Matador Network Awards 2024: Next Big Destination

Today, El Salvador has a homicide rate of 2.4 per 100,000 people — lower than every country in the Western Hemisphere but Canada. Travelers are quickly taking notice. The number of foreign visitors grew 22 percent in 2024, and El Salvador is the fourth-fastest growing tourist destination in the world after Qatar, Albania, and Saudi Arabia, according to the United National Tourism Organization.

Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador. Photo: Elena Berd/Shutterstock

The transformation is being led by President Nayib Bukele, and has come with a cost — something even Bukele has acknowledged in interviews. Bukele instituted emergency powers in 2022 to fight gangs. Human rights organizations have criticized the measures as antithetical to civil liberties and due process. El Salvador has the highest incarceration rate in the world — triple the rate in the US. While critics outside the country worry about the authoritarian turn, public sentiment in the country is more positive as people start tourism-centric businesses, go out alone at night and find peace rather than chaos, and feel safe exploring the incredible nature and culture of the country.

The number of visitors is only expected to increase in coming years. And there’s plenty to explore, from natural wonders, to beaches and islands, to coffee tours, to city-focused food trips, to weeklong excursions to El Cuco off the typical tourist trail.

El Imposible National Park. Photo: chrisontour84/Shutterstock

For American visitors, there’s no need to worry about currency conversions, as the dollar is the official currency. El Salvador is about the same size of Massachusetts, so it’s easy to see a wide span of the country using the centrally located capital, San Salvador, as a base (and a great place to indulge in as many pupusas, the national dish, as your stomach allows). There are more than 20 volcanoes, and many can be seen on wondrous hikes with trails ranging from challenging to well-developed paths. El Tunco earned its nickname “Surf City” for its consistent waves that stretch down to La Libertad beach where international competitions are held, or chase nearby waterfalls and lakes instead of the shore. Perhaps most famous for anyone even tangentially interested in the outdoors is El Imposible National Park, the largest in the country.

Stops along the Ruta de las Flores. Photo: Omri Eliyahu/Shutterstock

One of the main tourist attractions is the Ruta de Las Flores (the Flower Route). It follows a path through small towns filled with art and market stalls, as well as coffee farms where you can try the country’s world-class beans from the source.

The Mayan ruins at Tazumal. Photo: Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock

Nature leads the way for tourist itineraries in El Salvador. It can be easy to do nothing else. But not to be overlooked are the historical sites and Mayan ruins. Three must-stop archaeological sites are all close by and reached by a day trip from San Salvador: the Joya de Cerén UNESCO World Heritage site, called the “Pompeii of the Americas” for the structures and artifacts preserved in volcanic ash; Tazumal Mayan ruins, which include a pyramid; and the San Andrés Archaeological Park where you can see artifacts from the Mayan era. If short on time, a trip to San Salvador’s National Museum of Anthropology gives some insight into history and art in the country.

It would have been hard to imagine El Salvador’s current position in the global travel scene a decade ago. Today, it’s harder to imagine missing an opportunity to visit the country.

Nominations for the 2024 Matador Network Next Big Destination Award were sourced from across the well-traveled Matador Network team. The nominees were judged based on international reputation, new and future travel initiatives, environmental and community sustainability efforts to manage tourism, accessibility, accommodations, affordability, and the range of experiences a traveler can have.

Our other top nominees, in no particular order:

• Greenland
• Armenia
• San Juan Islands, Washington
• Franschhoek, South Africa
• Southern Japan
• Kyrgyzstan