El Salvador is located in Central America. Its neighboring
countries are Guatemala and Honduras. Most of the natural
beauties are in the department around Santa Ana.
El
Salvador is only a "banana republic" in a figurative sense and
as such has repeatedly been the victim of US interventions.
Instead, in the 19th century it was dependent on indigo
cultivation and later on coffee as the main monoculture product
for the world market. Today, the only evidence of the numerous
German immigrants of the late 19th century is the place name
Berlin (Berlín) in the department of Usulután.
Since the
coup by the fascist Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in 1931 (in
office until 1944), all subsequent presidents until 1980, with
one exception, were army officers who manipulated the elections
held. In 1932, La Matanza began - "the massacre," which brought
an end to the physical and cultural existence of the indigenous
peoples of El Salvador. The unrest was triggered by the fall in
coffee prices caused by the global economic crisis.
The
100-hour football war in July 1969 is better known
internationally. It was triggered by the forced remigration of
hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans who had occupied
undeveloped Honduran land as a result of the Honduran land
reform since 1966. Since around 1972, several progressive
guerrilla groups have been operating, and the paramilitary
Organización Democrática Nacionalista fought them. At this time,
Catholic liberation theology gained importance, driven forward
by local Jesuits and Archbishop Óscar Romero as a leading
figure. He was canonized in 2018, although the Roman Curia had
had great difficulty with the positions he represented during
his lifetime.
In the first few years after the Peace of
Chapultepec in 1992, there was a small amount of land reform and
improved living conditions for the general public. Since the end
of the civil war, the political landscape had developed from an
authoritarian system to a democratic state. However, the
right-wing conservative ARENA party, which practiced nepotism,
was mostly in power. This ended with the election of the radical
market liberal Nayib Bukele, who converted to Islam and became
internationally known when he made Bitcoin legal tender. The
"hard hand" in combating gang crime is also attracting
attention. The measures that mock any rule of law have made the
streets safer, but the neoliberal "economic reforms" initiated
in parallel ensured that in 2024, in absolute terms, twice as
many Salvadorans will live below the poverty line than when
Bukele took power in 2019. Even then, the poverty rate was 48%.
El Salvador, about the size of Hesse and barely larger than Lower Austria, is a beautiful country with friendly people, a stunning palm-lined coastline, huge volcanic craters and cool waterfalls in green forests. The coastal region on the Pacific is spoiled by waves and dotted with beaches that look like dark sand and steep cliffs. Water birds and fish as well as sea turtles are plentiful. The higher regions are mostly cooler and characterized by forests.
1 San Salvador - capital.
2 Ahuachapán in the west.
3 Puerto de
la Libertad, beach destination on the Pacific.
4 San Miguel the
largest city in the east. Known for its carnival in November.
5 Santa
Tekla
6 Sonsonate
7 Suchitoto , the "cultural capital" and former
heartland of the revolution. Today one of the most important centers of
tourism in El Salvador. Spanish colonial architecture and the old
cobblestone streets attract many visitors. Lake Suchitlán is the largest
dammed body of water in the country and is located nearby.
8
Zacatecoluca
Joya de Cerén .
Tazumal
Gruta del Espiritu Santo (Cueva del Espíritu Santo) infoedit near Corinto.
El Boquerón National Park (Parque nacional El Boquerón, Crater del
Volcán de San Salvador; ascent from Álvarez, a village 20 km from the
center of San Salvador). Information center with marked hiking trail to
the two craters.
El Impossible National Park (Parque nacional El
Imposible). The name "impossible" comes from a gorge here through which
the coffee harvest had to be carried under the most difficult
conditions.
The Ruta de las Flores connects nearby, picturesque
mountain villages.
In the mountains at the border triangle with
Guatemala and Honduras is the Trifinio Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve,
the Salvadoran part of which includes the Montecristo National Park
(Montecristo Trifinio NP in Honduras). On the flanks of the three peaks
over 2000 meters high, temperatures are pleasant at 6-18 °C. The
information center with campsite opens from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. You
can get there via Metapán on National Road 12.
