@heather, I have a similar plan and am in a similar predicament regarding info and such on Suchitoto.

Did you research get you answers?

Cheers.

Thanks Jeff and ACE for the responses. I've done a lot of research, but many articles/info are pre-2020 and it appears a lot has changed in the past two years - for the better. I've reached out to several tour companies for a guide but haven't gotten a response. There are so many things I'd love to do and see there, but so hard to know the feasibility of distances without someone who has been there.

I appreciate the suggestion for Zona Rosa, and I've found several options with airport shuttle for a small fee.

Recently I've started debating the merits of just renting a vehicle. Have either of you looked into that? My hesitation is whether roads will be marked and whether I can use GPS. Sounds like cell signal is spotty outside of cities.

Hi Heather,

Suchitoto is such a lovely colonial town. It is very colorful and has a lot of history.

1- You can take public buses in El Salvador, it's super safe! It takes longer to reach your final destination but it could be a nice experience and an opportunity to connect more with the local community.

2- Renting a car is also a great idea, you will be isolated in Suchitoto and if you don't have a car you will need to pay for private transportation or use the public service.

3- Hiring a local guide is also a great option, if you don't speak Spanish or you have limited time then hiring a local tour guide is a great idea.

About tours and activities in Suchitoto, these are some of the highlights of this stunning town:

- Downtown Suchitoto

- Suchitlan Lake

- Birdwatching tours

- Cinquera Civil War tour

- Indigo workshops

- Los Tercios waterfalls

- Alejandro Cotto Museum

Places to stay in Suchitoto:

- Casa 1800 Suchitoto

- Los Almendros Hotel

- Casa de La Abuela - lovely small hotel

- El Tejado Hotel

Where to stay the night before your departure?

- You can stay near the airport if you just want a place to stay, there are hotels 10 mins away from the airport.

- You can also stay in downtown San Salvador so you can explore the renovated area, learn about the history of the country.

- San Benito, if you are into museums, then maybe stay in the San Benito area, there are two museums walking distance I highly recommend.

I hope this helps you understand and decide better how you want to explore El Salvador.

I'm definitely looking at renting a car for the reasons Salva cites above. I booked a mid-size through Alamo for $178 for 8 days. I'm a bit concerned that they're going to push some sort of liability insurance on me even though I have premium primary coverage through my Delta Amex for up to $150k for this. I've heard conflicting reports on this - it's definitely a requirement in Panama, but ES seems more hit-and-miss? Guess I'll find out. I got a pretty detailed country road map on Amazon for around $12. Also good idea to download the map for offline use on Google. Maps.me is also a good resource for maps that work offline. T-Mobile has a good deal for international plans, but I have no idea who they partner with there or how the signal will be.

Edited: 31 July 2024, 08:55

Gracias Salva! Excellent suggestions for Suchitoto. And feeling pretty confident about the San Salvador part now with everyone's suggestions.

Jeff, I have T-mobile also and will let you know how the signal is!

Awesome, thank you so much! I was a bit concerned on that point as well!

On the T-Mobile question - you will get a welcome text from T-Mobile once you land explaining your coverage includes unlimited data on speeds up to 256Kbps. That's enough to use apps like Waze, which is the better one to use in ES. The network services will most likely be from Claro SV. What I usually do is take an unlocked phone to get a SIM card from Claro for as many days for my stay for faster data and local calls and calls to US.

Great info here ... thanks to everyone.

Heather, I haven't rented a car nor plan on renting one. However, that's becuase of my style of traveling which is" remain in a town for minimum one week to embed in the culture as much as possible. I then take public transportation to get from one place to the next.

We did rent a car in Costa Rica a few months ago and yes, research the quote. Many of the quotes online indicated $150/week, which isn't possible. By the time one pays for all mandatory extra fees, it was more like CAD$800.00/week. Not sure if ES is the same.