During the 1980s, El Salvador went through a very fierce civil war that involved both farmlands and mountains.  Although a difficult time, El Salvador is now a beautiful country that is too often overlooked.  Because of its past of crime, many people choose other places in Central America to visit.  However, this country is a beautiful place with magnificent landscapes, volcanoes, beautiful lakes and valleys, and wonderful people.  Even though there remains a minor problem with petty theft, as long as tourists maintain a level of awareness, travel during the day, travel in groups, and stay in the right areas, they will enjoy a wonderful time. 

The best time to visit El Salvador is from the months of November through April, which is considered the “dry season.”  During this time, the roads are much easier to travel and you will not have to bother with the rain.  Additionally, the dry season offers many more festivals.  In fact, from Christmas through the mid part of January, you will enjoy some of the major holiday periods.  Then, prior to Easter, there is a week-long festival.  If you go in the wet season, the San Salvador annual festival in August is a grand time for all.  One advantage of visiting El Salvador during the wet season is that the price of hotel accommodations is cut by about 50% and the beaches are not nearly as crowded with locals and other tourists. 

Another fabulous festival held in August is called El Salvador del Mundo, which is in honor of the patron saint of the country.  There is the Semana Santa, the week preceding Easter and then in December, the Virgen de Guadalupe.  For attractions, there are all types of places to go such as La Libertad, which is a great place if you love to surf.  Interestingly, this destination is said to have some of the best waves in the Pacific Ocean.  Other than surfing however, there is not much else to do there.  However, the Monte Cristo Cloud Forest stretches out over a vast area and with 80 inches and 100% humidity each year, everything is lush and green.  You will even find laurel trees that grow close to 100 feet tall.  The forest also features beautiful ferns, mushrooms, orchids, moss, and is the home to spider monkeys, pumas, toucans, owls, agoutis, and two-fingered anteaters. 

You will also find a number of places off the beaten path such as Cerro Verde, which is actually a national park.  There is an incredible view of the steaming Volcan Izalco, also known as the “lighthouse of the Pacific”, and the blue, volcanic crater lake called Lago de Coatepeque.  One of the fascinating aspects of this area is that 200 years earlier, Volcan Izalco was simply a hole with massive columns of black smoke rising high into the sky.  However, it continued to grow and today, measures 6,265 feet.  Even to the current century, the volcano erupted. 

If you enjoy the outdoors and love to hike, the volcanic terrain is an ideal place as you walk along the rim of the Boqueron volcano or you can actually hike down into the crater itself.  Boating, wave surfing, sun tanning, kayaking, rafting, or just watching sea turtles and dolphins are all enjoyable activities.  While there is not much nightlife, there is a vast open range for the outdoor enthusiasts.  Located near Chalchupa in the western part of El Salvador is the Olmec Boulder, which is a stone sculpture of a giant head.  This particular statue is evidence that the Olmec civilization have been present in this particular area starting from around 2000 BC.  You can also visit Tazumal and San Andres where there are interesting pyramid ruins, which shows that the Mayan people lived there sometime about 1000 years earlier.  However, when the Spanish arrived during the 16^th century, the Pipil people dominated the country, which were descendants of the Aztec and Toltec Indians. 

Like many countries in Central America, El Salvador went through a period of unrest and change, as well as social and economic injustices.  Due to an over population in the 1960s, many of the El Salvador people fled into Honduras looking for work.  The 1970s were a difficult time for this country with the increase of gorilla activity but by 1979, the people were fed up and determined to reform.  In 2001, a major earthquake touched off a massive mudslide that buried the middle-class neighborhood of Las Colinas, as well as some of the surrounding shantytowns. 

Today, there has been a lot of rebuilding.  The people of El Salvador enjoy pop music as heard in the United States and Mexico, they have a famous art school called La Palma, which was started by a wonderful artist by the name of Fernando Llort, there are many beautiful churches, and many of the younger generation speak English.  The cuisine in El Salvador is often a mix of rice and beans, or a dish called Pupusas, which is cornmeal stuff with farmer’s cheese, fried pork fat, and/or refried beans.  Licuados are a popular fruit drink and coffee is also very popular. 

Although the country of El Salvador is small, is has beautiful green vegetation and again, more than 25 extinct volcanoes.  Less than 6% of El Salvador is still forested land where coffee predominates much of the highlands and then in the lowlands, you will find fields of sugar while the coastal plains is where cotton grows.  El Salvador may not for everyone but for those who appreciate a more rustic destination, there are many wonderful opportunities.