Two Weeks in El Salvador: The Ultimate Backpacking Itinerary

Mark my words. El Salvador will be one of the world’s top travel destinations within the next few years. It has often gone neglected or overlooked by most backpackers traveling through Central America due to safety concerns, but El Salvador has made some radical changes. It has gone from one of the world’s most dangerous countries to among its safest. The word is spreading, and travelers are beginning to flock to this stunning, well-rounded country with warm weather and even warmer people.

I spent a few weeks backpacking through El Salvador and each day was filled with surprises. Although the country is one of the world’s smallest, roughly the size of the U.S. state of Vermont, there is a lot to do here. I wondered if two weeks might be too long to spend in continental America’s smallest country, but after those two weeks, I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. There is much more to explore, but for most backpackers looking to hit El Salvador’s highlights in a short amount of time, this is how to do it. Here is my two-week El Salvador travel itinerary for backpackers.

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San Salvador: 2 Days

El Salvador’s capital city can be an underwhelming introduction to the country. I also didn’t like it at first, feeling like I was just in a big U.S. city lined with strip malls and fast food chains. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to dip as soon as possible. There are much more enjoyable destinations in the country, but as its capital and largest city, San Salvador is home to some cool things to do for those who give it a chance.

A wander through San Salvador’s historic center is a must, highlighted by its Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace, National Theater, and the futuristic BINAES Library. Wander through the Mercado Ex Cuartel for souvenirs and handcrafted goods, or a few of the other big markets for a glimpse at local life. When I visited, much of the historical center was under renovation, but I can imagine it will be absolutely beautiful when the renovations are done. Explore it on your own or hop on a San Salvador walking tour to get your bearings in this sprawling city.

The Zona Rosa is another good neighborhood to walk through. Visit the MARTE Museum of Art and the Dr. David J. Guzman Museum of Anthropology. The MARTE is free on Sundays and is an impressive art museum for its small size. The Museum of Anthropology costs $10 to get in and is fairly tiny, but if you want to learn about El Salvador’s history and cultures, it is a good place to start. The Zona Rosa is also where you want to be for higher-end dining, shopping, and a good nightlife scene. La Zona Hostel is also located right in this area. I’d argue it is far and away the best hostel in the capital.

There are many parts of San Salvador to explore, but those were the two main neighborhoods I visited. I also stayed at Escalon at Hostel Cumbres del Volcan. It was a nice, safe neighborhood but without much action. Antiguo Cuscatlan is a livelier area to the south of the city with a more local, small town vibe. Santa Tecla is an alternative to staying in San Salvador, and makes for easy access to any city escapes you might want to head out on. From here, one can easily go hiking in El Boqueron National Park and see the San Salvador Volcano. Staying in Santa Tecla also shaves off some transit time for when you’re headed to Santa Ana, La Libertad, or the Ruta de Las Flores.

Let’s kick off with the latter.

Ruta de las Flores: 5 Days

The Ruta de las Flores was my favorite region of El Salvador. While it may not have the wow factor that some of the country’s top destinations have, it just ticked all the boxes for me. Beautiful views, convenient public transport, a good food scene, and the unbeatable vibes of a Latin American small town. The Ruta de las Flores is a series of villages in between the larger cities of Sonsonate and Ahuachapan. These towns are Nahuizalco, Salcoatitan, Juayua, Apaneca, and Ataco. Each is special for its own reason and I’d recommend visiting all of them.

It doesn’t take long, as each one is no further than 30 minutes away from the next town over on either side. From Sonsonate, catch the 249 bus that travels exclusively along the Ruta de las Flores. The first town on the route is Nahuizalco.

Nahuizalco

Nahuizalco is home to a much more local scene with a big indigenous Pipil population. I visited during its weekend night markets which was a wonderful evening escapade. Roam through the market, take in the energy of the central plaza, and snack on some local delicacies like yuca sancochada and a variety of sweets. The town after Nahuizalco is Salcoatitan, which is another cute village but without much to see or do. It is very close to Juayua, so I’d recommend a quick wander if you want to visit all the towns. Otherwise, head straight to Juayua.

Juayua

Plan on spending a few nights in Juayua. It is the best home base along the Ruta de las Flores due to its tourism infrastructure and the number of hostels to choose from. Samay Hostel and Rick’s Hostel are among the backpacker favorites in town. Juayua is the closest town to the Seven Waterfalls hike, which is the top thing to do in the area. It also has the most scenic views of the many volcanoes that you’ll encounter along the Ruta de las Flores. Juayua also hosts a weekend food festival, but you won’t be struggling for food during the week either. Have a feast at Pupuseria Sugey, or take advantage of some of the best Mexican food I’ve had outside of Mexico at Delicias de Mexico.

