San Salvador is a frenetic and polluted city whose sometimes tangible sense of menace often creates extremely negative first impressions among visitors. Things are improving, however: the city authorities are making a determined effort to clean up the Centro Histórico, while all the central parks and plazas have received a makeover and extra police have been deployed on the streets. San Salvador also offers a thriving nightlife, along with facilities unavailable elsewhere in the country. For beaches, swimming and sun you don't have to stray too far from the capital, to the crater lake of Ilopango or, an hour's journey away, the small Pacific coast resort of La Libertad . Also within easy reach are the small Maya ruins of San Andrés and Joya de Cerén which, although they pale visually in comparison to sites in Guatemala - El Salvador was at the furthest fringe of Maya culture - are nonetheless important. The World Heritage Site of Joya de Cerén, in particular, gives the most complete picture yet of what daily village life was like in Maya times.

Western El Salvador is the most relaxing and perhaps most scenic part of the country, with the lovely old colonial city of Ahuachapán making a convenient entry point from Guatemala, and the laid-back city of Santa Ana making a good alternative to San Salvador as a place to stay a few nights. In addition to the Maya ruins of Tazumal there is the exquisite cloudforest of Montecristo , bursting with exotic plants and wildlife.

For something slightly more energetic, the nearby volcanic peaks of Izalco, Volcán Santa Ana and Cerro Verde provide good and varied hiking, while nestling at their base is the magnificent crater lake of Coatepeque , whose deep blue waters are perfect for snorkelling, diving and swimming.

The north and east of El Salvador, though rough and wild, and less accommodating to travellers, hold a number of attractions. North of the capital is Suchitoto , considered the finest colonial town in the country. La Palma and Ilobasco are famous for their artesanías, producing wooden handicrafts, pottery and hammocks, while the small city of San Vicente is an enjoyable base for trips to the volcano of Chichontepec and the lagunas of Apastepeque . The larger city of San Miguel hosts one of the largest carnivals in Central America each November, drawing visitors from all over the country and beyond. The Ruta de la Paz winds up through the poor but beautiful mountainous department of Morazán towards the thought-provoking civil war museum at Perquín , unmissable for anyone interested in learning about El Salvador's recent history.

Up and down the glorious sweep of the Pacific coast lie long, palm-fringed stretches of beach, the most beautiful of which are Barra de Santiago in the west and El Espino, El Tamarindo and El Cuco to the east. Close to the capital are the famous surf beaches around La Libertad , while further east are the mangrove swamps of the Bahía de Jiquilísco and, still further down the coast near the border with Honduras, the idyllic islands of Meanguera and Conchagüita in the Golfo de Fonseca .