thermal baths facilities I have ever seeing. The waters are believed to have healing effect, allowing visitors to relax and recharge in approximately 30 pools. I spent a total of 5 hours from my spa session which consisted of an attendant putting me into a 1st steam room for 5 minutes, I then was asked to coat myself with 2 types of mud, back into the hot steam room for 10 minutes, followed by a plunge into the cold pool to get the mud off and finally a walk through the foot (rock) massage path. After this session I had a Swedish massage scheduled and later was able to swim around to loosen up my muscles in the many pools available at my leisure. As part of the package, a meal was also included. 

On the way to catch my flight just a few minutes from the airport we stopped for Pupasas. I never thought I would enjoy a dish as much. In the beginning I refrain from eating them even though El Salvador main dish is pupusa. I never enjoyed tortillas nor tacos and figured it would taste the same. My driver insisted that I could not leave town without trying pupusas at least once. Let’s just say they can be amazingly addictive and are very affordable.  We literally had everything on the menu, beef, chicken, cheese with both corn and rice flour. I must admit I preferred the rice flour but ate them all.  

If I were to head back to El Salvador I would stay in El Tunco. There you get to interact with locals but also various expat. There are shops, restaurants and hotels just about everywhere as opposed to El Zonte. The cobblestone streets were also maintained unlike El Zonte dirt road with merely 3 noteworthy accommodations (Palo Verde, Puro Surf, Garten Hotel) and nothing in the vicinity.