Highlights of El Salvador

Highlights of El Salvador

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11 Days From

$2490

$2230

Highlights of El Salvador

11 Days Starting in San Salvador and ending in La Libertad

Visiting: San Salvador, Jiquilisco, Suchitoto, Cinquera, Joya de Ceren, Cerro Verde National Park, Santa Ana, Los Cobanos, Playa El Sunzal, La Libertad Department

Tour operator:

Explore!

Tour code:

HES

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

4 - 18

Physical rating:

Moderate

Age range:

16-99

Special diets catered:

Vegans, Vegetarians

Tour operated in:

English

Interests:

Cultural

From: $2490 $2230 Operator discount: -$260

NB: Prices correct on 22-Dec-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Often overshadowed by its neighbours, El Salvador is a little hidden gem. With turtle nesting on the miles of coastline, volcanoes concealing deep crater lakes and delicious food being prepared in beautiful colonial villages, this country is not to be missed.

Jiquilisco Bay - Take part in a turtle-monitoring project with a local biologist
Santa Ana Volcano - Hike up El Salvador's highest volcano and get outstanding views of the surrounding valley
Suchitoto - Learn to make traditional pupusas in this charming village

Highlights

  • Experience the hidden gem of El Salvador, from towering volcanoes to colonial villages

  • Feast on tasty Salvadoran delicacies during a cooking class

  • Explore the cobbled streets of tranquil Suchitoto

Itinerary

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Day 1: Join Trip In San Salvador

Location: San Salvador

Accommodation: Hotel, Eco Arbol de Fuego

Accommodation Name: Villa Terra Hotel

The trip starts today in San Salvador, El Salvador's capital. After some major regeneration works, the leafy plazas and pedestrianized central zones of El Salvador's main city have never been safer and more pleasant to explore. Encircled as it is by volcanoes, San Salvador is a good-looking capital, quite rare by Central American standards.



Due to the number of evening flights into El Salvador, your Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning of day two, and will leave a poster in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. If there are no evening pick-ups, the Leader will suggest meeting for dinner, for those who wish.



There are no activities planned today, so you can arrive in El Salvador at any time. If you would like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into El Salvador International Airport (SAL), which is around a 40 minute drive from the hotel.

Day 2: Head To Jiquilisco Bay; Boat Trip With A Local Biologist To Monitor Hawksbill Turtles

Location: Jiquilisco

Accommodation: Hotel, Puerto Barillas

Accommodation Name: Hotel Puerto Barillas

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning we drive to Jiquilisco Bay, a biosphere reserve and large network of canals and mangrove-lined inlets that are largely undeveloped, hosting over 200 species of bird and playing an important role in turtle conservation efforts within the country. Due to the size of the boat, we will be splitting the group into two today and tomorrow, with the first group going out on the boat trip today through the mangrove canals, with the aim of monitoring the population of hawksbill marine turtle. This project, run by the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (known in Spanish as ICAPO), has many facets and our task today will be to help measure, weigh and tag the turtles in order to monitor their healthy growth. We'll be accompanied by a biologist from the project who will explain more about what they do to protect this endangered species. During the course of the trip, we'll also be passing through some small communities, giving us a more in-depth view on rural El Salvador. The excursion lasts for approximately 2 and a half hours.



Those that are on the boat trip tomorrow, have the chance to discover more of our surroundings today. One activity on offer is kayaking through the mangroves, searching for crocodiles and marine birds. Or you can choose to relax at the resort.

Day 3: Optional Kayaking Or A Visit To A Local Cacao Farm

Location: Jiquilisco

Accommodation: Hotel, Puerto Barillas

Accommodation Name: Hotel Puerto Barillas

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today, those that did not participate in the boat trip yesterday will head out on the excursion through the mangrove canals in search of the hawksbill marine turtle. There will also be the opportunity to participate in the optional visit to the local cacao farm, where you can see how chocolate is produced.



We'll have the rest of the afternoon free to relax at our lodge - perhaps bird watching from the grounds, or heading down to the marina to watch the fishermen.

