One might consider all of El Salvador a hidden gem, given this country is far less visited than some of its neighboring Central American nations.
Still, El Salvador has its fair share of hotspots and complete off-the-beaten-path places. My one-week El Salvador itinerary checked off some of these typical tourist areas, but I also made it a point to explore some lesser-visited towns and areas.
So if you’re curious about small towns in El Salvador, calm beaches, and places you’ll find little-to-no tourists, keep reading for 9 underrated places this wonderful nation has to offer.
1. Parque Nacional El Imposible
For our first hidden gem of El Salvador, we head all the way west to along the Guatemalan border at Parque Nacional El Imposible (Impossible National Park).
This is a fitting name since it’s the closest thing to impossible to reach. However, those who make the trek are rewarded with some of the best hiking trails in Central America.
This tropical forest is home to a staggering number of unique flora and fauna. You might come across pumas, wild boars, and oncilla, while birdwatchers can get a sight of black-crested eagles and king hawks.
2. Mizata
Most beachgoers prioritize El Tunco and El Zonte. But if you’re looking for a calmer stretch of beach a bit further west, look no further than the Mizata area.
The beaches in this area are actually sandier and less rocky than the popular beaches in and around El Tunco, which are more known for their surfing than swimming or sunbathing. Mizata has several all-inclusive beachfront resorts and Airbnb’s for guests who are there to relax rather than party.
3. Nahuizalco
Nahuizalco is one of the five colonial towns along the beautiful Ruta de las Flores, a 21-mile stretch of road in the mountainous coffee-producing region of El Salvador.
Two towns along this route in particular, Juayua and Concepcion de Ataco, are most frequently visited. Juayua is known for its famous weekend food festival that attracts visitors from across the country. Ataco is my favorite small town in El Salvador, as it’s a touch less crowded than Juayua but with even more character.
However, visitors often skip Nahuizalco. While it doesn’t boast a famous food festival like Juayua or such colonial charm like Ataco, it’s special in its own right. Nahuizalco is where you’ll find the most native Nahuas people in the entire country (per capita). Most of the town’s 50,000 residents are indigenous. It wasn’t until I arrived that I realized the majority of residents have a darker skin tone than those in Juayua and Ataco.
Nahuizalco has some wonderful food and very friendly locals. You don’t need to spend a whole day here, but I recommend including it on a Ruta de las Flores day trip.
4. Volcan Izalco
Volcan Izalco isn’t necessarily the most off-the-beaten-path place in El Salvador. It’s located in regularly frequented Cerro Verde National Park.
But I’ve included it in my list of El Salvador hidden gems because it takes a backseat to neighboring Santa Ana Volcano. Most of the park’s visitors hike Santa Ana, which is the country’s most well-known and highest volcano. And because it’s not really feasible to hike two volcanoes in one day, Volcan Izalco gets summited significantly less.
When I arrived at Cerro Verde, windy conditions restricted access to Santa Ana. Therefore, I was forced to hike Volcan Izalco instead, which was not in my plans.
It turned out to be an awesome hike with jaw-dropping views at the summit. Volcan Izalco is actually a bit more difficult to summit than Santa Ana despite being a lower elevation, so you have to be in decent shape to do this 4-hour round trip walk. If you’re OK with a workout, you won’t be disappointed.
5. El Tamarindo and El Cuco
El Tamarindo is a quiet beach town close to the Gulf of Fonseca near the Nicaraguan border. Here, you’ll discover wide-open, mostly empty beaches, the most well-rounded of which is probably Playa Las Tunas. Playa El Cuco down the road is one of El Salvador’s best black sand beaches for surfing.
Fishing is the primary industry in this region, so the seafood is fantastic. If you want to get away from it all, you’ll be better off visiting the El Tamarindo and El Cuco areas over the more crowded El Tunco and El Zonte.
6. La Union
La Union is the largest city and hub of El Salvador’s southeast coast. This is an important port city on the Gulf of Fonseca often skipped by tourists. However, the Salvadoran government seems to recognize the importance and potential of this region, as they’ve recently invested millions of dollars into highway construction around the San Miguel and La Union areas.
Fishing is also the primary economic driver in La Union. Visitors can see numerous fishermen leave the shores early in the morning and return around lunchtime with their haul. Their daily returns typically go straight to the restaurants in town.
La Union isn’t your quintessential colonial, cobblestone-street Central American city. It’s definitely a market city with its fair share of chaos. But visitors are rewarded with an authentic experience,hospitality, and wonderful seafood. Plus, there are several inhabited islands offshore in the Gulf of Fonseca worth visiting for a day trip, most notable Isla Zacatillo.
7. Conchagua Volcano
La Union sits in the shadows of the towering Conchagua Volcano. If you’re watching a highlight video of El Salvador’s most beautiful places, there’s a good chance you’ll see a clip of La Union from the vantage point of Conchagua Volcano. The best viewpoint is called El Espiritu de la Montana.
The vantage point from the top is astonishing. If you’re lucky and avoid the fog, you can see Honduras and Nicaragua from the top. To give yourself the best chance at this, go early in the morning before the clouds and fog typically roll in. You can summit Conchagua via a few-hour hike, though getting to the trailhead requires a 4×4.
The 360-degree view at the top is one of countless stunning viewpoints across El Salvador, and just one of many reasons I think El Salvador is worth visiting.
8. Lago de Coatepeque
Many of the country’s elite own property along the gorgeous Lake Coatepeque near Santa Ana Volcano.
Still, it tends to get overlooked by foreign visitors and is easily one of the best places to visit in El Salvador. Getting to this gorgeous lake requires a slight detour from the city of Santa Ana to Santa Ana Volcano.
While the wonderful city of Santa Ana gets its fair share of international visitors, the same can’t really be said for Lago de Coatepeque.
You can rent wave runners for $30 an hour or take a boat cruise to the lake’s inhabited island. There are also several restaurants right on the waterfront. Above all else, the views on a clear day are just wonderful.
9. Jiquilisco Bay
Jiquilisco Bay is a biosphere reserve that’s a perfect getaway for outdoor and environmental enthusiasts. Birders will love this area, given there’s more coastal-marine birds here than anywhere else in El Salvador. But there’s plenty of other wildlife too.
The mangrove forests paralleling both sides of Jiquilisco Bay make for a perfect setting for a boat ride through the delta. Not far from other areas of Eastern El Salvador like El Cuco and La Union, it’s an easy pitstop on the way to the lesser-explored corner of the country.
