5 Things I Loved About El Tunco, El Salvador
Unfortunately, I didn’t stay in El Salvador all that long. However I still absolutely loved El Tunco so it felt wrong not to write about it. El Tunco is a very popular surf town on the Pacific Ocean and is only located a 40-minute drive from San Salvador airport.
The country of El Salvador doesn’t always get the best reputation and has often been named the most dangerous country in the Americas. Over the last 2 years, El Salvador has had a massive crackdown on violence and gangs and has placed over 2% of its adult population in jail. Whether I think this is right or not, the people of El Salvador seem to very much approve of their leader's strict crackdown and have seen a real change in the number of violent attacks and murders.
Anyway, this is getting too serious, my point is El Salvador is a country that is changing and doesn’t deserve its old reputation. We had nothing, but good experiences and heard no stories of other tourists encountering danger.
Back to why we are all here to find out what is so fantastic about the coastal town of El Tunco…
The Sunsets
We watched the sunset every night we were staying in El Tunco. It would hit 17:00 and we would be straight to the shop buying a few beers and making our way down to the beach to find a comfy spot to watch the final hour of the sun.
If you head straight down the main street in El Salvador you’ll see crowds of people gathered in front of that unusually shaped rock. Although it’s not the most secluded spot it’s by far the best spot to watch the sunset. Just head to the left a little and you will find plenty of rocks or the pebbled steps to sit on, alternatively head right if you fancy a more sandy seat.
Don’t run away straight after the sun disappears otherwise you will miss my personal favourite part, watching the sky turn a million different hues of orange, yellow, red, pink, purple, basically the whole rainbow. Although I've never seen a green sky, one for the northern lights I guess.
The Sea Caves
If you’re feeling more adventurous and want to go for a beach exploration I highly recommend heading to the sea caves. In order to get there head to the main beach and turn left when facing the big rock (sounds vague but you'll know when you see it), from there it’s about a 20-minute walk. Warning it gets quite rocky along the beach on the way, so I would recommend a decent pair of shoes, Josh didn’t love walking over the sharp rocks in his flip-flops.
The tide needs to be at its lowest to fully explore the caves, so make sure to check the tide times before you go adventuring. We managed to explore them a little but had to retreat once we were further in because of the high tide, however, the caves were still very impressive to see.
The beach by the caves is gorgeous too and much more secluded and quiet than the main El Tunco beach, so if you fancy a peaceful spot to read your book and lie out, I highly recommend it.
Relaxing on the Beach
And that brings me to the next thing I loved about El Tunco and it’s a simple one. Just getting out my towel, lathering on the suncream, downloading a good book and just listening to the ocean waves crash time and time again.
Although the beaches are black sand there are still plenty of spots to sit back and relax, just head right when you get to the big rock. Honestly, I know I keep going on about the big rock, but it’s a helpful landmark.
There are also plenty of other beaches up and down the coastline that you can visit if you fancy a change, whether you want to rent a scooter, ATV or even a car to get about you’ll find plenty of tour operators who offer this service in El Tunco.
The Cheap Beers
A beach town with cheap beers, it’s a very good combo for backpackers on a budget. Although we didn’t see the nightlife at its busiest, we were told the weekends get a little crazy as you have more people coming from the city for a weekend break.
For good cheap beers, with good vibes, lovely staff and a great people-watching spot head to Juanita’s just off the main strip only steps away from the beach. I can't find the exact location on maps but it's just above this store.
Another find in El Tunco that was close to my heart was Corona Tropical seltzers. And I will forever miss them, if anyone has ever seen them outside of El Salvador, let me know. (Update: I have located them in Colombia and now the UK)
Watching the Surfers
Now watching people surf was our favourite pastime, especially at sunset. You may be thinking but Hattie why didn’t you try surfing? And I will refer you to one of my earlier posts, the Volcano Acatenango trek. After climbing a volcano a mere day before arriving in El Tunco in the unfit state I am in, my legs couldn’t walk properly let alone attempt to surf.
Although I didn’t learn how to be the next world-renowned surfer I did watch a lot of very impressive people attempt some fascinating moves. The conditions in El Tunco and the surrounding beaches draw surfers in from all around the world, making a perfect spot to learn or if you’re unable like me it makes for a fascinating afternoon of live sport.
I would love to return to El Salvador one day and without a doubt, a return visit to El Tunco would be on my itinerary.
There are so many other destinations in El Salvador, so share your experiences in the comments.