Cerro Verde National
Park (Parque nacional Los Volcanes; 1 hour by bus from Sta. Ana). Here
are the volcanoes Cerro Verde, Izalco and Santa Ana. Throughout history,
the Izalco was called the "lighthouse of the Pacific" because it served
as a guide at night for ships sailing along the Salvadoran coast during
196 years of uninterrupted activity. The Cerro Verde has long been
extinct, with cloud forest on its slopes. Since the last eruption of
Santa Ana in 2005, unaccompanied visits have been prohibited. The cloud
forests are home to a number of tropical bird species, including
hummingbirds. The latter are numerous in the area around the visitor
center in the middle of the park. It gets busy on the last weekend in
September, when the Festival del Jocote Corona takes place. Food made
from the red Mombin plum is served. Open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Price:
Foreigners' price US$6, payable at the Caseta de Colecturía below the
Cerro Verde peak.
There are three tourist zones:
Cerro Verde
sector, easily accessible via a paved road from the town of Izalco.
There is a tourist center, hiking trails, an orchidarium, viewpoints, a
cafeteria, local guides and a mountain hotel (Casa 1800 at the summit,
luxurious) as well as three campsites. From here, hikes to the other
volcanoes are organized with the accompaniment of the tourist police
(POLITUR) (which, due to the poor security situation, served primarily
to protect against attacks until the end of 2022).
The San Blas
sector can be reached by car via a 200-meter-long gravel bypass road, 11
kilometers after the turnoff to Cerro Verde. Here, too, there is a park
ranger station, cafeteria, simple huts, including igloo-shaped ones, for
overnight stays. Hiking trails start from here.
Los Andes sector, 6.5
km along a dirt road (four-wheel drive required) from the country road
to Cerro Verde (8.4 kilometers after it begins in the village), is the
quietest sector with a park ranger station, a visitor center. A
biological station provides information. There are well-equipped camping
and picnic areas, orchidarium, an eco-lodge for "deck camping" and the
hiking trail to the Santa Ana crater with its lake. To hike the other
two peaks (challenging) you need 4+ hours there and back. Guides wait at
the parking lot in the morning.
Coatepeque Caldera (Lago de
Coatepeque; 25 km from Sta. Anan to El Poevnir. First on the CA-1 to El
Congo, then turn off). At an altitude of 745 m, 18 km south of Santa
Ana. The "Coatepeque" means "mountain of snakes" in the Nahuatl
language. It is up to 115 m deep and measures 25.3 km². At the southern
end of the lake is the island of Teopan (= Isla del Cerro) with some
Mayan ruins. The development of a tourist infrastructure has only just
begun. A few hotels are mainly on the north and northeast shore. For
swimming, you can get into the water via piers. Private excursion boats
also sail from the village of El Poevnir.
San Marcelino volcano (from
Izalco or San Isidro (9 km), possibly with a guided tour). Loose tree
population, a good 1200 meters high, about 500 towering over the
surrounding landscape. No longer part of the national park, but is
accessible.
If you take the southern route from San Isisdrio you come
to Cueva El Escorpión ("Scorpion Cave"), a large cavern on the hillside.
Cascada de Tamanique, La Libertad
Cascadas Los Tercios, Suchitoto
Cascada La Golondrinera, Sonsonate
Salto San Antonio
Revolution Museum (Museo de la Revolución Salvadoreña; in Perquín, a
mountain village near the Honduran border). Shows the activities of the
FMLN liberation movement. Open: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Revolutionary Museum
(Museo de la Revolución Héroes de La Sabana), Oyushtada.
Events
Various places hold a harvest festival, the Festival de
Maíz, every year. The largest and most famous is in 13 Chalatenango.
Every August 31st, the Festival de las Bolas de Fuego is celebrated
in 14 Nejapa, where burning fabric balls dipped in kerosene are thrown
between two groups on the street. This commemorates the volcanic
eruption of 1658.
Water sports
There are usually no lifeguards
or rescue boats. Underwater currents near the coast often lead to
accidents.