Day 4: Drive To Suchitoto Via The Laguna De Alegria; Evening Pupusa-Making Class

Location: Jiquilisco

Accommodation: Hotel, El Tejado

Accommodation Name: Hotel El Tejado

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The drive from our coastal location to the colonial town of Suchitoto is only three hours, giving us plenty of time to explore El Salvador's countryside en route. Our first stop will be Laguna de Alegria (Happiness Lagoon), located within the crater of the dormant volcano Tecapa. The lagoon glows a brilliant green colour due to the sulphur and other minerals within, and it is favourite spot for local Salvadorans. We'll soak up the views and drive through the neighbouring colourful mountain town of Pueblo Alegria before arriving in the town of Berlin where we make a lunch stop.



Arriving into the peaceful lakeside town of Suchitoto this evening, we set out for a dinner with a twist. During your last four days in El Salvador, you may have noticed a distinct clapping sound in the street - the sound of ladies patting down big circles of corn dough, stuffed with mixtures of black beans, vegetables, cheese and meats before being cooked on a hot plate and served up to hungry locals. These delicious snacks are called pupusas, and are El Salvador's national dish. This evening we'll learn to make them before sitting down together for a well-deserved meal.

Day 5: Visit The Ex-Guerrilla Community Of La Cinquera; Free Afternoon In Suchitoto

Location: Suchitoto, Cinquera

Accommodation: Hotel, El Tejado

Accommodation Name: Hotel El Tejado

Meals Included: Breakfast

Just a short ride out of Suchitoto is the rainforest community of La Cinquera, a former FMLN stronghold (the FMLN were the main left-wing guerrilla faction during El Salvador's civil war, and is now one of the country's major political parties). This small village has emerged from the brutality of the civil war, which raged throughout the 1980s, and has established a grassroots tourism project that serves as a living museum of the wartime era, with the ex-guerrillas and their families acting as guides. The community's aim is not only to educate people about this important part of El Salvador's history, but also to protect the forest from illegal logging - the trees are a haven for birdlife, and there are numerous swimming holes and waterfalls hidden within. We take a hike through part of the reserve and spend some time with a former guerrilla fighter learning about his experiences. The tour will take approximately 2 hours, with some of the walking steep and hilly in parts.



On our return to Suchitoto, we have the afternoon free. The village seems timeless, with cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings and an impressive colonial church in a leafy plaza. It was once at the heart of the country's indigo trade, and we have the opportunity to take part in an indigo workshop in the afternoon. Alternatively, you may take a boat trip out onto Lake Suchitlan, where over 200 bird species have been recorded including hawks and falcons.

Day 6: Discover San Salvador On Foot; Visit The Joya De Ceren; Drive To Cerro Verde Via Lake Coatepeque

Location: Joya de Ceren, Cerro Verde National Park

Accommodation: Tres Volcanes Glamping

Accommodation Name: Tres Volcanes Glamping

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We drive west this morning making a stop at San Salvador for a walking tour of the city, visiting the main attractions including the Iglesia El Rosario. This enormous concrete church looks nondescript from the outside, but the architects have cleverly designed a spectacular arched roof, covered completely in fanned-out windows of coloured stained glass that cast a rainbow of natural light through to the tiled floor. This unusual and abstract piece of art contrasts sharply with the colonial and classical architecture that we'll see elsewhere in the city, for example at the grand National Palace.



We continue to the Joya de Ceren, a UNESCO-listed archaeological site that can be likened to Pompeii. This Maya farming community was covered by an eruption of the Loma caldera in the 7th century, and while we now know that an earthquake just prior to the eruption caused the villagers to flee, their possessions were immaculately preserved by ash, from pottery to garden tools. It wasn't found again until the 1970s and is one of the best and most complete records of pre-hispanic life in Central America.



