Our El Salvaduragua Top 10

Surfing, Lagoons, Lakes, and Volcanos

Our El Salvaduragua Top 10

Surfing, Lagoons, Lakes, and Volcanos

After spending 2-weeks in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, we wanted to share our top 10 suggested adventures with you.

1. Climbing Santa Ana Volcano in El Salvador

Like Guatemala, El Salvador is a land of volcanos and we’d highly recommend climbing at least one of them. Santa Ana is a relatively easy hike with a great view of the emerald lake in the volcano’s crater. We’d recommend going early in the morning with a private guide (perhaps even in time to catch the sunrise on the summit) since it gets crowded later.

The cone of Izalco Volcano as seen from the base of Santa Ana Volcano

El Cuco Beach

2. Surfing on the Black Sand Beaches of Eastern El Salvador

El Salvador has lots of great beaches including El Zonte which is to the southwest of San Salvador. We also like the beaches on the eastern side of the country including El Cuco for a variety of reasons including the fact that they are a bit less crowded and their waves are a bit less forgiving.

3. Scuba Diving on Roatan and Utila, Honduras

The scuba diving on Roatan and Utilia in the Honduras is not only world class, it’s also extremely cheap. This is a good place to get your PADI Open Water certification. Just make sure you chose a well regarded (preferably PADI 5 Star) dive shop.

4. Chilling out in the San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

We don’t usually like “backpacking towns” (too many gringos) but we do like San Juan del Sur. It offers a good mix of authentic Nica culture and gringo amenities.

5. Paying Tribute at El Mozete, El Salvador

We did not have time to travel to the north of El Salvador, but we were nevertheless intrigued by it, and would like to return to El Salvador someday to.

6. Exploring Omotepe Island, Nicaragua

We loved Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. It’s a place where many locals still use horses and even Ox drawn carts for transportation. And there’s lots to do there, from climbing either of the volcanos (we’d recommend Concepcion), to soaking in the Ojo de Agua natural springs.

Karl’s guide (which he’s still not convinced is mandatory) on the way to the summit of Concepcion Volcano hugging a huge, several hundred year old Ceiba tree.

7. Relaxing in Leon and Granada, Nicaragua

If colonial towns are your thing, we’d recommend a stop in Leon, Granada or both. Both offer beautiful colonial churches and building and good accommodation and food at reasonable prices.

8. Surfing in Rivas Province, Nicaragua

There is great surfing all along the narrow stretch of coastline that separates Lake Nicaragua from the Pacific. Some of the most famous surf spots include Popoyo, Manzanillo and Playa Maderas. Keep in mind that the best surfing in Nicaragua is generally during the rainy season April through October.

Colorado Beach, San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

Colorado Beach, San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

9. Caravanning with Other Overlanders

Caravanning with other overlanders can be a lot of fun. We met our new friends, Joe and Karen (asidewaysmoon) 2 months ago in Chetumal, Mexico. We met back up in Acul, Guatemala, and then again in Antigua, Guatemala. We then headed to El Salvador together, crossing the border, and enjoying a few more expeditions there.

10. Chilling Out at The Mango Rosa Adventure Travel and Surf Resort

We love The Mango Rosa Resort for many reasons. We had our first adventure travel here, and later we got married here. But there’s a reason we continue to return aside from our good memories and experiences. The Mango crew know how to make your time at the resort and the surrounding beaches and cities very magical. The resort itself has amazingly good vibes, and t’s impossible not to have a great time here.

The Mango Rosa Adventure Travel and Surf Resort

2 comments

  1. Comment by Dad

    Dad Reply April 1, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    Where are the top 10?

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