Although El Salvador may be the smallest country in Central America, this amazing little country packs in a ton of beauty and unique things to do. Three days in El Salvador will be the perfect amount of time to show you the highlights of this fantastic country. This enchanting Central American gem beckons with its vibrant culture, historical tapestry, and diverse landscapes.
Want a guided tour to start out your trip and get acclimated to the city? Then check out Guru Walks for a free guided tour. You can book online to reserve your spot and pay what you wish when you get there. Check out the tours in San Salvador here.
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Table of Contents
History of El Salvador
El Salvador’s history dates back to the early times with several indigenous civilizations, such as the Pipil. The Spanish arrived in the 1500s and had control of the region until El Salvador gained independence in 1821.
Through the next century, El Salvador saw many internal conflicts and struggles for power. From 1980-1992, El Salvador experienced a major civil war between the government and rebels, which resulted in lots of social and political changes.
While El Salvador has faced many challenges, both economic and social, it has grown into a unique and marvelous little country.
Currency in El Salvador
El Salvador uses the American dollar, and most major credit cards are accepted.
Language in El Salvador
The primary language in El Salvador is Spanish. Not many people speak a lot of English, so knowing basic Spanish is helpful when spending three days in El Salvador.
When to Spend Three Days in El Salvador
Anytime of the year is a great time to spend three days in El Salvador. However, if you are looking for the best time to take in outdoor activities, visit between November and April -El Salvador’s dry season. The wet season runs from May to October.
How to Get to El Salvador
El Salvador has one major international airport that has many direct flights from the United States and Latin America. We are lucky to have a direct flight from our small local airport straight into San Salvador operated by Avianca. I scored this flight for $70.
Transportation in El Salvador
While it is possible to rent a car and get around El Salvador on your own or book day tours, the best way to see El Salvador is by hiring a local guide. This gives you the ability to customize your itinerary and the flexibility to stop wherever you want.
If you rent a car, I recommend renting a car through Economy Bookings as it will search all rental car companies for you. Alternatively, you can use this San Salvador Airport Shuttle to get to your hotel.
My friend Meghan from Meghan the Traveling Teacher recommended her guide Misael. You can contact him through WhatsApp at +503 7853 6857. Keep in mind that he only speaks Spanish so it will be helpful if someone in your group speaks Spanish.
Where to Stay in El Salvador
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best El Salvador hotels here!
San Salvador is becoming quite a popular location, so many of the major hotel chains are beginning to build up their brands in El Salvador. We opted to stay at the Hyatt Centric San Salvador because it was attached to the mall, and I liked the location. I was also able to book my stay as a Guest of Honor through my friend Val, who has Hyatt Globalist status. It cost us 5000 points a night, which I already had due to opening this card.
Had I paid cash, I would have stayed at the Fairfield San Salvador or the Courtyard San Salvador. The Hilton San Salvador also recently opened but I did not like the location as much as the Hyatt. Other options include the Sheraton Presidente San Salvador or the Holiday Inn San Salvador.
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. You can always try searching Priceline Express Deals for a better price or try to price match a hotel.
What to do During Three Days in El Salvador
There are so many different adventures to have during three days in El Salvador, and you can find something for everyone. From hiking and other outdoor activities to picturesque spots, you cannot go wrong with anything you do in your El Salvador itinerary.
Day 1: Natural Features
On your first of three days in El Salvador, you will explore some of the natural features prevalent in El Salvador, such as volcanoes and lakes. It is a good introduction to what this gorgeous country will have to offer.
Casa 1800 Cerro Verde
Cost: $
Hours: Varies
Start your first of three days in El Salvador, opt to grab some food at Casa 1800 Cerro Verde. They have a delicious breakfast menu and gorgeous views of the volcano. You can also just walk out to their observation deck for pictures if you do not want breakfast.
Casa 1800 is actually a chain of hotels across El Salvador. All of them have a restaurant with scenic views. Make sure to take a picture on the rocker chair they have set up for an iconic photo.
