But it’s true! El Salvador has all that and more. It’s just a little country between Guatemala and Nicaragua, but never under-estimate the little guy!

EcoExperiencias El Salvador showcases all the fun stuff to do there, and the fascinating cultural aspects such as Mayan ruins and indigenous villages way up in the mountains. There are snorkeling tours, boating trips to lagoons crawling with caimans, treks to volcanoes, visits to native peoples’ homes and tons of other ways to explore the country.

One of El Salvador’s best kept secrets is the surfing! Along the 320km of Pacific coastline there are at least 10 world class surf spots with long breaks, waiting to be ridden. And the best part for both pros and learners is that there are no crowds. It’s the best way to learn because you don’t feel like you’re encroaching on the surfers’ space, but also good for surfers who know what they’re doing and where to go to get the best waves with no one else in the way. There are good places for families to learn together that have smaller waves, and places with barrels and long double overhead waves that don’t close out for the best of you out there. Sunzal, one of the country’s best spots, is featured in Greenspot.travel’s El Salvador Volcanoes and Surf Adventure.

If culture is more your thing, or you want to get out of the sun and up into the cool mountains for a couple of days, a truly undiscovered place awaits. Up in the highlands are indigenous villages with traditional mystical cultures.  Nahuizalco is an amazing glimpse of the past with ancient churches from the time of Spanish colonization, and one of the oldest art and craft markets where local vendors still wear traditional dress. You really feel transported to another world when you’re walking around a place like this.

There’s lots of different cool food to try like the “Pupusa.” It’s a handmade corn tortilla baked over a wood fire in an adobe oven, stuffed with things like cheese, pork, refried beans or squash or everything mixed together.  That maybe the best part of visiting a new country, giving your taste buds an adventure!

Everyone will have their own “The best part of the trip was…!” thing to say of course, but the best part of the trip to El Salvador really is knowing that you are contributing to the local livelihoods of the special people there that have made your trip so memorable. People are happy to tell you about working in the coffee fields or about their own history, even from their own home if you like. That kind of good feeling is what green travel is all about.

Learn more about green travel to El Salvador here.