El Salvador

Capital San Salvador

Population 6,520,675

Area 21,041 km2

Key facts

El Salvador is a country located in Central America. There are 2 countries (Guatemala, Honduras) that El Salvador shares its borders with. The official language of El Salvador is Spanish. Unfortunately, if you speak English, it might be problematic to communicate fluently unless you know Spanish.

In the EF English Competency Index (EF EPI), which assesses the language proficiency of non-native speaking countries, El Salvador was ranked 54th out of 100 countries in 2021.

The national currency in El Salvador is United States dollar (USD). The dollar ($) is subdivided into 100 cent (¢).

Salvadoran
Banknotes

$1$5$10$20$50$1002$

Salvadoran
Coins

10¢25¢$150¢

Check with your bank before your trip to find out if there are any fees for using your card abroad. Some banks do not charge fees when you use a foreign ATM or pay in foreign currency, but others may charge a fixed cost for each transaction or allow a limited number of free withdrawals. The travel card provided by Wise.com, Revolut or Monose might be an excellent option to cut down on transaction fees.

Ookla® Speedtest The average fixed internet speed in El Salvador is 76.73 Mbps and mobile is 44.4 Mbs.The global average is 194.02 Mbps and 126.09 Mbps respectively.

ATM Density The number of ATMs per person in El Salvador is close to the world average.36.28 ATMs per 100,000 people.The global average is 39.49.

SIM Registration In order to purchase a SIM card in El Salvador, a passport or ID is required as identification.

Socket types

There are 2 socket types used in El Salvador. Type A & Type B are widespread in North America (incl. the U.S.), Central America, Japan, and the Philippines.

Type A 115 V, 60 Hz  Type B 115 V, 60 Hz  

The sockets’ shapes and voltage differ from country to country and a travel plug adapter may be required. Portable devices, such as phones, notebooks or tablets, usually handle the entire range of voltages used across the world (110-240V).

Public holidays

In the year 2024, El Salvador will celebrate 26 national public holidays. The next one Day of the Dead will take place on November 2.

Date Holiday name
May 1, 2024Moving holiday Labor DayDía del trabajo
May 3, 2024Moving holiday The Day of the CrossDía de la Cru
May 7, 2024Moving holiday Soldiers’ DayDía del Soldado
May 10, 2024Moving holiday Father’s DayDía del Padre
August 1, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 2, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 3, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 4, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 5, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 6, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
August 7, 2024Moving holiday August FestivalsFiestas de agosto
September 15, 2024Moving holiday Independence DayDía de la Independencia
October 1, 2024Moving holiday Children’s DayDía del niño
October 12, 2024Moving holiday Ethnic Pride DayDía de la raza
November 2, 2024Moving holiday Day of the DeadEl día de los difuntos
November 7, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 8, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 9, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 10, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 11, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 12, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 13, 2024Moving holiday National Pupusa FestivalFestival Nacional De La Pupusa
November 21, 2024Moving holiday Day of the Queen of PeaceDia de la Reina de la Paz
December 25, 2024Moving holiday Christmas DayNoche Buena
December 31, 2024Moving holiday New Year’s EveFin de año

Tourism

What hotel chains are present in El Salvador?

There are no Mariott hotels in El Salvador.

The Hilton hotel chain operates in El Salvador.

The IHG hotel chain operates in El Salvador.

The Best Western hotel chain operates in El Salvador.

There are no Radisson hotels in El Salvador.

There are no Accor hotels in El Salvador.

What fast food chains are present in El Salvador?

The McDonald’s chain operates in El Salvador.

The KFC chain operates in El Salvador.

The Burger King chain operates in El Salvador.

The Subway chain operates in El Salvador.

The Domino’s Pizza chain operates in El Salvador.

The Starbucks chain operates in El Salvador.

Weather

What is the weather like in San Salvador?

Today the sun in San Salvador, rises at 5:51 AM and sets at 5:30 PM. The climate of San Salvador may be categorized as a equatorial savanna (Aw), according to Koppen’s classification system.

TodayOct 30ThunderstormLow: 21.7°C (71.06°F)High: 30.7°C (87.26°F)
ThursdayOct 31ThunderstormLow: 22.3°C (72.14°F)High: 30.2°C (86.36°F)
FridayNov 1ThunderstormLow: 22°C (71.6°F)High: 27.9°C (82.22°F)
SaturdayNov 2OvercastLow: 21.8°C (71.24°F)High: 29.6°C (85.28°F)
SundayNov 3Rain showersLow: 21°C (69.8°F)High: 30°C (86°F)
MondayNov 4OvercastLow: 21.2°C (70.16°F)High: 29.6°C (85.28°F)

Weather data for San Salvador (capital city) by Open-Meteo.com

Transport

Railways There are passenger trains operating between some cities.

Subway Systems There is no subway system in any city.

Taxi Apps You can use Uber in 3 cities. Bolt is not available in El Salvador.

Car Rental Avis , Hertz are available, but Sixt is not present in El Salvador.

Road Connectivity Index (2016)  With a score of 4.5, El Salvador is placed 77th out of 129 nations.

Driving Side In El Salvador traffic is right-handed.

Safety

Theft Occurrence Rate  88.00 thefts per 100,000 people in 2020.The global average is 544.

Road Traffic Casualties 20.90 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.The global average is 16.74.

Travel Advisory Level (U.S. DoS)  Level 3: Reconsider travel. 

Emergency phones in El Salvador

911 Police
132 Ambulance
132 Fire police

Sources

Smoking & Alcohol

Smoking ban Smoking is forbidden in all public indoor locations, with limited exceptions.

Cananbis legality Both recreational and medicinal use of cannabis is prohibited.

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