The coastal strip near El Tunco (with three good
surfing spots), Playa San Blas and Playa San Diego is marketed as Surf
City. There are many hostels for backpackers, but also hotels for
slightly higher demands. At weekends, many locals come from the city to
relax in El Tunco. In the hinterland is the Walter Thilo Deininger
Nature Park, where five circular trails provide information about nature
and lead to caves. El Tunco is a small town on the Pacific coast about
an hour's drive from San Salvador and about 15 minutes' drive from El
Puerto de La Libertad. The town is well developed for tourism, safe with
its own police station and offers an exciting nightlife with bars and
restaurants right by the sea and in the lively, bright streets. From
Latino to house in the various bars to live jazz and rock concerts in
the bar of the Hotel La Guitarra, there is something for everyone.
Other seaside resorts on the Pacific are Amatecampo, Playa El
Pimental and El Zapote, located on a headland
Las Flores -
popular with surfers.
If you are looking for a calmer sea and
sandy beaches, you are better off on the islands in the Gulf of Fonseca,
which are not always easy to reach. Boats mainly leave from La Unión at
the Muelle Municipal. The tax-free private city of Bitcoin City is also
to be built near this town. There is also El Zonte (Bitcoin Beach).
Isla Conchagüita . 8.5 km² of volcanic origin. Nature reserve. There
are two resorts with holiday apartments.
Meanguera del Golfo
(neighboring island of Conchagüita. Boats from La Uníon, approx. 1
hour). A village with accommodation and a boat dock is in the southeast
of the island. In the middle of the entrance to the Gulf of Fonseca
there is also a border police station. In the south, the sandy beach of
El Mahahual is only a 500m walk away. Right up in the north is Playa
Peladero. On the east coast are El Zambullido (village) and the sandy
beach of Las Cuevitas.
Isla Zacatillo (9 kilometers southeast of
Pueto La Uníon). The 4 km² Zacatillo was a prison island in the past. A
well-known beach is Playa de Caguamo.
The boats from La Unión dock at
Playa Playona after a stop in the village of Playa La Pesa (two shops
and the Hotel Los Coquitos). Here is the simple Hostal Crustaceo del
Pacifico, Tel. +50379098537 with a restaurant.
Isla Martín Pérez
(entry only with the permission of the military commander in El Unión).
The island's beaches were considered the most beautiful in the Gulf.
However, for some time now, this has been a protected area (protección
verde) for pelicans, raccoons, iguanas and armadillos. The population
has been relocated.
El Salvador's civilization dates back to pre-Columbian times, around
1500 BC, according to evidence provided by the ancient structures of
Tazumal in Chalchuapa.
The Spanish admiral Andrés Niño led an
expedition to Central America and landed on Meanguera Island, located in
the Gulf of Fonseca, on May 31, 1522. This was the first Salvadoran
territory visited by the Spanish. In June 1524, the Spanish captain
Pedro de Alvarado began a predatory war against the native tribes of
Cuzcatlán. During 17 days of bloody battles many natives and Spaniards
died. Pedro de Alvarado was defeated and, with an injury to his left
hip, abandoned the fight and fled to Guatemala, appointing his brother,
Gonzalo de Alvarado, to continue the conquest of Cuzcatlán. Later, his
cousin Diego de Alvarado established the Villa de San Salvador in April
1525. King Charles I of Spain (who also ruled in what is now Germany as
Karl V) granted San Salvador the title of City in the year 1546. During
the next few years,
Towards the end of 1810, the criollos
(descendants of Europeans born in the Spanish colonies), who had long
been excluded from more real power in the colonies, wanted to overthrow
the small elite of the peninsulares (people born on the peninsula) and
the colonial administration. The moment to fight for independence from
Spain came in the early morning of November 5, 1811, when the Salvadoran
priest, José Matías Delgado, rang the bells of the La Merced Church in
San Salvador, calling for insurrection. As with most former Spanish
colonies, independence was made more likely by the fact that Spain was
occupied by Napoleonic troops and the colonial administration was unsure
whether they should be loyal to the previous king or the new king chosen
by Napoleon. After much infighting and setbacks that made independence
seem unlikely, the Acta de Independencia (Central American Act of
Independence) was signed in Guatemala on September 15, 1821. Like the
other four Central American states that gained independence that day,
While independence brought more political participation (at least in
theory) to the (white) landed elites and the urban middle class, the
indigenous population did not benefit at all and in fact continued to be
further disenfranchised and dispossessed. By 1900, over 90% of the land
was held by just 0.01% of the population, a situation that would prove
to threaten the country's political stability for much of the time to
come.