Parque Nacional Cerro Verde
Cost: $3
Hours: Varies
Next, after fueling up on breakfast, spend some time at the Cerro Verde National Park. This national park offers hiking trails and scenic views of the volcanoes. If you are up for a hike you can visit the crater of the volcano. Note that if you plan to hike to the crater, it is quite a strenuous hike and you will need to make sure to have proper gear, food, and water. It will take you several hours.
La Pampa Restaurant
Cost: $$
Hours: Sun-Fri: 8am-7pm, Sat: 8am-9pm
After spending the morning in the national park, head down to Lake Coatepeque and grab some lunch at La Pampa. This delicious restaurant offers gorgeous views of the lake, and you can grab a huge meal on the patio. We opted to order a full lunch that came with soup, salad, tortillas, meats, vegetables, and more for less than $20. While this is a pricey restaurant for El Salvador, it is worth it for the views.
Lake Coatepeque Cruise
Cost: $5
Hours: Leaves every 30-45 minutes
This afternoon, take a short cruise around Lake Coatepeque to relax in the sun while digesting your huge lunch. It costs $5 to hop on one of the boats that will take you around the lake. This 30ish minute cruise will cruise past the various lake houses. You also have the option to buy beverages on board. A cruise on the lake will be something you will certainly want to add to your El Salvador itinerary.
El Atico Restaurant
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Fri: 3pm-10pm, Sat-Sun: 7am-10pm
Tonight, to end your first of three days in El Salvador, grab dinner at El Atico Restaurant, a popular place for pupusas. This restaurant also offers great views of San Salvador. El Atico offers over 30 different pupusas. The margarita one was super delicious. Also, this is a good place to order a traditional Salvadoran dessert, the quesadilla.
Day 2: Ruta de Las Flores
Today, for your second of three days in El Salvador, you will drive along the Ruta de Las Flores. This winding road snakes through the El Salvador countryside through colorful towns. In the springtime, this route is covered in flowers.
Tazumal Archaeological Park
Cost: $5
Hours: Tues-Sun: 9am-4pm
Start your second of three days in El Salvador with a Maya Route Tour, or head to Tazumal Archaeological Park. These ruins are part of the Chalchuapa archaeological zone. It may be one of the smaller sites, but quite a few of the ruins are well-preserved. There is also a museum that is part of the complex. Plan to spend about an hour wandering through the area.
El Carmen Estate
Cost: $6
Hours: Varies
Next, head to the El Carmen Estate for a coffee tour. Founded in 1930, this coffee farm is located next to the small town of Ataco. The traditional tour takes visitors around the premises and introduces visitors to the coffee making process. At the end, visitors get to sample a cup of El Carmen coffee, and visitors have the opportunity to buy coffee beans. The tour takes about an hour and 15 minutes.
Casa 1800 Ataco
Cost: $$
Hours:
Next, grab lunch at another Casa 1800 location. This one offers gorgeous views of the mountains. It does have a different menu than the previous location, but it is still just as good. Again, make sure to take a picture in the chair for an awesome background.
Santa Teresa Hot Springs
Cost: $10
Hours: 8am-10pm
If you have the time after lunch, opt to stop at the Santa Teresa Hot Springs. We did not have time to stop here, but a lot of people headed here after the coffee tour. There are several pools to relax in, and it makes for a very refreshing afternoon.
Ataco
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies by Shop
After lunch, spend some time wandering around the small town of Ataco. This is a great place to buy some souvenirs or anything else you may want from El Salvador. It was founded in 1770, and about 18,000 people live in Ataco.
Cafe Albania
Cost: $$
Hours: 8am-6pm
Next up will be one of the highlights of your three days in El Salvador. Cafe Albania is located along the Ruta de Las Flores near the town of Apaneca. It takes about 2 hours to get here from San Salvador.
What makes Cafe Albania so fun and special is the amount of fun and adrenaline pumping activities you can participate in here. From zip-lining to a canyon swing and the infamous rainbow slide, there is an activity here for everyone. This tour takes you to Cafe Albania.