Following our visit, we drive to the volcano-laden Los Volcanoes National Park, via the immense and beautiful crater lake of Coatepeque. The shores of this lake are dotted with houses of the rich and famous (well, in Salvadoran terms!), while there are small restaurants with views over the lake. Time permitting, we aim to have lunch here before driving on to Cerro Verde in anticipation of our volcano hike tomorrow. This evening we will be camping in the national park - our campsite is made up of large fixed tents, each on a wooden base, and with two full single beds inside. Sheets, duvets, pillows and towels are provided, and there is a nightstand with an electric lamp. Bathrooms are shared, with showers available.

Day 7: Hike The Santa Ana Volcano To The Impressive Llamatepec Crater Lake; Drive To Ataco Via The Tazumal Archaeological Site

Location: Santa Ana

Accommodation: Fleur De Lis

Accommodation Name: Fleur De Lis

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

The Santa Ana volcano is El Salvador's highest, at approximately 2300m high. Our campsite is already at 1800m, and the ascent is only a moderate grade as we start our hike through forest, slowly ascending for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. The landscape begins to change as the overgrowth becomes more barren, and a rocky, volcanic terrain takes over with red-black rocks cracking underfoot. It's about a one-hour hike up to the summit and to our big pay off - the Llamatepec crater lake, its milky-green colour contrasting starkly against the black rock that encloses it. Looking out into the distance, the volcano Izalco sticks out of the valley, with the enormous Coatepeque lake spreading out to the east and small villages dotted around the impressive landscape.



Our descent is quicker than the climb, and in total the trip should take around 3-4 hours. After our return we drive to the ancient Mayan site of Tazumal, one of the main pre-Columbian set of ruins in El Salvador. Dating from 1200BC, the site has only been formally researched since the mid-1900s, and there are plenty of interesting finds in the small museum, as well as the views from the main pyramid. From Tazumal, we continue to the small colonial town of Ataco, on El Salvador's Ruta de las Flores (Flower Route).

Day 8: Explore The Small Villages On The Ruta De Las Flores; Explore The Street Food Markets

Location: Santa Ana

Accommodation: Fleur De Lis

Accommodation Name: Fleur De Lis

Meals Included: Breakfast

El Salvador's Ruta de las Flores is a beautiful, meandering set of small villages, each with an array of different colonial-era buildings. It is designed to be visited slowly, savouring the food and the ambiance. Ataco, where we are staying, is one of the main villages - particularly well known for the bright and colourful street art that adorns most of the buildings in town. Juayua, another of the main towns on the route, is famous for its weekend food festival - luckily our trip happens to pass by at this time! The festival is made up of countless street food stalls, with typical foods including barbecued meats or huge prawns, even fried frog skewers and guinea pigs being sold at some stalls. The desserts are also worth a look - piles of ice creams or sweet buns with a cup of locally produced coffee.



Our day will involve travelling along the Ruta de las Flores, stopping at the different villages to take in their varied character and enjoying the delicious food. As part of the day, most likely in the morning, we'll also visit the Cascadas de Don Juan, where we can take a swim. We return to our hotel in Ataco this evening.

Day 9: Coffee Farm Visit; Drive To The Los Cobanos Protected Marine Area; Continue To La Libertad

Location: Los Cobanos

Accommodation: Hotel, Atami

Accommodation Name: Hotel Atami

Meals Included: Breakfast

Before we leave Ataco this morning, we'll visit one of the area's small coffee 'fincas' (or farms). We'll stop for a drink here, and find out more about the farm's small scale coffee production, which is still a growing industry here in El Salvador. From the farm we continue our drive to the coast. Los Cobanos is a protected marine area just 90km away from the capital, well known in El Salvador for its coral reef and the sandy beach that locals regularly frequent on the weekends. We'll take a walk along the beach today, spotting marine life such as heron and crab, and watching the fishermen in action. We'll also have the opportunity to swim off the beach.



Later this afternoon, we drive down the coast to La Libertad, widely regarded as one of the best surfing surfing spots in the Americas. Our hotel is set on a cliff overlooking the ocean, with outdoor swimming pools and access to one of the areas striking black sand beaches.

