Attractions
There is much to do and see in El Salvador, outside of just the 3 we have chosen for you to tour with us. Your choices are varied and extensive, depending on what you like to do on vacation. Anything from relaxing to hiking or shopping, meeting with nature or taking in some exciting city night life. There are places to get guided tours for most of these activities, and a good resource for getting familiar with all your options is found here, a site sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism:
http://elsalvador.travel/eng/index.php
As you click on different destinations/interests, there is a box above the pictured destination with different Departments (El Salvador doesn't have States but Departments) that they can give you information on. You'll usually find the most options under the San Salvador link.
There are volcanoes, an immense national park called El Imposible, gorgeous beaches, Ecotourism opportunities; well, you get the hint. I've highlighted a few things here if you want to check them out further. I highly recommend hiring a tour company to assist you, many are from reasonably priced to inexpensive. Depending on where you want to go, visit the link above for recommendations on reputable companies.
We are using Villa Serena Tours for our activities, their info is here, as well as other tours they can provide:
Shopping
There are many popular malls in El Salvador. They range from specialty shops and open air markets, to more high-end modern and large.
Galerias Escalón - one of the more modern and "posh" centers. The picture here is of this particular mall.
La Gran Via - This place is an open air mall. It has a garden, and excellent dining options. There are pictures here: http://elsalvador.travelreality.com/corsatur/foto.asp?Album=Centro+Comercial+La+Gran+V%EDa&AlbumID=001721&Foto=1
MetroCentro - one of the largest, with international stores, if you want something, you can probably find it here. It's the most visited mall, with more than 1,700,000 visitors a month.
Multiplaza, and Villas Españolas are all good options too. Visit the link provided and you'll find a multitude of options within the city limits of San Salvador.
Museo Marte
This is a newer Museum located in the San Benito neighborhood of San Salvador. It features primarily Salvadoran artists, including César Menéndez, Roberto Huezo, Antonio García Ponce and Rodolfo Molina. They provide guided tours, available in English as well as English literature on the exhibits.
Surfing
El Salvador has some world-renowned beaches, especially amongst the surfing community. They come here for the excellent waves, friendly people, good service and inexpensive cost of travel.
Probably the most famous is El Sunzal in the department of La Libertad. There's a great hotel here, Casa De Mar, whose owners cater to Surfers in particular.
Volcanoes
El Salvador has the most volcanoes in relation to landmass in the world. Many of them are available to explore, all by hiking. There is a breakdown in the link above. The most accessible and tourist friendly is the Izalco Volcano. Many tours go up there but you've gotta be in shape to make it to the top!
There are several lookout/picture spots along the way and talk about bragging rights if you scale a volcano.
The one pictured is in the Department of San Miguel, it's called Chaparrastique (can you say it twice fast? OK, how about just once?)
National Parks - El Boqueron and El Imposible
El Boqueron is a National Park located in the crater of the Extinct Volcano of San Salvador. Located 50 minutes outside the capitol, hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon - Fri. It's a subtropical forest , with lots of wildflowers, orchids, etc, great trails and hiking, but it's HUMID.
El Impossible - This park has some of the last remaining Rain Forest in El Salvador. The park covers 12,850 acres/5,200 hectares of tropical mountain forest. It has the greatest natural diversity in the country: Nearly 400 distinct species of trees are found in the park, as are such endangered animals as the puma, tigrillo, tayra, mountain cuche, pajuil, king zope, crested black eagle, emerald toucan, aardvark and white-tailed deer. It is considered one of the most important natural reserves in Central America. This one is for the adventurous at heart, who can take the hike.
* picture and info on El Imposible from totally national parks.com