Note that it will cost you $5 to get into Cafe Albania, but you will be able to use that $5 towards food or any of the activities. If you only choose one thing to do, do the rainbow slide ($10). These are the prices for the activities when I visited.
- Zipline: $13
- Bike Zipline: $10
- Surf Zipline: $10
- Big Swing: $5
- Wing Swing: $1
- Maze: $3
After spending a few hours at Cafe Albania, it will be time to head back to San Salvador for the end of your day. You can opt to get food at Cafe Albania, or we were so tired we ended up just grabbing McDonalds (which I always love to visit in every country I go to).
Day 3: San Salvador and Beyond
For your third of three days in El Salvador, you will spend some time exploring the San Salvador area.
El Boqueron National Park
Cost: $3
Hours: 8am-4pm
Today, start your last of three days in El Salvador with a visit to El Boqueron National Park. In 1907, the volcano in this area exploded, creating the landform that is left for today.
After parking in the small lot, it will be a short uphill hike (with quite a few stairs) to the top, where the viewing platform is located. This new glass viewing platform was only a couple of weeks old when we visited. Visitors can walk out onto a glass platform and see the view of the volcano from there.
Once you have had your fill of the views, you can walk the rest of the scenic trail for a few more viewpoints until you make it back to the starting point.
Picnic Steak House
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri: 10:30am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 7am-10pm
After the short hike in the morning, head to the Picnic Steak House for some fun. This place contains some small rides and attractions, such as the infamous El Salvador Rainbow slide! Visitors can pay $5 to go down the slide and $5 for a walking animatronic dinosaur attraction.
The Picnic Steak House is also a popular place for people to hang out, and it gets its name from all the picnic tables scattered throughout the property.
El Atico Volcan
Cost: $
Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-10pm, Sat-Sun: 7am-11pm
Next, grab lunch at El Atico Volcan, which offers gorgeous views of San Salvador. There are a ton of great things to eat here, but we of course, opted for more pupusas. The menu is a bit different from the El Atico from the first night, but you will still want to grab lunch here during your three days in El Salvador.
The Historic Center of San Salvador
Cost: Free
Hours: Varies by Location
This afternoon, spend some time wandering around the historic center of San Salvador. This San Salvador walking tour is a great choice for anyone who wants to know the history of the area or see the main sites. This San Salvador tour is also a good option.
While wandering around the city center, you will want to check out these places.
Civic Square
This is the main square of San Salvador. Here, you will find the El Salvador letters as well as the National Palace, which houses the government offices. Visitors can opt to go on a free tour of the building. The Cathedral of San Salvador also sits near this square and is worth going inside to see the ornate features.
National Library of El Salvador
This newer building just opened and was super popular with the locals. The line to get inside was over an hour.
Liberty Plaza
This is one of the main parks in San Salvador. Many locals will gather here to hang out and enjoy some snacks. You will also find a lot of vendors in this area.
Lero Lero Cafe
If you want good views of San Salvador and a place to take a break from all the walking, head to the Lero Lero Cafe. They have a ton of fun pastries you can buy as well. We opted just to grab beers and enjoy the surroundings.
Other Things to Do During Three Days in El Salvador
If you have more than three days in El Salvador, make sure to spend some time in the beach area of El Salvador -La Libertad. We did not have enough time to add this to our itinerary, and it would have been amazing to spend some time at the beach.
Museum of Art El Salvador
Cost: $5
Hours: 10am-4pm
If you need something else to do in the San Salvador area, add the Museum of Art El Salvador to your itinerary. This museum is a great place to check out Salvadoran artists from the contemporary era. Plus it is a nice place to get out of the heat!
Other Things to Do in El Salvador
If you want to explore more in depth the volcanoes of El Salvador, check out this Santa Ana Volcano or this Ell Bacaron Volano. Many Avianca flights have a long layover in San Salvador. If that is the case, you may want to check out this layover tour.
Final Thoughts on Three Day El Salvador Itinerary
Spending three days in El Salvador makes for a fun weekend away or should be added to a Central America trip. It pairs nicely with a country such as Panama, or you could head to Bogota or Cartagena afterward, as Avianca has a ton of connections.
