Things to Do in El Salvador

This bustling urban center named after the famous 2nd century hero, Saint Thecla, is home to roughly 133,000 residents. Travelers to this thriving metropolis, which is tucked at the foot of San Salvador Volcano, can explore the nation’s unique arts, rich culture, deep-rooted religion and eclectic local life while wandering the streets of Santa Tecla.

From the famed halls of the Santa Tecla Museum—built as a prison in 1902—to the neo-classical architecture of the Municipal Palace, to the iconic El Carmen Cathedral, it’s the historical landmarks of Santa Tecla that make this city truly worth a trip.

After exploring the history and architecture that makes Santa Tecla famous, visitors can unwind in Daniel Hernandez Town Square, where locals lounge on grassy patches of land under shaded trees to escape the heat. Travelers will find the three malls that make up Plaza Merliot to be the perfect place for purchasing local food, handicrafts and even designer items.

Located in Los Planes De Renderos, Puerto del Diablo, or Devil’s Door, is made up of two striking boulders that reach for the sky. Looking between them gives the viewer a panoramic vista over the sights of El Salvador all the way to the Pacific. Devil’s Door is one of El Salvador’s most popular rock-climbing sites, with dozens of established routes for all levels of climbers. For the best views, climb the rock stairs to the top, where you'll rewarded with sights like the red-tiled roofs of the indigenous town of Panchimalco, Lake Ilopango to the left, the double peaks of the San Vicente volcano straight ahead, and beyond it, the Pacific Ocean (if you bring binoculars).

Visitors to Devil’s Door can opt to take a canopy tour, go zip-lining, explore the nearby caves, or even rappel down the cliff’s face. A visit to Devil’s Door is an easy way to escape the city noise of San Salvador for a half day, as it’s only a short bus trip to and from El Salvador’s capital city.

The largest of El Salvador’s four national parks, El Imposible National Park is also home to one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems, offering refuge for a number of endangered animals and plant species. Set on one of the country’s most important historic trade routes, El Imposible (The Impossible) was named for its treacherously steep gorge that claimed the lives of many travellers and mules throughout the years.

Thankfully, since the building of a bridge across the pass back in 1968, exploring the park has been much easier and today the 3,800-hectare parklands are a prime spot for hikers - a sweeping landscape of riverside mangrove forests and rugged peaks soaring to heights of 1,450 meters. Wildlife spotting is another popular pastime with around 250 bird varieties found in the park, including rare species like Great Curassow, King Vulture, Turquoise-browed Motmot and black-crested eagles, as well as pumas, tigrillos, wild boars and a vast array of butterflies.

Perched on a hilltop, overlooking the glittering waters of Lake Suchitlán, Suchitoto is among El Salvador’s most picturesque towns, a maze of timeworn cobblestones and well-preserved colonial architecture.

Suchitoto’s tranquil surroundings and laid-back pace of life make it a popular retreat for capital dwellers, as well as nurturing a lively arts scene, and the streets are dotted with artist’s workshops, galleries and cozy cafés. The town’s most famous landmark is the striking white Iglesia Santa Lucia, but the area is most celebrated for its natural assets, with the neighboring Suchitlán reservoir sheltering a large variety of migratory birds and nearby sights including the Los Tercios Waterfall.

Opened back in 1883, the National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropología Dr. David J. Guzmán) is a fascinating stop for understanding the history of El Salvador and its people. Spread out over five different halls, the museum—also known as MUNA—holds the treasures and ancient artifacts of pre-Columbian settlers, from the Maya and Olemec to Pipil tribes who inhabited the jungles and coasts. The halls are separated into five different categories, from agriculture and human settlements to religion, arts, and trade. See how native Salvadoran people once farmed and worshipped their gods, including an ancient altar of stone and petroglyphs carved into rocks. If you plan on purchasing local crafts when venturing outside the capital, this is a good spot to learn the facts behind traditional Salvadoran crafts, and gain an idea of what to look for when shopping in local villages. Arguably El Salvador’s most popular museum, the National Museum of Anthropology is a must for travelers in the city.

Founded in 1976, La Laguna Botanical Garden sits within a volcanic crater just outside the city of San Salvador. The sprawling gardens display more than 3,500 species of native and exotic plants, including 35,000 specimens inside the garden’s herbarium. The 7.5-acre (3.15 hectare) gardens are divided into 32 themed zones, with well-labeled collections including medicinal plants, ferns, orchids, desert plants and native vegetation.

The grounds also include a large playground for children and a cafeteria selling refreshments. Seating areas scattered around the gardens are perfect for picnicking or simply enjoying the fresh air and quiet — a welcome break from the noise of San Salvador. Keep an eye out for animal residents, including huge iguanas, fish, turtles and a variety of birds.

For the better part of two decades, El Salvador was crippled by a brutal Civil War that left the country in tears. Entire villages were sent to slaughter, helicopters fell from the sky, and the sound of mortars striking their target was a constant reminder of the violence. Though the fighting ended in the early 1990s, Civil War stories and military relics live on inside this museum, including former military uniforms that date to the 18th century. Aside from the tanks, weaponry, and medals, the museum houses a number of items that have nothing to do with the military, like a massive, 3D, topographical map that shows all of El Salvador’s volcanoes, to the “Pope Mobile” that transported the Pope when he visited in 1981. Highlighting military in more modern times, there’s an interesting exhibit on the Salvadoran forces who recently served in Iraq, fighting alongside coalition soldiers from all different corners of the world. While the slant of the museum is decidedly pro military, it’s still an insightful, informative stop for learning El Salvador’s past.

