Discover El Salvador

El Salvador is a hub for Central American air transport: It has connections to all major cities in the region, plus flights to US cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Taca is the national airline; American, Continental, Delta and United airlines are also active in the country. International flights arrive at Comalapa International Airport, situated on the Pacific coast, 44km (27mi) south of San Salvador. There's a departure tax of US$25 on international flights.

San Salvador, Santa Ana and San Miguel are linked to Tegucigalpa (Honduras) and Guatemala City by bus. You can cross the border between El Salvador and Guatemala at Anguiatú, Las Chinamas, La Hachadura and San Cristóbal. The main crossings to Honduras are at El Amatillo and El Poy. A token departure tax is payable to border guards. There are also buses to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

Getting around

El Salvador is tiny, so it takes only a few hours to get from the capital to any point in the country by car or bus. The bus system is excellent; vehicles may be crowded, but they're cheap and run frequently. Most towns in El Salvador have taxis; fares are negotiable.

There are car rental agencies at the airport and in San Salvador. Drive on the right and keep in mind that only a small percentage of the country's roads are paved. Carjackings and car theft are not uncommon, but you're more likely to fall foul of locals' erratic driving habits and animals who think the highway is a fun place to graze.

From Comalapa International Airport, it's a 45 minute drive north to San Salvador on a well-maintained highway. It's best to catch a taxi or a colectivo van. There are some domestic flights in El Salvador, but it's absurd to spend large sums of money on puddle-jumps. Domestic airlines use Ilopango Airport, 13km (8mi) east of the capital.