El Salvador

Vine-dripping Mayan ruins, active volcanoes and legendary point breaks—with attractions like these, you’d think El Salvador would be jam-packed with tour buses and resorts. But, due to a long-gone violent past and its proximity to bigger tourist draws, travelers tend to skip over this small Central American country—which means you’ll get it all to yourself. Trek past wild orchids as you search for spider monkeys and pumas in the cloud-forest canopy of Parque Nacional Montecristo-el Trifinio. Hike through the colonial towns and wildflower-littered landscapes of the Ruta de Las Flores, making time to sip some famous coffee and relax in a hot spring. Hang out in leafy plazas and hip lounges in cosmopolitan San Salvador. Attempt to surf Central America’s greatest break at Punta Roca, or just string up a hammock and kick back in Playa El Tunco. Do it all for a fraction of the fuss—and wash it down with a cup of Horchata. Now that’s El Salvador living.