The fraudulent elections of January 1932 were the trigger for the
social upheaval. Several polling stations were suspended in towns where
the Communist Party had a strong presence. A new insurrection began.
After rebel forces carried out two unsuccessful assaults on the Cavalry
Barracks, the government ordered martial law. Strict press censorship
was implemented. In the following days, thousands of farmers and
workers, carrying machetes and some "Mauser" rifles, attacked police
stations, municipal offices, telegraph stations, warehouses and the
properties of wealthy landowners. This insurrection was crushed. On
January 31, Manuel Antonio Castañeda sentenced Farabundo Martí to death.
He was shot dead on February 1, 1932. Another sad consequence of the
uprising and its suppression was "la Matanza" (the Matanza), a mass
massacre of indigenous people (many of them sympathizers of Martí but
many of them not) simply for being indigenous, looking indigenous,
wearing clothes considered indigenous, or speaking indigenous languages.
While not all indigenous people were actually killed, it dealt a major
blow to indigenous culture and even today less than 1% of Salvadorans
self-identify as indigenous, the lowest number in all of Central
America. While this is partly due to fear of being discriminated against
or stereotyped by identifying as indigenous, there are some people of
indigenous descent who have lost all ties to the culture of their
ancestors and do not self-identify as indigenous because of this. a mass
killing of indigenous people (many of them sympathizers of Martí but
many of them not) simply for being indigenous, looking indigenous,
wearing clothes considered indigenous, or speaking indigenous languages.
While not all indigenous people were actually killed, it dealt a huge
blow to indigenous culture and even today less than 1% of Salvadorans
self-identify as indigenous, the lowest number in all of Central
America. While this is partly due to fear of being discriminated against
or stereotyped for identifying as indigenous, there are some people of
indigenous descent who have lost all ties to the culture of their
ancestors and do not self-identify as indigenous because of this. There
was a mass killing of indigenous people (many of them sympathetic to
Martí but many of them not) simply for being indigenous, looking
indigenous, wearing clothes considered indigenous, or speaking
indigenous languages. While not all indigenous people were actually
killed, it dealt a huge blow to indigenous culture and even today less
than 1% of Salvadorans self-identify as indigenous, the lowest number in
all of Central America. While this is partly due to the fear of being
discriminated against or stereotyped by identifying as indigenous, there
are some people of indigenous descent who have lost all ties to the
culture of their ancestors and do not self-identify as indigenous so
they wear clothing that is considered indigenous or speak indigenous
languages. While not all indigenous people were actually killed, it
dealt a huge blow to indigenous culture and even today less than 1% of
Salvadorans self-identify as indigenous, the lowest number in all of
Central America. While this is partly due to the fear of being
discriminated against or stereotyped by identifying as indigenous, there
are some people of indigenous descent who have lost all ties to the
culture of their ancestors and do not self-identify as indigenous so
they wear clothing that is considered indigenous or speak indigenous
languages. While not all indigenous people were actually killed, it
dealt a huge blow to indigenous culture and even today less than 1% of
Salvadorans self-identify as indigenous, the lowest number in all of
Central America. While this is partly due to fear of being discriminated
against or stereotyped when identifying as indigenous, there are some
people of indigenous descent who have lost all ties to the culture of
their ancestors and do not self-identify as indigenous because of that.
Over the next few decades, many coups 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 so-called four-day football war, as it was called by the
international media, broke out in July 1969 after a FIFA World Cup
qualifying match between the two countries. The war ended with a
ceasefire driven by pressure from the United States and the Organization
of American States. Salvadoran forces that had invaded Honduras were
withdrawn. They were just a few kilometers from Tegucigalpa, the capital
of Honduras.
