About El Salvador
As the smallest country in Central America, El Salvador is just the size of the U.S. state, Massachusetts. It’s endearingly called the “Tom Thumb of Central America.” Its capital city is San Salvador. The national currency is the U.S. dollar and official language is Spanish. El Salvador has a tropical climate with the dry season November to April and wet season May to October. It is the only country in Central America to not lie on the Caribbean. The Pacific lowlands are usually hot and humid, while the central plateau and mountain areas are more moderate. In 2024, I spent 2 days in El Salvador, exploring Suchito and the coast. So, check out my El Salvador Travel Guides below for information on these destinations.
In 1821, Spain granted the Act Of Independence of Central America, and El Salvador joined the Federal Republic of Central America. Then, in 1841 El Salvador declared its independence from the republic. During the Salvadoran Civil War this resilient country became deeply embroiled in it for 12 years from 1979 to 1992. At least 80,000 Salvadoran died during these years. Like many of the civil wars in Central America at this time, it was another proxy war between the Soviet Union and the U.S. The U. S. backed the Salvadoran government, sending it a million dollars a day. Meanwhile, the Left-wing Rebel Guerillas became backed by Soviet Union and Fidel Castro’s regime from Cuba. There were many human right violations toward sympathizers of the guerillas. It all started during a coup in 1979 and ended when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1992.
Agriculture is the biggest contributor to the Salvadoran economy, especially coffee, cacao and indigo. El Salvador is making a comeback on the production of what the Mayans called “Blue Gold.” As the largest producer of natural indigo dye in Latin America for centuries, it collapsed after the synthetic version took over in the 19th century. Now, there’s a revival for the Salvadoran sustainable natural indigo.
Since the early 21st century, El Salvador experienced high gang-related crimes and juvenile delinquency. It made a crescendo in March 2022 after 87 deaths in 3 days. The president declared a state of emergency, allowing the legal arrest of anyone being a gang member. Thousands of gang member have been sent to prison. Overall, this crackdown seemed to dramatically improve the safety and lower the gang related crime rate.
El Salvador remains most known for its beaches on the Pacific Ocean and volcanoes. It’s especially gaining popularity for its growing surf scene. The best beaches include El Zonte, El Tunco, La Libertad , El Sunzal, La Costa del Sol, El Majahual, and Punta Roca beach. The most hiked volcanoes are Santa Ana and Izalco.
El Salvador Travel Guides
El Salvador’s Revival of Natural Indigo for Ecotours and a Sustainable Future
El Salvador is making a comeback on the production of what the Mayans called “Blue Gold.” As the largest producer of natural indigo dye in Latin America for centuries, it collapsed after the synthetic version took over in the 19th century. Now, there’s a revival for the Salvadoran sustainable natural indigo. During my recent El…
Wonderful El Salvador Travel Highlights at Suchito and Beachfront Hotel
Travelling in El Salvador is full of surprises. Being about the same size as the state of Massachusetts, this small country is immensely filled with history, culture and biodiversity. The Civil War from the 80’s seems light years away with tourist destinations that are safe and fascinating. Join me on my 4-day adventure to learn…
