What to do in El Salvador in 5 days: from the Pacific to the volcano
An honest itinerary for your first visit to El Salvador — a base in Surf City, day trips to the volcano and coffee country, and a short coastal route.
If you’re coming to El Salvador for the first time, the easiest way to plan the trip is to keep one base and take day trips. Cerromar (El Sunzal) is an ideal base: you’re right on the ocean, but in under two hours you can reach the volcano, the coffee mountains, and the colonial towns.
Day 1 · arrival and rest
You land at SAL airport and reach casa marea in 50 minutes via the coastal highway. Our tip: head down to El Tunco for a sunset beer and a light dinner.
Day 2 · Surf City
A morning of surf at El Sunzal, or a lesson with a local instructor if you’re a beginner. Free afternoon: pool, yoga, or a long siesta. (See our typical day.)
Day 3 · El Zonte + coffee on the coast
Fifteen minutes south, El Zonte has specialty coffee by the sea and a friendlier wave. If you’re curious about the Bitcoin Beach story, this is the place.
Day 4 · day trip to Ataco / the volcano
The Ruta de las Flores: Ataco, Apaneca, coffee farms at 1,500m. Leave early and you can be back on the coast to sleep with no trouble.
Day 5 · seafood and sea
A morning at the La Libertad pier for seafood, a free afternoon, and a departure from the airport at the end of the day or the next.
Where to stay
- Cresta if you want the view and the surf first.
- Ceiba if you want a cool terrace and quiet among the treetops.
- Cueva Studio 1 and Cueva Studio 2 if four friends are traveling and want independent studios.
El Salvador is a small country — working from one good base with short day trips is, by far, the most relaxed way to get to know it.