An organized leftist guerrilla movement emerged in
1974 and 1975, amidst increasing political violence. In 1980, three of
the leftist organizations joined together to coordinate a struggle
against the government. This movement was called FMLN (Frente Farabundo
Martí para la Liberación Nacional. English: Farabundo Martí National
Liberation Front). In March of the same year, Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo
Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, was assassinated while
celebrating mass. It is widely believed that the order for his execution
came from Major Roberto D'Abuisson, the founder and leader of ARENA, a
right-wing party. D'Abuisson is best known for his alleged involvement
in death squad killings. He died of cancer in 1992. On January 16, 1992,
the government of El Salvador and the FMLN signed the Chapultepec Peace
Accords. Mexico, putting an end to one of the most painful chapters in
El Salvador's history. The 12-year armed conflict claimed the lives of
more than 75,000 people and caused the exodus of hundreds of thousands
more who fled to the United States, Canada and other countries to escape
the violence.
The FMLN has become a legal political party and won
between 30 and 40% of the vote in elections from 1997 to 2015, but won
less than a quarter of the vote in 2018. Aside from economic problems, a
big problem the country still faces is also something of a legacy of the
war, as some people who left El Salvador ended up in US prisons and,
upon release, were deported to El Salvador bringing with them the
US-style gang culture. As many of these people were very young when they
left El Salvador, more or less their only source of identity was the
gang culture, so combating these extremely violent groups has proven to
be extremely difficult.
Today, El Salvador is stable and with a
growing economy, leaving its painful history behind.
Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to
April); tropical on the coast; temperate in the highlands.
As
this is a tropical country, the temperature does not depend much on the
season, but on the altitude and time of day. If you have never been to
the tropics and want to capture a sunrise or sunset, be very quick, as
the sun sets and rises much faster than in temperate or even polar
areas.
Apart from the official language, Spanish, little Nahuatl is spoken. English is often spoken in hotels. Being able to speak Spanish is a great advantage, because if you speak English you are immediately mistaken for an American, and they are not popular everywhere.
Citizens from Germany, Austria and Switzerland do not need a visa or
tourist card to enter the country. They can benefit from the 4-country
zone (CA-4): the entry permit is also valid for a 90-day stay in
Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala. On arrival, a tourist card (tarjeta
migratoria) costs US$ 12. However, this is not required for all
visa-exempt nationals (not Schengen-EU in 2023) and is generally free of
charge for children and young people. Nor if you spend less than 48
hours in transit.
Children who are only travelling with one
parent need the other parent's certified permission in Spanish.
When entering directly from countries with a risk of yellow fever (South
America!), you need the international vaccination certificate.
Airplane
The only international airport is the Aeropuerto
Internacional "Monseñor Óscar Arnulfo Romero" (= El Salvador
International Airport, formerly Comalapa International Airport) in San
Salvador. Since 2014 it has been named after Óscar Romero, the
Archbishop of San Salvador who was murdered in 1980.
In 2024, you
can only fly directly from Europe from Madrid. Otherwise you have to
change in Mexico or the USA. For the latter, you need a biometric
passport as well as a “visa waiver” and ESTA.
Train
As in all
of Central America, there is no rail service. It is not yet clear
whether and when the Acajutla – Sitio del Niño route, which was decided
to reopen in 2022, will take place.
Bus
Entry into San
Salvador by bus with the Tica Bus company is convenient and safe. There
are also other companies such as Cristobal Colón. Entry can be made from
Guatemala City or Nicaragua. From the terminal in the capital, taxis
from Tica Bus Terminal drive to your destination at affordable prices (1
hour around $30). There are air-conditioned minibuses that travel a
fixed route for $1.50 and are monitored by video cameras. These are a
very cheap alternative to taxis, which are considered safe.
Entry
and exit is extremely easy. At Cristobal Colón, the information on a
list is compared with the passport (without a stamp).
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
The Pan-American Highway runs through El
Salvador and is a good way to enter by car. The border crossing with
Guatemala is in Guevara/San Cristobal.
Ship
Ruta del Golfo
operates a 28-seat passenger ferry between Potosí (Nicaragua) and La
Unión in El Salvador. The office there is 17 Avenida Norte #3, Santa
Tecla, La Libertad (Tel. +503 2525-6464). This allows you to bypass
Honduras and two border crossings. Departures are at least once a week.
For sports sailors there are marinas in Bahia del Sol and Isla
Meanguera in the Gulf of Fonseca. Barrilas can no longer be used for
international arrivals. The ports of Acajutla and Puerto La Unión are
for commercial use and are not suitable for yachts.