Dedicate a day to the Seven Waterfalls hike, another day to hop between the small towns, and at least another day to just soak in the gorgeous views and laid-back atmosphere of this small town. The Seven Waterfalls hike takes between 4-6 hours and cost us $10 for the guide and $5 for the roundtrip transportation from Juayua. As the name suggests, it takes you through seven waterfalls, although I feel like there were more. We capped things off at the Chorro de Calera for a refreshing swim and it was a perfect day. Bring good shoes because I wore old Tevas and they snapped halfway through the hike, resulting in me having to trek the rest of the way barefoot.

Apaneca

About 30 minutes from Juayua is the small town of Apaneca. The historic center is small but charming, home to a beautiful church, a food market, and a few cute restaurants. However, the main attraction in Apaneca is Cafe Albania. The name gives no clues about what to expect here, but it is anything but a cafe, really. Rainbow slides, labyrinths, hamster wheel and bicycle zip lines, big swings, Cafe Albania has it all. It costs $5 to enter and then all of the activities come at an extra cost. We didn’t do any of the activities, instead opting to use our $5 consumable entry ticket on drinks to sip on while people watching. There is a lot going on here and it’s worth checking out just to witness the madness.

Concepcion de Ataco

The final town on the Ruta de las Flores is Concepcion de Ataco, or just Ataco. After Juayua, it is probably the most developed town on the route. We stayed here for one night for a change of scenery and really enjoyed it. It has an amazing cafe scene, with my two favorites being Cafe Axul and Cafe de los Artistas. We had a very strange meal at Mama Nila, which I can’t recommend enough. The food was okay, but the vibe was so Salvadoran, and just encapsulates what I love about El Salvador’s quirkiness and authenticity. There are some amazing pupuserias here too.

Check out the street art and murals painted everywhere and hike up to the cross overlooking town. Besides that, there isn’t too much to do, so let’s continue onwards to the adventure capital of El Salvador.

Before setting off to trek the volcanoes of El Salvador, staying connected is an essential. I use Saily eSIM to keep me online during my travels, and it worked great across El Salvador, and I had internet from the moment I landed to the moment I left. Figuring out directions, making travel plans with your new hostel friends, ordering a taxi, having an eSIM makes life so much easier when you’re on the road. Data packages for El Salvador start at just $6, and you can use my code “eli5” for an additional 5% off of your first Saily eSIM.

Santa Ana: 4 Days

Once you’ve had your fill of small-town hopping, head over to Santa Ana. It’s my favorite of El Salvador’s larger cities, despite its unrelenting heat, which is saying something. This historic and colonial city is absolutely stunning and serves as most travelers’ home base for the nearby bucket list adventures. What are those adventures, you might ask? Boy, have I got a list for you.

Volcan Ilamatepec (Santa Ana Volcano)

Dedicate a day to hiking Volcan Ilamatepec, also known as the Santa Ana Volcano. It is undoubtedly El Salvador’s most famous destination, and for good reason. It has got that “wow” factor. There are a lot of volcanoes in Central America, and I’d put Cerro Santa Ana right behind Guatemala’s Volcan Acatenango as my favorite that I’ve hiked.

Hiking Volcan Ilamatepec can be done on your own by taking the early morning bus to the hike’s starting point and then joining one of the guided groups. Roundtrip, the bus will cost about $3. Add another $3 for the guide and another $3 for the entrance fee to the national park. This is one of the best ways you could ever hope to spend $10. The moderately-difficult hike to the crater’s rim takes about an hour and a half up and an hour down. Allot around 30 minutes at the top to soak in the views and take your pictures.

The bus back to Santa Ana leaves at around 1:20 PM, so try to make sure you get down in time, otherwise you’ll be waiting for the next bus at around 4 PM. If you feel like taking it a bit slower, that shouldn’t be a problem, and there are a few nearby places to have lunch or grab a snack while waiting.

Coatepeque Lake (Lago de Coatepeque)

Lake Coatepeque can be visited on the same day as the Santa Ana Volcano. Many tour agencies will bundle the two if you opt for a guided day trip or private driver. Some people also choose to spend a few days along the lake. The stunning Captain Morgan Hostel is the place to stay if you’re looking to spend some time in this huge crater lake. While Lake Atitlan holds the title as Central America’s premier lake getaway, Lago de Coatepeque might be giving it a run for its money before long. The views are gorgeous and it has no shortage of beautiful restaurants and hotels to hang out at.

