Hiking, surfing, history - and hardly another tourist in sight. Its name still evokes images of the brutal civil war fought throughout the 1980s, but the bloodshed is long over. The volcanic landscape remains the most stunning aspect of El Salvador. Friendly locals like to chat, diverting your gaze from the gangs and refugees to beautiful broad valleys.
El Salvador has rich forests and craggy mountains that make for great hiking. But the people of El Salvador are surely its richest resource, and the best reason to come. Direct, friendly and unjaded by mass tourism, most Salvadorans are genuinely happy to chat or help you out if you're lost.