Affordable El Salvador
My plans to visit Costa Rica for two weeks fell through, I got stuck in Florida for two nights on my way back from Costa Rica and then I found myself in a hotel room trying to figure out what my next move would be. I had a little less than 2 weeks left before I had to start school and my partner had to be back at his job. So what did I do? I thought back to the day I was solo backpacking across Europe looking for my destination and asked myself what she would do right now.
2022 Update:
It’s January 2022 and I find myself canceling my travel plans to Guatemala and traveling to El Salvador instead. All very last minute of course but thanks to United Airlines I had no issue changing my flight to another destination. I actually received a credit for $8. During this trip my partner and I stayed in El Salvador for ten days and spent most of our time working.
How I found a $66 One-Way Flight
I opened up my laptop, accessed my private browser, went on Google Flights and looked for the cheapest one way flight leaving from Houston. I used the map feature to search areas in Central America and to my surprise there was a $66 flight to San Salvador, El Salvador and it was on Delta Airlines. I honestly thought it was fake but when I went to the actual Delta website and saw the flight I knew it was real!
2022 Update:
These days you can find a one way flight to El Salvador from Houston, Texas for as little as $28 one way non stop on airlines such as United and Avianca. When we flew to El Salvador in 2022, we purchased a roundtrip ticket for approximately $116 on United Airlines. As mentioned above this flight was booked less than 24hrs in advance.
Entry/Exit & Covid Requirements
Covid Requirement Update as of February 2022:
Per the US Embassy website, on November 17, 2021 the Government of El Salvador removed the COVID-19 tests and/or vaccination requirements for entry. There are no curfews in place and there are no restrictions on travel within the country.
Find updated Information from the U.S. Embassy website here: https://sv.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/
Language
Spanish is the main language in El Salvador but I don’t think it’s the typical Spanish. I have met several travelers fluent in Spanish who had difficulty communicating with the locals so I recommend downloading Google Translate and learning a few basic phrases and words in Spanish prior to your visit. As mentioned before, this is not a tourist destination so a lot of people don’t speak English but enough of them do to get by. The locals I encountered were very friendly and accommodating even though we did not speak the language.
Safety
El Salvador isn’t known to be one of the safest countries in Central America but to be honest, I felt safe there while traveling with my partner. We definitely got some weird stares because we were the only foreigners and the only black people around but I consider that a good thing. I enjoy traveling to places where few tourists frequent.
I did notice that every place we went to had some type of security and most of the residents are gated, locked and secured. All of the buildings and neighborhoods had armed security guards which made me feel safe but at the same time, there is a reason the security guards are all armed with shotguns.
My advice would be to stick to the safe touristy areas of El Salvador and you should be okay. Always travel with caution and follow basic travel safety rules. Research local scams before visiting any destination.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance covers you in the event that something unfortunate happens during your trip. I typically use and recommend World Nomads. You can click the link to get a free quote and it's super easy to purchase.
Where to Visit
There are a couple of places that you can visit in El Salvador on your trip along with their matching vibes so you can choose a few for your visit based on your travel preferences.
City Vibes- San Salvador
Beach Vibes- El Tunco, El Zonte, or El Sunzal
Volcano Vibes- Santa Ana
Lake Vibes- Lake Coatepeque
Where to Stay
We wanted to keep the cost low so we booked a few nights at La Zona Hostel in San Salvador for $10 per night in a shared dorm. I liked the setup of their dorms because their beds were more like pods rather than the traditional bunk beds. The beds also came with a curtain for privacy which I always enjoy. The hostel also offers some private rooms, a rooftop lounge, a bar, and daily homemade breakfast that cost $3 per person. It was nice having a bar in our hostel as we could get $1.25 beers anytime of the day.
Hostal Tunco Beach- El Tunco
I initially booked us another hotel with a private room in El Tunco through Booking.com but we ended up having to leave after one night because there was no a/c, poor wifi, and the water stopped working! The manager gave us our money back and we walked down the street and asked random places we found if they had a room for a few nights, which is how we found our next home for a few days at a place called Hostal Tunco Beach. This place wasn’t on the map and not available for booking online. I don’t think they have a website because I certainly couldn't find it anywhere.
A private room at Hostal Tunco Beach cost us $35 per night cash and the room was clean with a/c that actually worked. I made sure we checked the room and the a/c before paying. The wifi only worked outside of the room but there were tables, chairs, and hammocks right outside our room on a covered balcony. We stayed there for 3 nights. I recommend not booking a place in El Tunco online because there are a lot of unlisted hotels and hostels down the main street.
LaGarza Hostel
During our second trip to El Salvador we spent a week hanging out at LaGarza Hostel which is situated right on the secluded Shalpa beach in the La Libertad Department of El Salvador. The staff was great, facilities were clean, and the food was great and everything was very affordable. Dorm rooms are available for booking on HostelWorld and the private rooms are available on Airbnb. View the other private rooms on Airbnb by clicking on the Host Daniel on the listing page.