Suchitlan Lake, the vast body of water created by the Cerron Grand Dam, is the largest fresh water reserve in the county. Visitors flock to this protected wetland in hopes of spotting some of the diverse species of birds and fish that call Suchitlan home.

Built in 1973, the reservoir supplies energy to nearby towns, as well as water for irrigation, livestock and local residents. The dam stretches some 90 meters high, across nearly 800 meters, providing travelers with uniterrupted 306-degree views of incredible El Salvador landscapes.

Even though the Civil War in El Salvador ended in 1992, it still feels current, ongoing, and real, at Perquín’s Museum of the Revolution (Museo de la Revolución Salvadorena). For one thing the guides who work the museum were onetime guerilla fighters—risking their lives in tunnels and jungles to fight for the rights of the poor. When visiting this moving, informative museum, see remains of the downed helicopter that killed Colonel Monterossa—the leader of the Atlacatl Battalion responsible for the El Mozote massacre. You’ll also find craters created by bombs supplied by the US military, as well as weapons used by guerrillas to battle the government army. As this section of country was pro-FMLN, it also housed the influential Radio Venceremos, which helped to spread the leftist message throughout the rural communities. Nearby, another site has hand-dug tunnels where guerrillas would hide in the hills, and visitors are welcome to climb in the tunnels to feel the cramped, dark sense of space guerrillas endured every day. While the drive from San Salvador to Perquín is lengthy—over three bumpy hours in total—it’s a journey that’s more than worth the reward for learning these tales from the war.

December 11, 1981, is a day El Salvador will never forget. That was the day when American trained soldiers marched into the town of Mozote, and massacred over 800 civilians—half of which were children. As part of El Salvador’s brutal Civil War, the massacre was simply written off as a tragic byproduct of conflict, where leftist guerrillas must be suppressed, regardless of what it might cost. Today, the world has come to realize the slaughter was only of innocent civilians, and had no bearing, and nothing to do with, the rebels the government was fighting. When touring El Mozote Monument today, hear the stories of the lone survivor who escaped the village alive, and see the church where dozens fled just be to shot while inside. Outside the church is a powerful memorial with the names of those who were killed, and a silhouette statue of a family holding hands that rests in the “Garden of the Innocents.” A second memorial sits atop a hill just half a mile from town, where the same silhouette of the family holding hands is which looks out over the forests and valleys that housed such senseless slaughter.

The star attraction of the Cerro Verde National Park is also its most menacing – the Santa Ana Volcano (Volcán Ilamatepec), El Salvador’s biggest and most active volcano, last erupting as recently as 2005, when the force of the eruption flung car-sized rocks for more than 1.5 km.

Scaling the 2,381-meter peak of Santa Ana is a popular challenge for hikers, a 1.5-hour trail climbing up from the scenic San Blas Plateau and affording spectacular views of the neighboring Coatepeque caldera and Izalco volcano. From the summit, the views span the entire National Park, but equally impressive is the otherworldly terrain found at the top of the volcano and hikers can walk around the rim of the crater, looking out over the four nested calderas and an emerald green crater lake.

Easily reached from both Santa Ana and San Salvador, the Guajoyo River is a major tributary of the Lempa River, which runs 422 km through southern Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, before flowing into the Pacific south of San Salvador.

Despite running for less than 15 km, the Guajoyo River is home to one of El Salvador’s four hydroelectric power stations, but it’s best known to tourists as the country’s top destination for white water rafting, with Class II and III rapids open to thrill-seekers all year round.

The scenic mountain town of Apaneca is the second highest destination in the country. Its back roads, thick forests and fertile farms are a Mecca for eco-tourism and draw travelers in seeking to make an authentic connection with both the people and the land.

Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the trails of nearby Parque Nacional El Imposible, where secluded swimming spots and ancient Mayan remains make for a memorable trek through the El Salvador hillside. More intrepid adventurers can fly through the thick forest canopy on Apaneca’s infamous 2.5 kilometer-long zip-line, while the more laid-back folks head south to Finca Santa Leticia. This rural coffee farm near an historic archaeological park is a quick trip that offers travelers a chance to relax in well-kept bungalows overlooking the lush green plantation while sipping piping hot cups of coffee straight from local fields.

This crater lake nestled in a scenic volcanic caldera is the second largest lake in the country and a famed destination for sci-fi loving locals and travelers seeking to spot much-storied UFOs. And while visitors may have to navigate the local bus system to get here, travelers agree it’s a destination that’s well worth the adventure—even if you don’t spot an extraterrestrial.

Travelers can take a dip in the refreshing crater lake or hike to the top of a nearby lighthouse for picturesque views of the breathtaking landscape El Salvadore has become known for. Small cafes selling home cooked, local food provide the perfect meal after a day outdoors and camp sites, soccer fields, row boats and plenty of public restrooms make a day at Lake Ilopango a relaxing escape from urban life.