Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

The national airline is Taca International Airlines (TA) (website: www.taca.com).

International Airport

San Salvador (SAL) (El Salvador International) is 62km (38 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Coaches to the city operate every 30 minutes (travel time – 40 minutes). Taxis to the city are also available. Facilities: Restaurant, duty-free shops, car hire, disabled facilities, pharmacy, bank/bureau de change, tourist information and left luggage.

SEA

The principal ports are Acajutla, La Unión and La Libertad on the Pacific coast.

RAIL

There are currently no rail links to Guatemala. Contact the Embassy for passage details.

ROAD

There are frequent buses from San Salvador to Guatemala City and Tegucigalpa (Honduras). If arriving at the border during off-duty hours (from Mon-Fri 1200-1400, 1800-0800 and Saturday from 1200 to Monday 0800), a duty must be paid.

Travel - Internal

AIR

Services are available from San Salvador to San Miguel, La Unión and Usulutan.

RAIL

There are over 600km (372 miles) of railways, linking San Salvador with Acajutla, Cutuco, San Jeronimo and Angiuatu.

ROAD

Traffic drives on the right. There are more than 12,000km (7440 miles) of roads around the country; a third of this network is either paved or improved to allow all-weather use. Car hijacking and burglaries are frequent in El Salvador (especially in the cities) and drivers are advised to travel by day only and with the doors locked at all times. New cars, particularly with foreign licence plates, are frequent targets. There are petrol stations in every town and at motorway junctions.

Bus: A good service exists between major towns, although there can be delays if the weather is bad. Buses can be hailed. Buses travel to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Car hire: Available in San Salvador and from the airport.

Documentation: A national or International Driving Permit is required. A vehicle may remain in the country for 30 days, and for a further 60 days on application to the Customs and Transport authorities.

URBAN

Bus: City buses offer a good service, but are often crowded.

Taxi: Plentiful but not metered, so it is advisable to agree the fare beforehand. Taxis are yellow and can usually be found cruising the streets looking for pick ups. Alternatively, head to the town square (or similar), where taxis usually congregate between fares. Many large hotels have their own taxi services.

Resorts & Excursions

SAN SALVADOR

Situated 680m (2240ft) above sea level, the capital, San Salvador, is the second largest city in Central America, with a population of over 600,000. Founded by the Spaniard Pedro De Alvarado in 1525, the city is a blend of modern buildings and colonial architecture, broad plazas and monuments, amusement parks and shopping centres. The most important public buildings are downtown. Standing within a short distance of each other are the Catedral Metropolitana (metropolitan cathedral), the Palacio Nacional (national palace), the National Treasury and the Teatro Nacional (national theatre). Among the many beautiful colonial churches to be seen are St Ignatius Loyola (once the shrine of the 'Virgin of Guadeloupe') with a traditional Spanish colonial façade, the Juayua and the Suchitoto. The amusement park on San Jacinto Mountain can be reached by cable car and gives a panoramic view of the city. Balboa Park, 11km (7 miles) from the capital, and the 1200m (3900ft) rock formation, the Puerta del Diablo (devil's doorway), just south of Balboa Park, also give a bird's-eye view of San Salvador

Excursions

From San Salvador, excursions can be made by road to Panchimalco, 15km (9 miles) south of the capital, around which live the Pancho Indians (pure-blooded descendants of the original Pipil tribes), who retain many of their old traditions and dress. The village of San Sebastian, approximately one hour by car from San Salvador, is known for its beautiful woven materials. The village is situated near Lake Ilopango, the largest of El Salvador's lakes, surrounded by volcanoes and mountains, and is a popular destination for outdoor and watersports enthusiasts. The mountain village of Ilobasco, northeast of the capital, is renowned for its beauty and its craftwork

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

El Salvador has a number of ancient archaeological sites from the Maya civilisation, some dating back to the third century BC. The Mayan village of Joya de Cerén was buried under volcanic ash 1400 years ago and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Also close to the capital is the San Andrés region, where fertile soil once housed Mayan settlements and where the architectural jewel, the acropolis, is a highlight. El Salvador's earliest people lived between 300BC and AD1200 at Chalchuapa in the Tazumal region, 78km (46 miles) from San Salvador. During this period, five important ceremonial centres were built: Pampe, El Trapiche, Las Victorias, Casablanca and the beautiful ruins at Tazumal, which boasts structures over 30m (90 ft) high and a ball court where the Maya practised an unusual sporting rite. Other interesting sites include the pre-Columbian Tehuacán site near San Vicente; the monumental Santa Letìcía sculptures near the town of San Miguel; and the pre-Columbian village of Quelepa, also in San Miguel

VOLCANOES & PARKS

There are more than 25 volcanoes in El Salvador, only three of which - the Izalco, San Miguel and Santa Ana (the largest) - are still considered active. The extinct San Salvador volcano is within close proximity of the capital. Another extinct volcano, the easily accessible Cerro Verde in the west, is located within the Cerro Verde National Park, also home to the popular and beautiful Lake Coatepeque, which sits on top of a volcanic crater. The nearby Santa Ana volcano, which is still active and last erupted in 1966, is located near the town of Santa Ana, whose cathedral is the most famous in El Salvador. Also within the area is the El Imposible National Park, the country's most important ecological reserve, where varied vegetation and fauna offers a refuge for numerous bird and wildlife species, including the rare Black Hawk Eagle

THE COAST

El Salvador has a 320km (200-mile) Pacific Coast with resort hotels, unspoiled beaches, fishing villages and pine views. Beaches include Los Cóbanos, El Sunzal, La Barra de Santiago, El Cuco and El Tamarindo. The best resorts tend to be found along the Costa del Sol, easily accessible via a modern highway.