Day 10: Free Day On The Coast In Sunzal

Location: Playa El Sunzal

Accommodation: Hotel, Atami

Accommodation Name: Hotel Atami

Meals Included: Breakfast

Our final full day in El Salvador is free to spend as we choose. The beaches on this coastline are rugged, with great surf, and one of our options today is a surfing lesson to make the most of this. Alternatively, take a drive outside La Libertad to the San Antonio Waterfalls, where depending on the season you can bathe in the refreshing pool underneath the long drop. On your return, visit the Mercado del Mar fish market, and maybe choose to stay here for a freshly caught lunch.

Day 11: Trip Ends At La Libertad

Location: La Libertad Department

Meals Included: Breakfast

The trip ends after breakfast this morning in La Libertad.



There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from La Libertad at any time. If you would like an airport transfer today, you need to depart from El Salvador International Airport (SAL), which is approximately a one-hour drive from our hotel.

What's Included

  • Accommodation

    1 nights comfortable camping

    7 nights comfortable hotel

    2 nights premium hotel

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

  • All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)

  • Meals – Breakfast Only

    Breakfast: 10

    Lunch: 1

    Dinner: 2

What's Not Included

  • 1 bottle of Mineral Water per person per day

  • Tipping and Gratuities

Meals

Breakfasts: 10
Lunches: 1
Dinners: 2

Videos

Check out our Q&As

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    All customers that travel on a Explore group trip will be provided with a complimentary transfer, provided they arrive and depart into the designated airport or train station on the trip start and end dates. This is a great way to start your travels, offering you that little extra peace of mind and comfort in the knowledge that there will be someone at the airport or station waiting to take you t

  • Can you assist with pre or post tour accommodation?

    Yes, we would be delighted to book extra nights before the start or at the end of your trip, please let us know your requirements at the time of booking.

  • What is the fitness level required to do this tour?

    Moderate

  • Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?

    No. This evening wewill be glamping in the national park - our campsite is made up of large fixed tents, each on a wooden base, and with two full single beds inside. Sheets, duvets, pillows and towels are

    provided. There is even a nightstand with an electric lamp. Bathrooms are shared, with showers available.

  • What is the maximum group size?

    18

  • Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?

    Yes

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    1 nights comfortable camping

    7 nights comfortable hotel

    2 nights premium hotel

  • I'm going on a walking/cycling trip-do I need to train?

    It will depend on the grade and how fit you already are. Check the trip page for details of the walking or cycling grade and how far you’ll be walking/cycling each day. For moderate or challenging trips in particular we’d recommend doing some walks or cycles before you leave to build up your fitness and prepare you for the distances being covered.

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    We have a wide range of ages nationalities on our small group trips and they come from all walks of life.

  • Should I get travel insurance?

    Yes–it is a condition of booking that you are fully insured when travelling with us

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    At Explore, we're the experts in adventure travel. Our small group adventure holidays have been running since 1981. Today, Explore is one of the most trusted travel companies in the UK with over 500 trips to more than 120 countries.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    Yes, but there are no concessions for doing so, and we must have a record in your booking advising as such before the trip departs.

  • Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?

    Being a responsible company is a large statement, something that has to be entwined within the very fibre of a company. Discover the charities and partnerships we support as part of this at https://www.explore.co.uk/about/sustainability/charities-and-partners

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    We want to be as clear as and as honest as possible about what happens if you decide to that you no longer wish to travel on your trip. Our booking conditions have details of the costs you’ll incur when you cancel-these charges depend on how long it is before your planned departure.

  • What is the accommodation like?

    We choose comfortable accommodation in the best locations possible. We opt for small, local and family-run accommodation where we can, as opposed to large chain hotels. We typically use hotels that are the equivalent of European 3-star, and you’ll usually have an en suite room. Occasionally, where we want to get off the beaten trail we may stay in more basic accommodation.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Sustainability is embedded within the fibre of Explore, it emanates from the inside out. But as we enter a new decade it is clearer than ever that our world needs help, and Explore has created a sustainability strategy based on the 2015 UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Our flexible booking and safety policies mean you're protected before and during your travels with us. Receive a full refund if your trip is cancelled, transfer your trip free of charge up to 10 days before departure minus any irrocoverable costs.

