Fun facts:
- El Salvador uses US currency.
- El Salvador is a surfer’s paradise.
- El Salvador is located in Central America and it is the only country without a Caribbean coastline.
I stayed 7 days in El Salvador. When you arrive at immigration, there is a $12 fee. I also had the pleasure of renting a car from Alamo. The cost was $325 for the 7 days. This was my first time driving on vacation, and I do not regret it. I encourage anyone to do so because everything is just far, or you can hire a driver. My fight was with Spirit Airlines (yuck). It was the only airline that was decently priced and had a good time schedule. Here is my itinerary for this trip:
Day 1: Arrival day
I arrived at 8am. Picked up the car and then headed to my airbnb. The link to the airbnb is https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/53576520?source_impression_id=p3_1659589455_mCbzFefa0NwC64zw. The unit looks just like the pictures being advertised. Great location as well. The host was very accommodating with allowing me to check in early. Only problem I had was one of the bathrooms hot water didn’t work well.
After checking in, I went to the rainbow slide located at the Picnic steakhouse (one of El Salvador’s main attraction). Lovely facility might I add. If you don’t want to do the slide, you can have a meal with some drinks there. Their speciality is steaks, obviously. The slide cost is $5. It was a fun ride. You can ride the slide as many times as you want. Once was good enough for me. After the slide, I had a few drinks, some fries and a chocolate cake.
Day 2:
Checked out of the airbnb and headed to a town called Nahuizalco. What a cute town that was very lively. Lots of food restaurants, and women selling goods, such as fruits, veggies, clothes, pots and pans, children items, souvenirs, and more. My favorite part was buying an icy for $1 (everything in El Salvador is CHEAP)! A group of school children wanted to take some pictures with me. They were so cute.
Side bar: There are NO black people in El Salvador.
After Nahuizalco, I went to El Tunco Beach. I cannot remember how long the drive was from Nahuizalco. All I remember that it was FAR! Entrance fee to the beach is $1 and parking fee is $3 for 5hrs. El Tunco beach is so beautiful. Lots of shops and restaurants. Before heading to the beach, I stopped to get lunch at Mamaguaya Restaurante. It was the first restaurant I spotted. I try to stay away from picking the first restaurant I see when there is so many to pick from, but the young gentleman in the front was very nice and spoke English which was great. I ordered a medium fish that came with rice, tortilla, veggies, and a piña colada. Piña coladas are better with real coconut milk. It taste so much sweetener.
After lunch, I checked out the beach. It wasn’t too pleasant being that I had to step on so many rocks. I did like the fact that it was a different vibe for me. I’m so used to seeing sand at the beach. This beach was made up of rocks and black sand.
Next stop was Tamanique waterfalls. It was a 20min ride from El Tunco beach. The pictures I saw online of the waterfall felt deceiving lol. I thought I would be able to just walk up to the waterfall, and I also thought there wouldn’t be a HIKE. Well, let me tell you there is a hike, and it’s no baby hike. I didn’t plan for two hikes on this trip lol. The hike all together was at least 3hrs (I think I’m being generous). Also, go during the day so that you can get clearer pictures. If I could go back in time, I would’ve went to the waterfall instead of the beach, and added the beach on a different day. I didn’t like how my pictures came out at all. We win some and lose some I suppose. Also, a tour guide is needed. The cost is $15.
After the waterfall, I checked into Mandela Eco Villas. I don’t recommend staying here more than 1 night (breakfast is included). There is literally nothing to do but lounge. I went for the esthetic. I am a fan of greenery! I loved the huts we slept in. They also offer a day pass for $20/person.
Day 3:
Checked out of Mandela Eco Villas and headed to Cafe Albania. They offer 4 activities for a total of $38 (there is an option to just pay for each activity separately). You can also grab a bite to eat here as well. The activities they have is
the canopy (zip line), pendulum, surfboard, and bicycle flight. I did all the activities expect the zip line. I’m upset I didn’t get any good photos or videos of the activities I did. This is another main attraction that El Salvador offers. The pendulum kind of made my stomach turn. That drop was a very intense feeling and I refused to do it again to get a proper video! The surfboard and bicycle gave gave me an uneasy feeling. This activity made me realize I need a go pro and a drone.
