El Salvador
ESMy trip
The cone of Izalco Volcano above the forest beneath a pink sky.

El Salvador · Independent guide

Travel
knowing.Explore
with context.

For anyone planning the trip or already here: 61 places in El Salvador, with price, hours and status where there is data, in English and Spanish.

Choose a destinationGuides by destination

Photo: Jaime Mejia / iStock

El Salvador guide: what to do, what is open, what it costs.

  • Sources and dates on every place; unconfirmed details are flagged
  • reviewed October 2026
  • includes what is closed or restricted
  • same content in English and Spanish

01 · Where to start

Choose your destination

Five areas with their places counted and reviewed. Filter by what you want to do and open the one that fits.

5 destinations

View of hills and a distant volcano beneath a pink sky.

San Salvador and La Libertad

San Salvador & surroundings

Archaeology, museums, the Historic Centre and the San Salvador volcano.

17 places12 open

Volcanic cone above forested slopes beneath a cloudy sky.

Santa Ana, Ahuachapán and Sonsonate

The west: Santa Ana & Ruta de las Flores

Chalchuapa archaeology, Cerro Verde and the volcanoes, and the towns of the Ruta de las Flores.

18 places8 open

Sun near the horizon and rock formations off El Tunco beach.

La Libertad and La Paz

The coast: La Libertad & La Paz

The surf beaches of La Libertad, the Port of La Libertad, the Tamanique waterfalls and the ISTU parks in La Paz.

7 places5 open

San Miguel volcano (Chaparrastique), with slopes, trees and scattered houses in the foreground.

San Miguel, Usulután, La Unión and Morazán

The east: San Miguel, Usulután, La Unión & Morazán

San Miguel and its theatre, Jiquilisco Bay, the Alegría lagoon, the eastern beaches, Conchagua, the Gulf of Fonseca islands and the Ruta de Paz.

12 places11 open

02 · Before you decide

Open, closed and what it costs, as of the last review

Each destination with its place count and what is closed or restricted. Each place cites its source and year; temporary closures may have changed since the review.

03 · Your route

A route to start with

Two editorial suggestions for splitting your days between destinations. Transfers between stops are not arranged or measured: this section gives no driving times and does not confirm road access. Save it to My trip and change it as you like.

  1. Days 1–2San Salvador & surroundingsThe historic centre, Joya de Cerén Archaeological Park and El Boquerón National Park; Joya de Cerén is closed on Mondays
  2. Days 3–5The west: Santa Ana & Ruta de las FloresCerro Verde Natural Park, Tazumal Archaeological Park and the towns of Juayúa and Ataco; Tazumal is closed on Mondays
  3. Days 6–7The coast: La Libertad & La PazEl Tunco and El Zonte beaches; being surf beaches does not make swimming safe: check sea warnings
Open in My trip

Suggestions only: arrange transfers, arrival and departure separately, and adjust the order to each card’s hours, closures and warnings; the number of days does not guarantee that everything fits.

San Salvador1The west2The coast3
Suggested route · straight-line geography, no travel times

04 · Next stops

Places to start with

Five places that appear in almost every route, with their status and entry fee.

05 · Explore with context

Everything on one map

One marker per destination with its number of places. Open one to see every site with its status.

Loading map…

View as a listMap: © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

Each marker opens its destination. See the map with every place

06 · Practical details

Before you go

Check the requirements and plan each transfer.

Entering the country
Your passport must be valid and in good condition (Special Migration and Foreigners Law, art. 26). In addition, the Law's Regulations (art. 25) require more than six months of validity, with two exceptions: where a treaty, convention or agreement on the matter applies, or when you are in transit to your country of origin or residence. If you think an exception applies to you, confirm it with the DGME or your airline before travelling. The $12 Entry Migration Card was abolished by Legislative Decree 286 of 2025 (Official Gazette, 5 May 2025).
Money
The currency is the US dollar, with unrestricted legal tender status (Central Reserve Bank). Following the reform by Legislative Decree 199 (published in the Official Gazette on 30 January 2025, effective 90 days later), accepting bitcoin is voluntary and only for the private sector: do not count on paying with it.
Health and emergencies
Emergencies: 911 (National Civil Police). Fire brigade: 913. Since 24 May 2024 no yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter (Ministry of Health), nor any covid test or vaccine (DGME). This is the information published by El Salvador’s Ministry of Health; as other advisories still differ, confirm the requirements with the relevant authorities and your airline before travelling.
Getting around
San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez International Airport (SAL) is about 36 km from San Salvador. Immigration operates 24 hours a day (DGME). The CEPA page consulted lists Inversiones Acopacific, Acacya de R.L. and Acobam de R.L. as authorised taxis. The CEPA page consulted does not list their fares. Uber picks up at the airport with a variable price shown in the app. Confirm the price before you set off.
Check the requirements for your passport on Sherpa

Sherpa is an external service: its terms and its information are its own.

Entry requirements change. Always confirm them on the official immigration website. El Salvador Immigration (DGME)

When to go

  1. JanDry
  2. FebDry
  3. MarDry
  4. AprDry
  5. MayGreen
  6. JunGreen
  7. JulGreen
  8. AugGreen
  9. SepGreen
  10. OctGreen
  11. NovGreen
  12. DecDry
  • Dry season
  • Green season

According to Spain’s climate section and Canada’s travel advisory, the rainy season generally runs from May to November.