Central America's smallest country packs volcanoes, surf and colonial charm into a few hours' drive. Hike the Santa Ana volcano above its turquoise crater lake, wander Suchitoto's cobbled streets above Lake Suchitlan, and follow the Ruta de las Flores past coffee farms and weekend food fairs in Juayua and Ataco. The Pacific coast delivers warm water and world-class point breaks, while the highlands stay green and cool. Friendly, compact and increasingly easy to explore.
Joya de Cerén, a Maya village frozen by an eruption around the year 600, earns El Salvador the nickname “Pompeii of the Americas” — UNESCO-listed.
El Zonte, dubbed “Bitcoin Beach”, sparked the experiment that made El Salvador the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, in 2021.
The right-handers of El Tunco and Punta Roca rank among the Pacific's best. An eSIM helps: Uber in San Salvador, swell forecasts and surf schools rated on Google.