See more about LaGarza hostel on my TikTok channel.
We spent our last 2 nights in San Salvador at this cute AirBnB that I booked at the last minute. It was a 2br 2ba condo with keypad entry, a/c, wifi, washer/dryer and a beautiful view all for $59 per night. I definitely enjoyed this place and it was right across from a Walmart which was interesting to wander around in.
Here are some other recommendations for lodging from my other travel friends. Some of these are kinda pricey to me but if it's in your budget then go for it!
Things to do
El Salvador is next to Costa Rica so they have a similar ecological terrain which includes jungles, volcanos, and beaches. A quick google search should point you in the direction of places you might be interested in visiting such as Playa El Tunco and Santa Ana.
Hiking the volcano in Santa Ana is a very popular activity if you enjoy being outside. Lake Coatepeque also looks like a nice calm place to chill although I haven't had the pleasure to visit yet. Other popular things you’ve probably seen people on Instagram are the rainbow slide, Nawi Beach House and hanging at the pool at the Palo Verde Hotel. I will tell you about the places I have been so you know the location, prices, my opinion and any other important info you need.
Picnic Steak House Restaurant (Imagine Slide location)
This super cute and aesthetic garden themed restaurant is where you will find the Imagine slide also known as the “rainbow slide.” The food and service were good and our waiter even recorded the video of me going down the slide. I highly recommend it.
Travel Tips for this location:
~ Cost $5 per person for the Imagine
~If traveling from San Salvador its a $5 (20min) Uber ride
~Wear closed toed shoes (you have to hike up a hill made of gravel rocks)
~Hold the handles on the tube and don’t let go or put your hand down while sliding
We spent the entire day at NAWi beach house and I enjoyed every moment of it. There is an infinity pool, restaurant, outdoor gym, cabanas, lounge chairs, and it's located right on the beach. You can purchase a day pass which includes a welcome drink, use of the onsite facilities listed above, and horseback riding on the beach. If you have time to make it to this place I highly recommend it.
Travel Tips for this location:
~ Day Pass costs $20 per person and you can pre purchase this through contacting NAWi Beach House via Whatsapp.
~This location is Adults only (there is a family side too if you have kids)
~Get there early before it gets busy (before noon)
~You will need a driver to get you there or at least to pick you up from the location.
~Location is about 1.5-2hrs driving from San Salvador
~Horseback riding is only available between 3:30pm-4:30pm (when I went)
What and Where to Eat
PUPUSAS! Pupusas are like doughy pancakes with filling in it like cheese, chicken, spinach or whatever you end up ordering. In El Salvador, you can go to a Pupuseria and order some for around $1 each which makes them a great meal for any budget traveler! You should at least try them once while you are there.
Another place worth checking out if you are on a budget is Cervecería Chapultepec. This gastropub is a place where you can eat and drink for $1.50 each. Beer, tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, shots, churros, margaritas, and much more and each item is $1.50. We went to one around the corner from LaZona Hostel and visited the location near El Tunco where the price of every item on the menu was $1.39 plus the ocean view.
Here are some other restaurants I went to in San Salvador:
Tacos El Taurino
Señor Gaucho San Benito
The Green House
Acajutla
*Uber eats delivery is also available in this area*
Transportation
Airport Transportation
~The airport is about 30minutes outside of the city so you will definitely need a ride as I did not see any public transportation available. I arranged transportation through the hostel we stayed at and paid $25 for a one way ride. My driver was waiting for us holding a sign with my name on it.
Uber
~San Salvador has Uber so you can use that to get around. You can also use Uber to travel other places in El Salvador but be aware, just because you got an Uber to a location, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get an Uber when leaving that location. Uber is pretty cheap as well. We paid $5 for a 20min ride so that should give you an idea of how the prices are.
I did have one issue while trying to get an Uber in San Salvador. The driver sent me a message before picking me up asking me if I would pay in cash. I said no, through the app, and he quickly canceled the ride. If you are using Uber anywhere, NEVER agree to pay in cash.
Driver
~I highly suggest getting a driver when traveling. You can text them whenever you need to go somewhere or pay them a flat fee to drive you around all day. Drivers usually know all the good spots to visit, what and where to eat and much more.
Car Rentals
~ I have no experience driving in this country or renting a car but others who I have met who have said that it's the easiest way around the country. If you look at a map you will notice that there aren’t many main roads that take you across the country, especially along the coast. A quick Google search will also reveal some pretty affordable car rentals. I saw a week-long car rental for as little as $58 so if you want to save money then renting a car is the way to go!
Total Cost BreakDown
Does The Travel Taurus Recommend?
YES! I highly recommend traveling to El Salvador if you want a different travel experience. This is a great destination for someone who is on a budget and wants a travel experience that is out of the ordinary. El Salvador is absolutely stunning, the people are friendly, food is affordable, and lodging is inexpensive. Visit El Salvador and let others know about your experience!
*Nothing in this post was sponsored. All prices above were paid by the author*
