Surf towns and crater lakes share the field with Maya ruins, cloud forests and a coffee road that fills with blooms every winter. Pick the stop you would send a first-time visitor to.
1Ruta de las FloresA winding highland route through five coffee towns in western El Salvador, famous for weekend food fairs, waterfalls and roadside blooms between November and February.1000pts
2Santa Ana VolcanoEl Salvador's highest volcano, Ilamatepec, whose summit hike ends at a steaming turquoise crater lake with views over Lago de Coatepeque.809pts
3TazumalThe most important Maya ruins in El Salvador, a restored stepped pyramid complex in Chalchuapa that was occupied for over a thousand years.680pts
4Joya de CerénA UNESCO World Heritage site where a Maya farming village was preserved under volcanic ash around 600 AD, often called the Pompeii of the Americas.624pts
5Montecristo National ParkA misty cloud forest at the point where El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meet, with giant ferns, orchids and quetzal sightings.624pts
6Bahía de JiquiliscoEl Salvador's largest coastal wetland, a UNESCO biosphere reserve of mangroves, islands and sea-turtle nesting beaches on the eastern coast.560pts
7Santa AnaEl Salvador's second city, home to a striking neo-Gothic cathedral, a restored 1910 theatre and the gateway to the western volcanoes.560pts
8El Imposible National ParkThe country's largest and most biodiverse national park, a rugged tropical forest of river canyons and lookout points in the far west.485pts
9AlegríaA flower-filled mountain town in the east whose emerald crater lake, the Laguna de Alegría, sits inside the Tecapa volcano.485pts
10San Salvador Historic CentreThe restored heart of the capital, with the National Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, National Theatre and the modern Biblioteca Nacional around its plazas.485pts
11SuchitotoA cobblestoned colonial town above Lake Suchitlán with a white church, art galleries, indigo workshops and a calm, unhurried rhythm.485pts
12Concepción de AtacoA hilltop coffee town covered in colourful murals, with craft shops, weekend markets and cool mountain air.397pts
13Puerta del DiabloA dramatic split-rock formation above Panchimalco offering sweeping views of the coast, Lake Ilopango and the San Vicente volcano.397pts
14Cerro Verde National ParkA forested extinct volcano with trails, cool highland air and viewpoints over Izalco, Santa Ana Volcano and Lago de Coatepeque.397pts
15El CucoA long dark-sand beach in the east, the base for the Las Flores and Punta Mango surf breaks and far quieter than the western surf towns.397pts
16Los CóbanosEl Salvador's main coral reef and a marine protected area, popular for diving, snorkelling and seasonal whale watching.291pts
17Lake IlopangoA vast caldera lake east of the capital, formed by one of the largest eruptions of the past two thousand years and lined with weekend restaurants.291pts
18El TuncoThe country's best-known surf town on the Pacific coast, built around a rock-arch beach, consistent point breaks and a lively bar scene.291pts
19El ZonteA laid-back surf village on the Pacific coast that gained worldwide attention as Bitcoin Beach and keeps a quieter vibe than El Tunco.291pts
20PerquínA mountain town in Morazán that was the guerrilla capital during the civil war and now hosts the Museum of the Revolution and the El Mozote memorial nearby.291pts
21Lago de CoatepequeA deep blue volcanic crater lake ringed by lakeside restaurants and viewpoints, often called the most beautiful spot in El Salvador.0pts
22JuayúaThe hub of the Ruta de las Flores, known for its weekend gastronomic festival, the Black Christ church and the Chorros de la Calera waterfalls.0pts
23El Boquerón National ParkThe forested crater of San Salvador Volcano just outside the capital, with easy trails and viewpoints into a 1.5 km wide caldera.0pts
Photo credits
- Ruta de las Flores — David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0
- Tazumal — Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Joya de Cerén — Mariordo (Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montecristo National Park — ElmerGuevara, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bahía de Jiquilisco — ElmerGuevara, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santa Ana — Ezecr1s305, CC BY-SA 4.0
- El Imposible National Park — ElmerGuevara, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alegría — ElmerGuevara, CC BY-SA 3.0
- San Salvador Historic Centre — Olivia Isabel Flores, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Suchitoto — SWENOWENSON, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Concepción de Ataco — Sammiethedeadrat, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Puerta del Diablo — yo mismo, CC BY 2.5
- Cerro Verde National Park — Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Cuco — davidjoviera, CC BY 3.0
- Los Cóbanos — Pollito03, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Ilopango — Daniel chavez castro, CC BY 3.0
- El Tunco — Rebevon11, CC BY-SA 4.0
- El Zonte — Martin Haeusler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Perquín — Jose Huwaidi, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lago de Coatepeque — Rafael Colindres, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Juayúa — ElmerGuevara, CC BY-SA 3.0
- El Boquerón National Park — Jpyle490, CC BY-SA 3.0
