A small country in the heart of Central America that is recovering after a tumultuous history
El Salvador is a country that a lot of people do not visit in Central America due to the bad press it has gotten in the past in the news. The president has cracked down on gangs in the country in order to clean it up and it is said that he has locked up around 70,000 alleged gang members and built one of the largest prisons in the Americas in order to house them. This is what makes this country so intriguing as I feel this could be the next great destination in Central America.
Our first stop was an impromptu stop at Playa El Tunco which is in the process of building a Surf City which is a small village. The restaurants, bars, and street art here make it an intriguing destination not just for surfers, but just about everyone.
After spending some days on the beach, we went into the capital of San Salvador. With different restaurants like Denny’s , Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell lining the streets, it looks like the country is well on its way to rebuilding itself (at least in the new part of town). I however wanted to go to the historic center in which they are rebuilding but it will take some time. A walk from the new part to the old part took the better part of a couple hours but it was beautiful down there.
Of course driving around El Salvador I got to see some wonderful people on the streets, attending to their everyday way of life. They seemed very happy on the streets or selling their goods at the market, always waving and smiling…
Finally on the way out of El Salvador to the border with Honduras, we got to stop at a beautiful little colonial town by the name of Suchitoto. This town is lined with beautiful cobblestone streets, old buildings, and a beautiful plaza…
Overall, I really liked El Salvador and it was definitely a country I can come back to. It was told to me before I arrived at the borders that it is the most friendly country in Central America, and I will definitely agree with that statement.