edit El Salvador Travel Guide

• Ruta de las Flores In the highlands of El Salvador there is a series of quaint small towns which make for a great hiking excursion especially since the highlands are often cool and dry instead of hot and humid like the majority of central america.
  
• Suchitoto Colonial style town much like Antigua Guatemala minus 30 years and a few thousand tourists
• La Libertad A seedy port town with a charm all of its own (if you are a surfer that is). That charm might also be reffered to as "Punta Roca" one of the best right hand point breaks anywhere.

Visa Requirements

• UK and Irish citizens do not need a visa to enter the country.

• Americans and Canadians can enter the country without a visa, but they must purchase a Tourist Card for US$30 that last for 90 days, which they can obtain from Immigration at the El Salvador International Airport (SAL).

• Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans need a visa for entry.

Customs and Immigration

By plane

Visitors traveling by plane arrive at Comalapa International Airport (El Salvador International Airport)in San Salvador, located forty-five minutes outside of the city limits. The airport code is SAL.

TACA Airlines is the national airline of El Salvador. TACA acquired the national airlines of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala so it also serves those countries. TACA flies a fleet of new A319s, A320s, and A321s throughout North, Central, and South America.

By car

The Pan-American Highway is a well maintained road that runs through much of Central America including El Salvador.

By boat

By train

By Bus

There are many long range buses (Ticabus, Nicabus) that go as far as Mexico in the north and Panama in the south. These long range buses are generally affordable, clean, and comfortable.

The civilization of El Salvador dates from the pre-Columbian time, around 1500 B.C., according to evidence provided by the ancient structures of Tazumal in Chalchuapa.

The Spanish Admiral Andrés Niño lead an expedition to Central America and disembarked on the Island Meanguera, located in the Gulf of Fonseca, on May 31st, 1522. This was the first Salvadoran territory visited by the Spaniards. In June, 1524, Spanish Captain Pedro de Alvarado began a predatory war against Cuzcatlán (land of precious things) that was populated by the native tribes of the country. After 17 days of bloody battles many natives and Spaniards died. Pedro de Alvarado defeated, and hurt in his left hip, abandoned the fight and ran to Guatemala, appointing his brother, Gonzalo de Alvarado, to continue with the conquest of Cuzcatlán. Later, his cousin Diego de Alvarado stablished the villa of San Salvador on April, 1525. King Carlos I of Spain granted San Salvador the title of city in the year 1546. During the following years, El Salvador developed under Spanish rule.

Towards the end of 1810, a feeling of a need for feedom arose between the people of Central America and the moment to break the chains of slavery arrived at dawn on November 5th, 1811, when the Salvadoran priest, Jose Matías Delgado, sounded the bells of the Iglesia La Merced in San Salvador, making a call for the insurrection. After many internal fights, the Acta de Independencia (Act of Independence) of Central America was signed in Guatemala on September 15th, 1821.

On December, 1931, the corrupt and incapable regime of the Labour Party, headed by Araujo, was overthrown. General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez assumed the presidency. The fraudulent elections of January, 1932, were the detonating factor of the social outbreak. Several voting sites were suspended in populations in which the Communist Party had strong presence. The insurrection began. Two frustrated assaults to the Cuartel de Caballería (Cavalry Quarters) were conducted by the rebel forces. The government ordered martial law. Strict censorship of the press was implanted. In the following days thousands of farmers and workers, carrying machetes and some few "Mauser" rifles attacked police quarters, municipal offices, telegraph stations, warehouses, and wealthy landowners' properties. This insurrection was crushed. On January 31st, Manuel Antonio Castañeda sentenced Farabundo Martí to death. He was shot and killed on February 1st, 1932. Many Coup d'états followed, including the one that overthrew General Maximiliano Hernández Martínez.

Relations with Honduras deteriorated in the late 1960s. There was a border clash in 1967, and a four-day so-called Football war (Soccer War), as it was named by the international mass media, broke out in July 1969. The war ended with a cease-fire prompted by pressure from the United States and the Organization of American States. The Salvadoran forces that had invaded Honduras were withdrawn. They were just a few kilometers outside Honduras' capital.

A movement of organized leftist guerrillas was created in 1974 and 1975, increasing the political violence. In 1980, three of the leftist organizations united to coordinate a fight against the government. This movement was called FMLN (Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional. english- Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front). On March of the same year. Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, was killed while he was celebrating the mass. It is widely believed that the final order came from Major Roberto D'Abuisson, the founder and leader of ARENA, a right-wing party. D'Abuisson is best known for his suspected involvement in death squad murders. He died of cancer in 1992. On January 16th, 1992, the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), signed in Chapultepec, Mexico, Los Acuerdos de Paz (Peace accords), putting an end to one of the most painful chapters in the history of El Salvador. The 12 years of armed conflict claimed the lives of over 75,000 people.