To avoid criminal taxi drivers, use hotel taxis or radio taxis
ordered by phone. Journeys should only be made in licensed taxis (the
first character of the license plate is an "A") or buses with their own
security personnel or a surveillance camera.
Private bus
companies are considered safer (in terms of crime, not vehicle quality)
than the state-run ones.
Bicycle tours are not recommended.
Driving yourself
Rental cars are a good way to get from A to B.
You can usually get one from the age of 21, provided you have had your
driving license for a year. The European card driving license is valid,
but it is still advisable to carry the international one.
It is
important to remember to adapt to the flow of traffic and not to be
surprised if you are overtaken on the right, for example. The roads are
quite good, but you should watch out for potholes and animals on the
road. In contrast to neighboring countries, corruption in the police
force in El Salvador is uncommon.
The traffic signs are based on
the American model, but with Spanish lettering, which is used uniformly
for the Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana in Costa Rica,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador.
In the
event of an accident involving personal injury, the driver may be
detained for up to 72 hours and have his documents and vehicle
confiscated.
The Yanqui dollar (US$) has been the country's currency since 2001.
In July 2021, Bitcoin also became legal tender, with the use of the
government-controlled app Chivos being declared the standard for payment
(its 5 million user data was hacked online in April 2024). Acceptance in
everyday life remains low, although shops must in principle have a
corresponding reader available.
Particular caution should be
exercised when withdrawing money from banks or ATMs. Only do this inside
secure buildings. Most machines have a withdrawal limit of US$ 400
(2023). Copying credit card data is also a common occurrence.
The
price level is higher than in Guatemala and Honduras, but the quality is
not.
Fruit and vegetables: cheapest on the side of the road, at
the market or from traveling traders.
Fish: on the beach directly
from the boat when the fishermen return; from traveling traders or at
the "Confederacion de los Pescadores", better not at the market as it is
often not refrigerated.
Puerto de La Libertad: Lots of shopping
opportunities and places of interest with a fish market on the pier, a
collection of countless market stalls and shops (clothes, fruit,
vegetables, lentils, beans, eggs, flour, pharmacy, supermarket etc.) and
an American supermarket, ice cream parlor nearby
You should not buy
jewelry or similar that is being offered by children. They should
actually be going to school instead of having to sell things.
As everywhere in Central America, corn is the staple food. The dishes
are similar to those of the neighboring countries Guatemala and
Nicaragua.
A typical dish in El Salvador is pupusas: round corn
flatbreads filled with cheese, beans, chicken, shrimp, loroco (a native
flower similar to asparagus), ayote (a type of pumpkin), spinach, etc.
They are available on many corners and are eaten with sauerkraut and
carrots. Three pieces - the usual portion size - for just over a dollar
will already make you feel full. In tourist regions, the flatbreads are
significantly more expensive, at up to $2.50 for three pieces. They
taste good everywhere.
You can have a hearty breakfast in
restaurants on every corner. We recommend the typical local first meal
of the day with fried or scrambled eggs, frijoles (mashed beans), rice,
avocado and fried bananas.
In touristy places like El Tunco you
can get pretty much anything your stomach desires, from sushi (which you
can eat there without worrying about stomach problems), pizza, pasta,
waffles, delicious fresh fish to falafel.
In San Rafael Obrajuelo
the Festival del Cerdo takes place on the Sunday closest to the
traditional name day (October 24th) of this archangel. Vegetarians and
Muslims should avoid the streets of the town on this day. The old town
is also worth a visit during the rest of the year.
There are many places to go out in San Salvador, as the range of culturally interesting activities is surprisingly large. However, some areas should be avoided, especially at night. The best way to get around is by taxi and ask at your hotel about places that you can visit without any worries as a tourist.
Luxurious resorts can be found on the beaches that cater to American
surfers.
As in neighboring countries, motels are primarily used
for discreet trysts, so hourly rentals are not unusual. In some
establishments, the gentleman does not have to bring his lady with him.
Semana Santa, Holy Week, is celebrated extensively, as everywhere in Latin America. This is when the beaches of the Pacific coast are at their peak for locals. New Year's Eve is celebrated vigorously in El Salvador. The music starts in the middle of the night and blares until the early hours when it gets light again. It is tradition to welcome the New Year with the sunrise. Many celebrations last until midday on January 1st or later.
