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• Escape to the beach: El Salvador's 320km (200-mile) Pacific coastline boasts resort hotels, unspoiled beaches, fishing villages and pine forests. Beaches include La Barra de Santiago, El Cuco, El Sunzal and El Tamarindo. The best resorts tend to be found along the Costa del Sol.
• Seek the ultimate wave: El Salvador's coast is a surfer's heaven, with uncrowded waters and world-class breaks. The biggest waves roll in at Punta Roca and El Sunzal, while powerful Punta Mango is only accessible by boat.
• Grab some fresh air and gaze up at forest giants in the Montecristo Cloud Forest, home to diverse species including spider monkeys, pumas and toucans. This is a great place to hike, camp or go birdwatching.
• Set sail on the Gulf of Fonseca, a large stretch of water shared by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, stopping off at one of the many volcanic islands dotting the gulf.
• Fish, sail, kayak or waterski on Lake Coatepeque at the foot of the Santa Ana volcano, which is still active and last erupted in 2005.
• Hit the rapids and go white-water rafting. The best rivers to raft are the Lempa, Sumpul, Guayjoyo, Bandera and Paz during the rainy season (May to October), and the Paz in the dry season (November to April).
• Kayak among the islands and channels of the Bahía de Jiquilisco.
• Go on a trekking expedition to the volcanoes. There are more than 25 in El Salvador, three of which (the Izalco, San Miguel and Santa Ana) are still considered active. The extinct San Salvador volcano is close to the capital and the Cerro Verde in the west is easily accessible.
• Dive in the volcanic crater of Ilopango: explore a fascinating underwater landscape of hidden hills and look out for fish, crabs and sponges. The water temperature is usually at least 26°C (79°F).
• Join an ecological tour in El Imposible National Park, the country's most important ecological reserve, where varied vegetation and fauna offer a refuge for numerous bird and wildlife species, including the rare black hawk eagle.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
• Seek the ultimate wave: El Salvador's coast is a surfer's heaven, with uncrowded waters and world-class breaks. The biggest waves roll in at Punta Roca and El Sunzal, while powerful Punta Mango is only accessible by boat.
• Grab some fresh air and gaze up at forest giants in the Montecristo Cloud Forest, home to diverse species including spider monkeys, pumas and toucans. This is a great place to hike, camp or go birdwatching.
• Set sail on the Gulf of Fonseca, a large stretch of water shared by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, stopping off at one of the many volcanic islands dotting the gulf.
• Fish, sail, kayak or waterski on Lake Coatepeque at the foot of the Santa Ana volcano, which is still active and last erupted in 2005.
• Hit the rapids and go white-water rafting. The best rivers to raft are the Lempa, Sumpul, Guayjoyo, Bandera and Paz during the rainy season (May to October), and the Paz in the dry season (November to April).
• Kayak among the islands and channels of the Bahía de Jiquilisco.
• Go on a trekking expedition to the volcanoes. There are more than 25 in El Salvador, three of which (the Izalco, San Miguel and Santa Ana) are still considered active. The extinct San Salvador volcano is close to the capital and the Cerro Verde in the west is easily accessible.
• Dive in the volcanic crater of Ilopango: explore a fascinating underwater landscape of hidden hills and look out for fish, crabs and sponges. The water temperature is usually at least 26°C (79°F).
• Join an ecological tour in El Imposible National Park, the country's most important ecological reserve, where varied vegetation and fauna offer a refuge for numerous bird and wildlife species, including the rare black hawk eagle.
See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.