Today, El Salvador is stable and with a growing economy, leaving behind its painful history.

Economy

Banking

Currency

El Salvador's official currency is the US Dollar. It was implemnted in 2001 and some say it ruined the Salvadorean economy. Carry only $1, $5, $10 or $20 dollar bills. Most stores, supermarkets and department stores won't accept $50 or $100 bills. If you need to exchange to lower denominations, you can go to any bank.

Credit Cards

Tax

There is an exit tax on leaving by plane which at the date of this writing (June 2007) is $32.00

Tipping

Shopping

Costs

El Salvador is very cheap! Expect to pay $3-10 for a room in a hostel, $2-4 for a simple meal, $0.25-0.35 to ride a San Salvador city bus, $1/hour to use the Internet, and $0.25 for a bag of sliced mangos. The one drawback to this is that large bills ($50 & $100) are almost unspendable. Get change wherever you can -- gas stations are always a good bet. A good idea is to visit a bank and ask for small bills and nothing larger than a $20. Take note of the prices that street vendors sell their products because at times they will take advantage of people that look or sound foreign by raising their prices dramatically.

Holidays and Celebrations

Language

The typical Salvadoran diet includes lots of rice and beans, seafood (particularly among those who live on the coast), Also Salvadorans eat fried sliced plantains (platanos) usually with beans sour cream and cheese and sometimes with eggs, yuca con chicharron, pastelitos de carne, panes con pavo (turkey sandwiches), hand made tortillas among other very delicious Salvadoran foods.

Types of Restaurants

Types of Food

• Papusa Call it famous or infamous it can be a travelers best friend or worst nightmare, ake sure you have a strong stomach before buying these from street vendors. That being said these round corn tortillas filled with cheese and other elements, usually chicharon (shredded pork meat) are cheap (about 30 cents) filling and often delicious.

Etiquette

Drinks

Phones

Phone cards are available at most supermarkets and pharmacies and offer some of the least expensive international calls in Central America (at the time of this writing calls to the U.S. were 10 cents per minute).

Internet

Only available in larger cities internet access is very cheap in El Salvador usually right around $1.00 and hour

A good idea for any person visiting El Salvador is to keep only necessary forms of identification, such as a driver's license, when exploring the city or tourist locales. If you must keep your passport on you at all times, a traveler's pouch would allow you to have it safely with you. Most tourists prefer to stay within the safe areas of El Salvador such as La Zona Rosa where there is relatively no crime. In case you are not staying at one of the countries 5 star hotels, remember to ask if the city or town you are visiting has a high level of gang activity.

If you are from a First World country, you'd probably be best off staying away from food sold on the streets. If you want to try a pupusa, you should try to find a restaurant to taste this popular dish rather than buying them from street vendors.

'Agua en bolsa' (water in a plastic bag) is very commonly sold in the streets and corner stores of El Salvador. Visitors from First World countries should never drink 'agua en bolsa' nor tap water unless this 'agua en bolsa' is from a brand like Salud or Cristal (the bolsa or bag should be airtight sealed and with the brand logos. Instead purchase bottled water of a well-known brand. Likewise it's good to avoid food that has been washed with tap water such as lettuce or other vegetables sold on the street.

Pharmacies are easily found all over the country. Be sure to have a first-aid kit if you travel to the countryside and to archaeological sites.

Crime

El Salvador has a bad reputation due to the civil war of the 80s. However, 15 years after the peace agreement, El Salvador´s tourism industry is thriving and growing faster than other countries in Central America. Studies reveal that Guatemala and Honduras have more criminality than El Salvador. Crime is an issue, mostly caused by gangs that appeared in U.S.A and were deported back to El Salvador. These are mostly seen in industrial areas and some specific districts. You must use common sense and avoid entering into a zone that does not appear safe, just like you do in any country of the world. Avoid carrying fancy stuff if you are walking on the public streets, such as jewelry, expensive cameras, watches.

Emergency

Police

Fire Department

Hospitals

Gays and lesbians

Illicit drugs and prostitution

Smoking

By plane

By train

By car

By bus

The local bus system is spartan yet efficient. You can get nearly anywhere in the whole country for less that $2.00

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