Salto de Malacatiupan Waterfalls and Tazumal Mayan Ruins

Another day can be allotted for the Salto de Malacatiupan thermal waterfalls and the Mayan ruins of Tazumal. If you came from Ahuachapan to Santa Ana, then just hop on the same bus in the opposite direction. About 20 minutes outside of Santa Ana is Chalchuapa, where you will find the small ruins of Tazumal. It won’t take long to see everything, and if you’ve seen the likes of Palenque in Mexico or Tikal in Guatemala, you might not be too impressed.

Onwards to the town of Atiquizaya to see the thermal waterfalls of Malacatiupan. After the bus drops you off, keep an eye out for a tuk-tuk or one of the small Bajaj Qute taxis driving around. It cost us $4 for a tuk-tuk to the entrance of Salto de Malacatiupan and $2 on the way back. The entrance fee for Malacatiupan is $1.50, making this hidden gem a well-worth stop on an otherwise lazy day.

And don’t forget to spend some time exploring Santa Ana itself. The historic center is the most beautiful in the country, highlighted by the intricate Cathedral of Santa Ana. Hostal Casa Verde is the place to stay for backpackers in Santa Ana. Trust me, that pool is an absolute necessity when trying to deal with Santa Ana’s blistering heat.

Hope you’ve gotten used to that heat because we are going even hotter, baby. On to the coast.

El Tunco and the El Salvador Coast: 3 Days

The little beach town of El Tunco, often referred to as Surf City, is El Salvador’s premier coastal destination. It is popular among travelers for its laid-back vibes, surf culture, and bumpin’ nightlife scene. The beach itself is nothing special, and my initial impressions of El Tunco weren’t great. The main beach was just mostly rocks, driftwood, and gray sand. If you aren’t out here to surf, the beach is not the most exciting.

Aside from surfing and soaking in the sun, there isn’t too much to do in El Tunco besides eat, drink, and be lazy. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there? One can also hike to the Tamanique waterfalls, something I opted not to do because it is so painfully hot during the day. Sometimes I’d be sweating just by sitting in the shade sipping on an iced drink. Seriously, the humidity and heat of El Salvador’s coast is something else. I’m not really selling the coast, am I? While El Tunco is the main tourist town on El Salvador’s coastline, I much preferred El Zonte.

El Zonte

About 15 minutes away from El Tunco is the smaller, more chill town of El Zonte. It feels like every surf city has an up-and-coming younger sibling nearby. Mirissa and Hiriketiya in Sri Lanka, Ecuador’s Montanita and Olon, Mexico’s Puerto Escondido and Mazunte, Sayulita and San Pancho, the list goes on and on. El Tunco and El Zonte share a similar relationship, and I really enjoyed El Zonte.

Like El Tunco, there is not much going on besides surf, but the beach is much more beautiful and much less crowded. There are still a few restaurants, cafes, and hotels dotting the beach, but for now, it’s much less developed than El Tunco. It will cost you $3 round trip with the local bus to visit El Zonte. Visiting it for a day trip was enough for me, but there are also a few hostels in town if you’d prefer to stay the night.

Actually, there are a ton of accommodation options to choose from all along the coast. Most international backpackers opt to stay in El Tunco or the larger city of La Libertad. There are no shortage of hostels catering to any budget. If you’re okay with something on the higher end, Sunset Surf Villa and Lagarza Hostel are up there as two of the most beautiful hostels I’ve ever seen. In El Tunco itself, Papaya Lodge is the tried-and-true backpacker hub. Be sure to book in advance because it is always sold out and I couldn’t even get a bed there. Regardless of where you stay, it is worth paying a premium for a swimming pool and air conditioning.

Continue Onwards to Guatemala or Nicaragua

The coast is a great place to wrap up your time in El Salvador. Pat yourself on the back. You have summited volcanoes and trekked through the jungle and scaled waterfalls. There’s no better reward than sipping on a cerveza Pilsener while watching the sunset.

Aside from being a fitting closure to your time in El Salvador, the coast is also functionally a great place to keep your Central American backpacking trip going. El Tunco is also well-connected by public transportation to continue north to Guatemala or south to Nicaragua. If you have had enough of chicken buses, the nice thing about El Tunco is that the tourist shuttles traveling between Guatemala and Nicaragua pass by. It is a convenient stop for backpackers traveling in either direction, and I booked a shuttle with Gekko Trails Explorer to Antigua, Guatemala for $35.

For more on Central America, check out my other travel guides here.

Buy Me A Beer!

If this post helped you out, show some love and support for the blog and help keep my adventures going by buying me a beer! My adventures are entirely self-funded, so any show of support is greatly appreciated, and allows me to keep writing helpful travel guides and creating travel content to help you all travel the world on a budget.