This is a 'been there done that' surfer destination with some of the best waves rolled out by the Pacific Ocean. If you don't surf, there's not much else to do in this small seaside town full of dried, diced and just plain dead fish - all emitting a pungent, salty smell. The closest beach to the capital, La Libertad swells with city folk on weekends. If the crowds get to be too much, head to one of the many beaches along La Costa del Bálsamo, 75km (46mi) of surfable coast stretching west from La Libertad to Acajutla.La Libertad is 37km (23mi) south of San Salvador, about an hour-long trip by bus.

The area where the borders of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala converge receives 200cm (80in) of annual precipitation, experiences 100% humidity and rises to an elevation of 2400m (7900ft) - ideal conditions for a cloud forest. In the Montecristo cloud forest, oak and laurel trees grow to 30m (98ft), and their leaves form a canopy impenetrable to sunlight. Ferns, orchids, mushrooms and mosses coat the forest floor, and the local wildlife includes rare and protected spider monkeys, two-fingered anteaters, pumas, agoutis, toucans and striped owls.The cloud forest is in the Parque Nacional Montecristo-El Trifinio, northeast of sleepy Metapán and a four hour bus ride due north of San Salvador.

The Maya ruins of Tazumal, considered the most important and best preserved in El Salvador, are in the town of Chalchuapa. In the Quiché language the name Tazumal means 'pyramid where the victims were burned.' The excavated ruins on display here are only one part of a zone covering 10 sq km (4 sq mi), much of it buried under the town. Archaeologists estimate that the first settlements in the area were around 5000 BC. The excavated structures date from a period spanning over 1000 years. The artifacts found at Tazumal provide evidence of ancient and active trade between Tazumal and places as far away as Panama and Mexico.Chalchuapa is 76km (47mi) northwest of San Salvador, about a two hour ride by bus, usually via the town of Santa Ana.

El Salvador's capital and largest city lies in a valley at the foot of the large San Salvador volcano. It's not the prettiest place in the world since the valley is a pollution trap which perfectly captures the city's horrendous traffic effluvium. The rural migration and the declining economy during the war expanded the urban poor, and unemployment is still around 50%. Shanty towns abound and the streets are lined with people selling everything from bruised fruit to Velcro gun holsters just to get by.San Salvador was founded at its present site in 1546 and has been the capital of El Salvador since 1839. Despite its long history, there are no old buildings to see since the accident-prone city has been destroyed many times - by earthquakes in 1854 and 1873, by the most recent eruption of the San Salvador volcano in 1917 and by floods in 1934. An earthquake in 1986 caused considerable damage, and reconstruction is still going on.The city's central landmark is the domed Catedral Metropolitana, where Archbishop Oscar Romero is buried. The cathedral faces onto the principal plaza, the Plaza Barrios. Nearby, the red-velvet opulence of the Teatro Nacional dates from 1917. Its sensuous ceiling mural is continued into the nearby Teatro Cafe. The city has two markets, the Mercado Ex-Cuartel for handicrafts, hand-woven textiles and ceramics, and the Mercado Central for daily needs. The Museo Nacional Davíd J Guzmán holds most of the country's notable archaeological finds, and the Jardín Botánico La Laguna is an attractive garden built on what was once a swamp at the bottom of a volcanic crater.Accommodation is concentrated near the eastern and western bus stations, but these neighborhoods are not safe, especially at night. You can find better service and safety in a few places near the center and a whole slew of guesthouses on the city's western edge. The Zona Rosa is the ritziest and most exclusive restaurant and nightlife district.