•
Escape to
the
beach:
El Salvador's 320km
(200-mile) Pacific
coastline boasts resort
hotels, unspoiled
beaches, fishing
villages and pine
forests. Beaches include
La Barra de Santiago,
El Cuco, El
Sunzal and
El Tamarindo.
The best resorts tend to
be found along the
Costa del Sol.
•
Seek the ultimate wave:
El Salvador's
coast is a
surfer's heaven,
with uncrowded waters
and world-class breaks.
The biggest waves roll
in at Punta
Roca and
El Sunzal,
while powerful
Punta Mango is only accessible by
boat.
•
Grab some
fresh air
and gaze up at forest
giants in the
Montecristo
Cloud Forest,
home to diverse species
including spider
monkeys, pumas and
toucans. This is a great
place to hike,
camp
or go
birdwatching.
•
Set sail
on
the
Gulf
of
Fonseca,
a large stretch of water
shared by El Salvador,
Honduras and Nicaragua,
stopping off at one of
the many volcanic
islands dotting the
gulf.
•
Fish,
sail,
kayak
or waterski
on Lake
Coatepeque
at the foot of the Santa
Ana volcano, which is
still active and last
erupted in 2005.
•
Hit the
rapids
and go
white-water rafting.
The best rivers to raft
are the Lempa, Sumpul,
Guayjoyo, Bandera and
Paz during the rainy
season (May to October),
and the Paz in the dry
season (November to
April).
•
Kayak
among the islands and
channels of the
Bahía de
Jiquilisco.
•
Go on a
trekking
expedition to the
volcanoes. There are
more than 25 in El
Salvador, three of which
(the Izalco,
San Miguel
and
Santa Ana)
are still considered
active. The extinct
San Salvador
volcano is
close to the capital and
the Cerro
Verde in the
west is easily
accessible.
•
Dive
in the volcanic crater
of
Ilopango:
explore a fascinating
underwater landscape of
hidden hills and look
out for fish, crabs and
sponges. The water
temperature is usually
at least 26°C (79°F).
•
Join an
ecological tour
in El
Imposible National Park,
the country's most
important ecological
reserve, where varied
vegetation and fauna
offer a refuge for
numerous bird and
wildlife species,
including the rare black
hawk eagle.
•
Scuba dive
From
Acajutla
all the
way to
Guatemala
there
are lots
of
beachbreaks
and
rivermouths
that may
occasionally
break.
For
example
there is
La Barra
de
Santiago,
that has
a
rivermouth
that get
good
occasionally.
This
part of
the
country
is
particularly
good for
scuba
diving
and
snorkeling.
You will
find
white
and
shell
sand
beaches
with
lots of
rock
coral
and
reef,
there is
also
shipwrecks
and it
is great
for
fishing
too.