San Salvador Travel Guide

  Crater of el Boquerón
by mikey_e
  • Crater of el Boquerón
      Crater of el Boquerón
    by mikey_e
  • Cocoa in the rich volcanic soil
      Cocoa in the rich volcanic soil
    by mikey_e
  • The main structure
      The main structure
    by mikey_e
  • View from El Boquerón
      View from El Boquerón
    by MalenaN
  • The old National Palace in Dowtown San Salvador.
      The old National Palace in Dowtown San...
    by malecon

Pro

iwys profile photo

 Hassle-free 


Con

CLillard profile photo

 Kidnappings in the area - be careful 


In a nutshell

benquan profile photo

 My alma matter, what can I say but come and appreciate its beauties!!! 

 

Explore San Salvador

Things to Do  

San Salvador

San Salvador, San Salvador

 a005116 Says:  San Salvador is the capital of the country and hosts more than 800,000 people. The city suffered from as well the many earthquakes as the civil war. Many monuments or historical valuable buildings are not any more. But the few wich are are well restored. 

Ruins of San Andres

Ruins of San Andres, San Salvador

 CLillard Says:  Spanish name is "Museo Sitio Arqueologico de San Andres". Central America is La Ruta Maya ....the ancient Mayan Route through the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatamala, Belize and Honduras. The route, and this incredibly fascinating region of wonderful tropical... 

Ruins of Joya de Cerén

Ruins of Joya de Cerén, San Salvador

 CLillard Says:  The Maya inhabited western El Salvador well before the arrival of the Spanish, and although not as well known as Palenque, Mayapán, Copán, Tikal, or Chichén Itzá, many Mayan ruins have been uncovered in El Salvador, including huge limestone pyramids. The greatest period for... 

Club Atami

Club Atami, San Salvador

 CLillard Says:  Very peaceful place with hammocks underneath little huts. The view is overlooking a black sand beach (volcanic Beach). I think this is a private club. They have a pool, picnic areas, they will serve/sell you food.Approximately 15mins along the coast from La Libertad going... 

Lake Coatepeque

Lake Coatepeque, San Salvador

 CLillard Says:  Beautiful view. Our guide took us here and we ate at a little pupusa stand. I took a 7 hr tour for $70USD which included, San Andrés, Joya de Cerén, and Lago de Coatepeque. The guide spoke English very well. Salvador Tours provides other guided tours as well. 

Zona Rosa

Zona Rosa, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  Zona Rosa was once the heart of San Salvador's entertainment district. Located in San Benito, a middle-class area of the city, it was close enough to the core to be a short car-ride away from home, but far enough away in order to guarantee safety and security. In the last... 

Teatro Presidente

Teatro Presidente, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  One of the establishments that makes up San Salvador's cultural scene is the Teatro Presidente, so-called because of the large number of busts and monuments to the country's various leaders (as well as to other individuals connected with the arts). This is, evidently, a... 

Hotels  

Marriott San Salvador

 2 Reviews and 63 Opinions  This hotel is a nice place to stay, clean, neat. Staff friendly and helpful. It is located in front... 

Hilton Princess San Salvador

 1 Review and 84 Opinions  $85 USD per night including breakfast. The staff here was so accomodating. Every day when we got off... 

Restaurants  

Las Cofradias: A Salvadorian buffet

Las Cofradias: A Salvadorian buffet, San Salvador

 JessieLang Says:  Extensive buffet of local dishes. They had numerous kinds of tamales, including sweet ones, pupusas, stews, yucca, an array of salads, 3 or 4 bean dishes, plantains as side dishes and desserts, fruit drinks, etc. I couldn't taste everything because there was too much of it.... 

Restaurante Las Cofradias: Salvadoran buffet

Restaurante Las Cofradias: Salvadoran buffet, San Salvador

 iwys Says:  Restaurante Las Cofradias is a great place to try Cocina Típica (traditional Salvadoran cuisine). There is a delicious buffet for just $8. The soups and desserts are particularly good as are the home-made soft drinks. There are plenty of vegetarian options here, made from... 

Pizza Hut: A Pizza Hut like you have never seen!

Pizza Hut: A Pizza Hut like you have never seen!, San Salvador

 Ken_Weaver Says:  Why on earth would you travel to a country 4000 miles away and go to a Pizza Hut when there are so many great local cuisine restaurants to try? That was my thought when I went to this place 3 years ago. I have been there twice since and it has been great every time. When you... 

La Hóla: Great kitsch, decent food

La Hóla: Great kitsch, decent food, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  La Hóla, a take on “The Wave” is one of the restaurants along what used to be the popular nightlife strip called La Zona Rosa. A seafood eatery, the entire upstairs of the restaurant is made to be like a Pacific beach club, complete with thatched roofs and campy seating. The... 

La Pampa Argentina: A Delicious Piece of Argentina

La Pampa Argentina: A Delicious Piece of Argentina, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  La Pampa Argentina is another of the well-recommended restaurants in the Zona Rosa, an area of San Benito that was once the heart of nightlife in San Salvador. The restaurant presents itself as being much fancier than its price-range, which is a rather pleasing combination.... 

Transportation  

Bus service from San Salvador to Guatemala City

Bus service from San Salvador to Guatemala City, San Salvador

 rpbroz Says:  Both Ticabus and King Quality operate direct bus service from San Salvador to Guatemala City. They both have bus stations in the Zona Rosa and have daily departures. They take about 5 hours and cost around $25. King Quality is a little nicer and more expensive. Do a google... 

Shopping  

Multiplazas: Not quite luxurious

Multiplazas: Not quite luxurious, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  Multiplazas was one of the first rivals of MetroCentro, a shopping mall outside of the core that could rely on both its proximity to the upscale suburbs and the fame of the Zona Rosa as a shopping and entertainment area. Unfortunately, San Salvador's crime rate is... 

MetroCentro: A Rundown Piece of Shopping History

MetroCentro: A Rundown Piece of Shopping History, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  MetroCentro is a shopping complex that was built in the 1980s as a means of attracting people outside of the city centre during the Civil War and after, during the instability of the 1990s. Given that the violence and social unrest have gotten worse and spread through other... 

Local Customs  

Local Fauna

Local Fauna, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  El Salvador, as a jungle country with a fair amount of open and undeveloped spaces, has a rich diversity of fauna. While there are numerous mammals that live in the jungles, one of the most common aspects of this fauna that visitors notice are the birds, which fly about the... 

Salvadorean Art

Salvadorean Art, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  El Salvador is not a country that comes to mind when discussing Latin American art, but that does not mean that the country is entirely devoid of a cultural or arts scene. Rather, the hardships of the post-independence period, particularly the period of the civil war, have... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Vendedores ambulantes

Vendedores ambulantes, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  While El Salvador does have incredible natural beauty, it also happens to have an incredible level of unnatural crime. Some days, there can be as many as 15 or 20 murders in San Salvador. While the causes of gang violence are varied and often difficult to understand, one... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Torre Futura

Torre Futura, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  Torre Futura is one of the newest constructions in San Salvador and is intended to highlight the city’s appeal as a business destination. The Tower, built across from what is now the Crown Plaza, is a glass and steel construction that looks more like something from Panama... 

Santa Tecla

Santa Tecla, San Salvador

 mikey_e Says:  At one point, San Salvador was a small city around which there were numerous other towns and municipalities. One of these was Santa Tecla, a quaint, quiet town to the west of historic San Salvador. Since the end of the Civil War and the massive increase in construction, the... 

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Map of San Salvador