  • Do I need to be very fit to book with you?

    All our trips require some level of active participation. This could be on a cultural trip, trek, safari, expedition or voyage. It is in the interests of all members of the group that everyone should be capable of fully participating in the activities of their chosen trip.

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    Final documents will include a comprehensive trip itinerary, climate and country information, budgeting and packing advice visa and passport information and details on optional activities available.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Yes on most of our trips. Most trips are based on customers sharing twin-bedded rooms. If you book a group trip as an individual, you will share a room with someone of the same sex. However, on many trips we offer the opportunity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room, known as our single room option. On some trips a single room will be provided every night, on others it will be provided o

  • Do we have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel

    It’s now a condition of booking a trip with us that customers should have one of the following before they travel - — Be vaccinated against COVID, having received the full recommended course, and allowing enough time for immunity to take effect. Full vaccination includes any booster required to keep the vaccine valid. — Have taken a negative test (rapid antigen or PCR) within 72hrs of departure.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Explore will only offer hotels that have specific COVID-19 protocols in place and comply with local government guidelines. We will ensure these measures include; enhanced room cleaning, ventilation, social distancing, regular cleaning and disinfection of high frequency touch points in public areas, food safety, staff re-training and minimising contact within the properties.

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I booked for my husband and I to go on the Peru Encompassed trip with the 3 day Amazon extension trip tagged on the end, we also booked to go to Lima few days early to get over the jetlag and see something of Lima before setting off on the group trip. Everything was booked for us by Explore! with seamless ease and without any hitches. This was the first time I had booked onto an organised trip so I was a bit concerned it might not be for us. How wrong I was. We were a group of 9, ranging from 30s to 60s, and a mixture of couples and singles and different nationalities. As a group we gelled really well and chose to spend most of our free time together which made the trip great fun. As for the trip itself, it surpassed all expectations. The Peru Encompassed trip was superb. I don't think any other country offers so much culture, wildlife, specular scenery and amazing food, all of which we experienced in abundance on the trip. We had a local tour guide for the whole trip who was fantastic and then expert guides joined us on different legs of the journey. We learned so much as a result. The highlights for me were visiting the local market in Arequipa with our guide and sampling lots of different fruit and street foods, the day on Lake Titicaca and of course Machu Picchu itself. We booked an additional trip to go back ourselves the second morning which was great as we could do a different route around the ruins and get different views from the afternoon before. Our final highlight was the additional 3 day trip to the Amazon staying at the Hacienda Conception. The lodges were immersed in the jungle which was wonderful if noisy! the food was fab and the daily trips provided were excellent. It was a great relaxing way to end the trip although it did rain quite a bit. Both my husband and I said our trip to Peru was one of the best trips we have ever done.

Trustpilot
Ms D Brown  

Excellent company

07-Dec-2022

Excellent company, there are so many trips, you really get looked after. Everything is dealt with by your Tour Leader, all logistics are taken care of and usually things go smoothly, I only use explore because I know what to expect each time, that makes me happy, with a stress free holiday

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1 Select your preferred date

Saturday - Tuesday

Feb 01, 2025 - Feb 11, 2025
$2440

Saturday - Tuesday

Mar 15, 2025 - Mar 25, 2025
$2490 $2230

Operator discount: -$260

Saturday - Tuesday

Oct 11, 2025 - Oct 21, 2025
$2440

Saturday - Tuesday

Nov 08, 2025 - Nov 18, 2025
$2440

Book with Confidence

  • Free Date Changes

    Explore! allows you to make 1 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 70 days before the start of the tour.

  • Low Deposit

    Explore! requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 70 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of explore! charges.

    Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 69 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.

    At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.

    At 27 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.

    At 13 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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