Tourist Police (POLITUR): 911 or (503) 2511-8300
The
possession of firearms and other weapons is widespread. There is a risk
of violent crime: theft, robbery, rape, etc. The "policy of the hard
hand" (Manos Duras), which began in 2014 and has been tightened since
mid-2022, has led to the arrest of tens of thousands of gang members
(and many innocent people). There are no prevention and reintegration
measures, instead the focus is on escalating violence and funding
weapons and security forces. In the large Terrorism Confinement Center
prison, which is designed to hold 100,000 prisoners, there are 100 m²
cells for (as planned) the same number of inmates. Until the beginning
of 2022, Quetzaltepeque, Mejicanos, Ilopango, Soyapango and the
districts of San Salvador were considered particularly dangerous. Two
years later, it is reported that the large cities are "as safe as the
USA" - which, at least from a European perspective, is not necessarily a
recommendation. Shooting is often done during robberies. The murder rate
from 2001 to 2020 fluctuated around 70 per 100,000 inhabitants, more
than twice as high as in the rest of Central America, which is also a
serious crime-ridden area. For comparison, the value for the EU is below
1!
One can only speculate whether the improved security situation
will survive the end of the state of emergency or Bukele's presidency,
as it can be assumed that the former conservative, corrupt cliques will
then again exploit the state for their own benefit, while the underlying
social problems linked to poverty are not addressed.
The hygiene standards are considerably lower than in the western
world. Medical care is adequate in terms of medical specialists and
medication, i.e. better than in neighboring countries. Hospitals usually
require an advance payment before treatment.
It is recommended
not to drink tap water and to brush your teeth with bottled water.
Vegetables and fruit should be peeled and/or cooked. Hands should be
washed frequently, especially before meals. When swimming in the sea
near rivers, make sure not to swallow any water.
Good mosquito
protection is recommended, especially during the day, as various
diseases are transmitted by the stinging insects. It is best to inquire
about symptoms and treatments at the Tropical Institute before
traveling.
The country, like all of Central America, is in an
earthquake zone. In the east near San Miguel is the imposing
Chaparrastique volcano: the last eruption occurred in November 2022. The
highest volcano in the west near Santa Ana, at 2381m, is Ilamatepec in
Cerro Verde National Park.
What was said about poisonous snakes
in Guatemala also applies here.
The climate is tropical with a dry season from November to April and
a rainy season from May/June to October. During the rainy season, heavy
rain can lead to flooding within a short period of time. Hurricanes
occur from June to November, but especially between mid-August and
mid-October. As a result of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, large parts of the
country were severely damaged by floods and landslides.
The
year-round warm temperatures of around 30°C (on the plains) and high
humidity mean that bathing is possible at any time. The sea has
temperatures between 25°C and 28°C.
At the higher elevations of
the volcanoes, it cools down to 6–8°C at night, and during the day it is
16–24°C.
The weather service website provides current weather
forecasts, with subpages for earthquake, tsunami and volcano warnings.
The earthquakes in January and February 2001 caused severe damage.
The people in El Salvador are relatively conservative and, despite
the high temperatures, usually wear long trousers (also to protect
themselves from mosquitoes). Women rarely wear clothing that shows their
legs and, if they do, it usually reaches down to their knees. In
general, the locals are somewhat reserved and polite. Loud behavior and
boasting about wealth is not appropriate.
The country has one of
the strictest abortion bans in the world.
Small post offices handle mail reliably. Internet and telephony are
common, but in smaller towns with few accommodations there is often no
WiFi.
As in neighboring countries, Claro and Tigo are the two
largest mobile phone providers. If you need data, Claro is the better
choice. Both have good 4G coverage in the cities and along the country
roads. In 2024, coverage will remain poor outside of the city. There are
also Digizell and Movistar. The use of the messenger Telegram has been
blocked by Salvadoran ISPs since June 2024.
Foreign representations
See also: Consulates in San Salvador
Although Switzerland and Austria have consular representation, their
offices have very limited powers. Passport matters for Swiss and
Liechtenstein citizens are handled in San José (Costa Rica). For
Austrians, Mexico City is the place of responsibility.