El Salvador

El Salvador is a travel powerhouse in a tiny package. This underrated destination appeals to those looking to get off the beaten path of Central American travel and dive into a multifaceted country with a taste for adventure. Here you'll find world-class surfing on empty, dark-sand beaches; coffee plantations clinging to the sides of volcanoes; pretty flower-filled villages with buildings splashed by murals; and sublime national parks. There are few crowds outside the capital, San Salvador – a town with its fair share of swagger – so you'll have plenty of space to take in all the beauty El Salvador has to offer.

Things to Know

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Iglesia El Rosario

San Salvador

Designed by sculptor Ruben Martinez and completed in 1971, Iglesia El Rosario is radically beautiful. Arguably the finest church in Central America, its…
Catedral Metropolitana

San Salvador

Facing the revamped Plaza Barrios, the cathedral is the most significant landmark in the city and the resting place of Archbishop Óscar A Romero. In the…
Centro Arte para la Paz

El Salvador

Opened in 2000 as a charitable initiative to support victims of domestic violence, the Centro Arte para la Paz now organizes a range of cultural…
Jardín Botánico La Laguna

San Salvador

Moss-covered bridges, pebbled paths, small waterfalls and ponds home to croaking frogs, turtles and feeding fish provide the perfect antidote to city…
La Semilla de Dios

El Salvador

Local cooperative La Semilla de Dios, founded in 1977 by Fernando Llort, crafts quality products in workshops behind the store. If you ask permission you…
Teatro Nacional

San Salvador

This aging beauty still hosts major productions in the capital. Inaugurated in 1917, the theater was renovated in French classical style in the mid-20th…
Centro Monseñor Romero

San Salvador

At Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (La UCA), the Centro Monseñor Romero pays homage to the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero. Highly…
El Arbol de Dios

San Salvador

'God's Tree' is an institute dedicated to the work of world-famous painter Fernando Llort, with a gallery displaying sophisticated pieces that differ from…