Travel in El Salvador to volcanoes and jungles - INTI Tours

Small but mighty - an insider tip in Central America

Travel in El Salvador - discover the volcanic region, make hikes through primeval forests and enjoy dreamlike beaches. Venture into the treasure chest of this tropical state. Explore the lake region around the Izalco, Santa Ana and Cerro Verde volcanoes. Go hiking through the cloud forest and enjoy dreamlike moments on the Pacific Ocean. Explore the Mayan archaeological site Joya de Cerén, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which shows the life of former Mayan villages in a unique way. A volcanic eruption once buried the entire village and preserved everything under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Joya de Cerén is therefore also called the "Pompeii of America".

In El Salvador you are far away from large crowds of visitors and will certainly be surprised by the beauty of the country.

Bienvenidos a El Salvador!

Country information  Absolutely worth seeing  Facts and figures  Travel in El Salvador  Addresses

Our types of travel in El Salvador

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Country information on EL SALVADOR: „small but mighty!“

El Salvador is still considered an absolute insider tip for travellers in Central America! It is the smallest country in Central America and is often visited in combination with the neighbouring countries Guatemala or Honduras. The Mayan heritage mixes with the influences of European immigrants in El Salvador and offers visitors a wide and varied spectrum of highlights worth seeing. El Salvador - translated as "The Redeemer" - captivates visitors with its primeval forests, volcanoes, lakes, geysers and dream beaches on the 300-kilometre-long Pacific coast. The editors of a well-known travel guide chose El Salvador as one of the top 10 most beautiful travel destinations for 2010!

Capital San Salvador:

El Salvador is just about the size of the German state of Hesse and has the highest population density in Central America. Those who do not enter the country by land or water from one of the neighbouring countries will land in the capital San Salvador by plane. With a good one million inhabitants, it is one of the largest metropolises in Central America and has been the political, economic and religious centre of the country since the 16th century. The city is modern with wide boulevards and narrow streets, open-air markets, government buildings, skyscrapers, monuments, a vibrant nightlife, museums and other cultural institutions. Tranquil places like the botanical gardens of Parque Cuscutlan offer a break from the city's hectic pace. The magnificent backdrop of the San Salvador volcano provides a unique backdrop to this. Nevertheless, the wide gulf between rich and poor, which clash mercilessly here, is already evident in the capital.

Absolutely worth seeing: 

• In the city centre, remarkable sights such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Plaza Salvador del Mundo, the National Theatre and National Palace. Also the crafts market Mercado Nacional de Artesanías is worth a visit.
• The Museo de Arte - Marte for short - is, so to speak, a flagship of the history of artistic, political and cultural El Salvador. There is a permanent and a temporary exhibition.
• The David J. Guzman Anthropological Museum is the most important of its kind in El Salvador. The archaeological finds on display give a good overview of the country's history.
• From Los Planes de Renderos you can enjoy a great view of the capital.
• Excursion to the volcano San Salvador - also known as Quetzaltepec - with its breathtaking views.
• Excursion to the charming town of Santa Tecla, whose old colonial architecture has been preserved.

Natural landscapes of El Salvador:

El Salvador can be clearly divided into three natural landscapes. Dominant and decisive for this is the impressive volcanic chain, which divides the country into three regions: the southern coastal strip along the Pacific, the central plateau, which is furrowed by valleys, and the northern mountain region. Here, the highest mountain, El Pital, rises 2,730 metres on the border with Honduras. The highest volcano in the country is Santa Ana in the west with a height of 2,365 metres. The longest river is the Río Lempa with 320 km on the national territory.

Absolutely worth seeing:

• El Salvador's lake and volcano region is certainly one of the most beautiful areas in the country. The volcanoes Izalco, Santa Ana and Cerro Verde are not far from the capital and are easily accessible. You can go hiking, get to know the cloud forest and enjoy fantastic views all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
• The architecture of Santa Ana, the second largest city in the country, is unsurpassed. Marvel at the neo-Gothic cathedral, the theatre and the Palacio Municipal. Famous worldwide for its enchanting beauty is the local volcanic lake Coatepeque.
• Visit the Imposible National Park with its tropical mountain forest and an amazing variety of animal and plant species. Various hiking tours can be undertaken.
• The small colourful picture book colonial towns such as Ataco, Apaneca, Juayua and Nahuizalcover enchant their visitors. Coffee farms, flower gardens, many wild flowers, colourful markets as well as authentic lifestyle and cuisine fascinate on the so-called "Ruta de las Flores".
• The excavation site Joya de Cerén is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and shows the life of former Mayan villages in a unique way. Around the year 600 A.D., a volcanic eruption buried the entire village under itself and preserved a fleeting moment of everyday life at that time forever under a thick layer of volcanic ash. Joya de Cerén is therefore also called the "Pompeii of America".
• Another Mayan archaeological site is San Andres, which was inhabited between 600 and 900 AD.
• La Palma is the town that the local artist Fernando Llort has left his mark on. His colourful paintings adorn the walls of houses everywhere, small shops offer handicrafts. He is considered an internationally recognised artist, his style is colourful and often "childlike", he is often compared with Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso.
• Colonial jewel Suchitoto at the picturesque Suchitlan reservoir - boat trip. Many bird species such as storks, herons and pelicans cavort here.
• Perquin was the headquarters of the guerrilla FMLN during the time of the Salvadoran civil war, which ended in 1992. A small museum of the revolution displays photos, posters and weapons from that time.
• On the Gulf of Fonseca, small fishing villages, lonely black-sand beaches and volcanic islands lie close together. You can take a beautiful boat trip where, with a bit of luck, you can observe schools of dolphins, pelicans and sometimes whales.
• Tropical gem Bahia de Jiquilisco with fantastic mangrove forest.
• Playa las Flores invites you to relax and "unwind".

Facts and figures El Salvador:

Land area: just over 21,000 sq. km  
Population: just over 6 million - mainly mestizos
Capital: San Salvador with 1.1 million inhabitants 
Highest mountain: El Pital (2,730 m)
Form of government: presidential republic, parliamentary democracy
History: The Mayan land was conquered by Hernán Cortéz in 1521. El Salvador has been independent from Spain since 1821. Since 1838 the country has been independent of the Central American Confederation.
Economy: Industrialisation is advanced compared to other Central American countries, but the economy is still based mainly on agricultural production.
Main exports: The main exports are still coffee, sugar, shrimps, cotton, gold and chemicals, and increasingly also textiles, which are produced by about 80,000 workers in tax-exempt factories. Some of the 23,000 coffee producers are heavily indebted as a result of falling prices.
Currency: US dollar 
Language: Spanish
Festivals: 15 September, Independence Day (1821 from Spain)

Travel in El Salvador:

Entry requirement: The passport must be valid for at least 6 months for entry by air and for the duration of the planned stay for entry by land.
Vaccinations: No compulsory vaccinations
Climate/travel season: Year-round travel season. The climate is tropically warm with a temperate highland zone.
The dry season is from November to April. Rainy season is from May to October. Hurricane season is from June to November, most likely October and November, rainy season is from May to October.
Local time: CET and CEST -7 hrs.

Addresses:

Embassy of El Salvador
Joachim-Karnatz-Allee 47, 10557 Berlin
Tel. 030/20 64 66 0, Fax 030/22 48 82 44
www.botschaft-elsalvador.de