El Salvador is one of Central America’s smallest countries. It is also Guatemala’s neighbor. The thing is, that even with all the beautiful beaches and adorable towns, this country is not very well known among travelers. Not long ago my husband and I decided it would be a great place to visit. So we packed up the kids and spent 5 days over there.
A Rough Start
After asking some friends that have visited El Salvador how long it would take us to get from our house to El Salvador I came to the conclusion that it would take us around 4 hours by car to get there. But, they told me, if you drive fast enough you can make it in 3 hours. Since we have heard tons of stories about the gang problems in San Salvador I knew that was an area I wanted to avoid at all costs. 
Also after lots of planning and researching we decided we wanted to visit 2 places during those 5 days that were: First there was the colonial town of Suchitoto – this beautiful town is located right next to a gorgeous lake. Then there was Playa Tunco – this is one of the beaches that make El Salvador so appealing.
No matter how fast you drive you might get to the border of El Salvador in no less than 3 hours, but to get to any of the locations after in total it’s a good 5 hours. Which is very doable, but would have been easier to handle if we knew ahead of time.
A Surprise For the Family
Never did we think we would fall in love with El Salvador. There is some sort of an energy about it that is enticing, calm and overall friendly.
Suchitito, our first stop, is a tiny colonial town with a quaint and super clean central park where cowboys still rule the land and come here to relax on their days off with their families.
The hotels in Suchitoto are some of the best in the country with amazing lake views and boutique decors.
The best part to Suchitoto is that lies by a lake that is super fun for kids to ride a boat on and visit the bird island.
Because it is very beautiful and has some great surf breaks for adventure lovers. It was a great place to chill with my baby as my husband and my big boy took surfing lessons.
Playa Tunco, our next stop, was an even bigger treat. Rarely does anyone hear about the beaches of El Salvador. You might here a little here or there about the great surf, but it seems to stop there.
Why people don’t mention how absolutely gorgeous they are, with adorable beach towns. Clean coast line and breathtaking sunsets still remains a mystery to me.
My husband and son took surf lessons while my infant and I explored the little cafes and had a drink overlooking the beach.
This might not be the destination of choice due to being so close, but if you can visit this country with your family, I guarantee you will be coming back for more!
Marina K. Villatoro is an expat living in Central America for over 10 years. She travels with her family in Central America. Connect with her on twitter and facebook.
Family Travel with Elmo
So glad to see this post. We’ve got a trip planned there in a few weeks with some friends at a private rented beach house. Everyone at home thinks we’re crazy for bringing the kids there and I’m starting to get freaked out. Do you have any safety tips/ words of advice to. All my nerves?