San Salvador is a frenetic and polluted city whose
sometimes tangible sense of menace often creates extremely negative
first impressions among visitors. Things are improving, however:
the city authorities are making a determined effort to clean up the
Centro Histórico, while all the central parks and plazas have
received a makeover and extra police have been deployed on the
streets. San Salvador also offers a thriving nightlife, along with
facilities unavailable elsewhere in the country. For beaches,
swimming and sun you don't have to stray too far from the capital,
to the crater lake of Ilopango or, an hour's journey away,
the small Pacific coast resort of La Libertad . Also within
easy reach are the small Maya ruins of San Andrés and
Joya de Cerén which, although they pale visually in
comparison to sites in Guatemala - El Salvador was at the furthest
fringe of Maya culture - are nonetheless important. The World
Heritage Site of Joya de Cerén, in particular, gives the most
complete picture yet of what daily village life was like in Maya
times.
Western El Salvador is the most relaxing and perhaps most
scenic part of the country, with the lovely old colonial city of
Ahuachapán making a convenient entry point from Guatemala,
and the laid-back city of Santa Ana making a good
alternative to San Salvador as a place to stay a few nights. In
addition to the Maya ruins of Tazumal there is the exquisite
cloudforest of Montecristo , bursting with exotic plants and
wildlife.
For something slightly more energetic, the nearby volcanic peaks
of Izalco, Volcán Santa Ana and Cerro Verde provide
good and varied hiking, while nestling at their base is the
magnificent crater lake of Coatepeque , whose deep blue
waters are perfect for snorkelling, diving and swimming.
The north and east of El Salvador, though rough
and wild, and less accommodating to travellers, hold a number of
attractions. North of the capital is Suchitoto , considered
the finest colonial town in the country. La Palma and
Ilobasco are famous for their artesanías, producing wooden
handicrafts, pottery and hammocks, while the small city of San
Vicente is an enjoyable base for trips to the volcano of
Chichontepec and the lagunas of Apastepeque . The
larger city of San Miguel hosts one of the largest carnivals
in Central America each November, drawing visitors from all over
the country and beyond. The Ruta de la Paz winds up through
the poor but beautiful mountainous department of Morazán towards
the thought-provoking civil war museum at Perquín ,
unmissable for anyone interested in learning about El Salvador's
recent history.
Up and down the glorious sweep of the Pacific coast lie
long, palm-fringed stretches of beach, the most beautiful of which
are Barra de Santiago in the west and El Espino, El
Tamarindo and El Cuco to the east. Close to the capital
are the famous surf beaches around La Libertad , while
further east are the mangrove swamps of the Bahía de
Jiquilísco and, still further down the coast near the border
with Honduras, the idyllic islands of Meanguera and Conchagüita in
the Golfo de Fonseca .