El Salvador Itineraries
Classic El Salvador
a close encounter with nature, local communities and the history of this tiny, less-visited Central American country
A 14 day trip through the varied terrain of this small and friendly country: volcano hikes, visits to peaceful Maya ruins, the beautiful area known as the ruta de las flores, and the Pacific coast.
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Itinerary summary
Colonial heartlands
Days 1-2: Spend two nights on arrival in San Salvador. Take a guided tour of the capital, including the gallery and workshop of celebrated Salvadoran artist Fernando Llort, and visit San Salvador volcano.
Days 3-4: Driven to Perquín, stopping en-route to visit the Tecapa volcano and its crater lake. Spend two nights in this beautiful and mountainous corner of El Salvador. Visit Perquín's Revolution Museum (with interesting displays relating to the 1980-1992 civil war) and nearby El Mozote.
Days 5-7: Driven to Suchitoto (around 4 hours) for three nights in this lovely colonial town. Enjoy excursions to Suchitlán lake, Los Tercios waterfall, and experience community life at La Mora village.
Coffee region
Days 8-10: Driven to the coffee region and visit the ruins of Joya de Cerén, San Andrés and the Natural History Museum. The village of Joya de Cerén gives a very different glimpse of the Maya people - its once-thriving farming community was buried under ash, Pompeii-like, during a catastrophic volcanic eruption about 1,400 years ago. Spend three nights in the area, travelling along the ruta de las flores (flower route), so named because of the proliferation of flowers, coffee plantations and trees; and visit Cerro Verde volcano and a coffee estate.
Pacific coast
Days 11-13: Driven to El Imposible National Park, a mountain tropical rainforest ranging in elevation from 300m to 1,450m, with a selection of trails. Enjoy a hike before continuing to the Pacific coast (around 1½ hours). Spend three final nights in Barra de Santiago, on one of El Salvador’s most scenic beaches, bordered by a palm-lined estuary on one side and the Pacific on the other. Free time to explore a protected reserve of bird-filled mangrove channels, a traditional fishing village and the wide, sandy beaches.
Day 14: Driven back to San Salvador for an international flight or onward connections.
Notes:
Combine with other Central American countries.
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Gallery
Accommodation options
In the following section you will see our suggested options for possible accommodation.
The estimated flight cost included in this itinerary (assuming international flights from the UK plus any internal flights that are necessary) is £1,365 per person.
Standard - £3,550
A selection of properties offering good value without compromising on location.
Casa de Graciela
- a lovely renovated colonial home in Concepción de Ataco ideally situated for exploring the coffee region
La Cocotera
- a delightful small hotel near Barra de Santiago, with stylish rooms and a pool, overlooking the Pacific ocean.
Los Almendros de San Lorenzo
- a charming boutique hotel full of character a few steps from the main square in Suchitoto, with a pool and excellent restaurant.
Price and validity notes
We have tried to give you as accurate an idea of prices as possible, including meals where appropriate (but not when there are good local options so you don't pay for a meal that you might not want), accommodation, transfers, and any tours we have included.
All prices are per person based on two people sharing a room and are intended as a guide (local high or low seasons can cause some variation). All prices were correct when published but may vary with exchange rate fluctuations, fuel surcharges, or changes in the general economic situation.