After Cafe Albania I checked into Garten Hotel. I booked the penthouse room because of the tub! Who doesn’t love a nice tub? It was hard to get a room here. I wanted to stay here towards the end of my trip, but it was imperative to get my tub shot. Breakfast is also included, and they offer a day pass for $20.
Side bar: I did use the tub. I ran myself a bubble bath.
Later on that evening, I went out “clubbing” which I rarely do. I wanted to checkout a restaurant called the rooftop. It was empty when I went, so I went downstairs and partied at a restaurant called Chatos. Vibes were nice, and the food and drinks were dirt cheap. They sell appetizer size foods for no more than $2 a piece and drinks were no more than $5 a drink. $20 can get you RIGHT!
Day 4:
Before checking out of Garten hotel, it was a MUST to enjoy the pool area. I love how a lot of hotels in El Salvador offer day passes. It gives off all are welcome even if you do not want to room with us.
Next stop on the list spend the day at Palo Verde hotel. They offer a day pass which cost $35 and it comes with a towel. The drinks and food were so good. The cabana beds are for guest only. This day was a well needed relaxing day. I have no complaints about Palo Verde.
Next hotel on the list is Hotel Finca Campo Bello. They are known for their igloo style hotels. It is 5mins away from the Santa Ana volcano. I loved the view of the volcano called Izalco.
Day 5: Santa Ana Volcano day
This is hike #2. This was the only hike I planned for.
Fun Facts:
- The hike is approximately 4hrs long. It depends on how fast you and your group are going.
- There are 172 volcanos in El Salvador. 6 of them are active and monitored daily.
- Santa Ana is the highest volcano of them all.
- Santa Ana volcano last erupted in 2005 and the only surviving thing was the aloe plant.
The big group price for the hike is $3/person. A small group price is $35/group. It’s the national park fee. You also get a bottle of water and a walking stick. Luckily we was paired with the Schisler family. They travel often and currently live in Mexico for the past 13yrs, so they spoke Spanish. I was grateful for them translating. The entrance fee to the volcano is $6. At the top, there is a man selling ice cream. I definitely indulged in some chocolate ice cream.
After that dreadful hike, time to check into the next spot: Casa Degraciela hotel boutique. I loved this spot. There are only 8 rooms in this facility. They offer valet service and breakfast is also included. Upon checking in you select a time and what you would like for breakfast. The staff was also very nice and pleasant. Also, the facility smelled and looked amazing. What attracted me to this establishment was the uniqueness. It’s like an escape from the busy street life (around the corner there is a market place).
Dinner time! I went to a restaurant called Xochikalko. Cute, small establishment. The margaritas were yummy. I ordered almond fish that came with rice and veggies, and ordered a side of French fries. Who would’ve thought to put almonds on some fish.
Day 6: Nawi Beach House
This is also another to do activity in El Salvador. I rented a cabana for the day. It was $100 and it included food, drinks, entrance fee, and a horse ride. The facility is lovely. There is a mini gym for the workout enthusiast lol. Also has a second floor that gives tree house vibes. I stayed at Nawi for about 5hrs. I recommend going here just for a relaxing day. Highlight of my night, I taught the staff how to do the Jerusalema dance!
I stayed the night at Lagarza Hostel. One night cost $135. The view of the pool and beach is amazing. What I found unique was how the shower is outside, very different. Breakfast is also included.
Day 7:
Check into my last Airbnb. Here is the link https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/40895694?source_impression_id=p3_1660086846_V32BR65JK8aqL8k4. I recommend this spot. Very homey, and the Netflix on the tv works. For dinner I went to Pupusería Suiza. The specialty is pupusa. You cannot come to El Salvador and not eat a pupusa! Pupusa’s is a breakfast and dinner thing. You will not find anyone selling pupa’s during lunch hours.
