10 Fun Facts About El Salvador - Uncover the Explosive Facts!

We gathered 10 interesting facts about El Salvador highlighting the rich indigenous and Spanish influences.

As a kid, I loved the Indiana Jones movies. In college, exploring El Salvador and other Central American countries helped ignite my lifelong passion for learning more about Mayan history. Climbing the ceremonial pyramid at Tazumal makes you feel like you are stepping back into the past.

El Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. These El Salvador fun facts will help you to understand the past and present of this country.

1. El Salvador accepts Bitcoin

El Salvador uses Bitcoin as an official currency since 2021. El Salvador’s other official currency is the US dollar. You should bring dollars when you visit El Salvador. El Salvadoran people aren’t big on Bitcoin in practice and El Salvador’s economy runs on greenbacks. As of 2022, only 14% of merchants in El Salvador had processed a Bitcoin transaction.

2. El Salvador means “The Saviour”

El Salvador was named by Pedro de Alvarado, a Spanish conquistador. He led the campaign to defeat the Pipil people who inhabited the area. Alvarado was part of several conquests in Latin America in the 16th century. He was famous for excessive brutality. Even contemporaries at the time thought he was a despot. He was crushed by a horse during a battle in 1541.

Sun shines on San Salvador’s historic streets as locals stroll by.

3. San Salvador pre-dates the Spanish arrival

San Salvador is the capital city of El Salvador. San Salvador was founded by Pedro de Alvarado’s brother, Gonzalo, in 1526. Before it was named San Salvadore, the area was Cuzcatlan, the capital city of the Pipil who the Spanish conquered in El Salvador leaving Spanish as the official language. San Salvador has a population of 2.4 million people and is the largest city in El Salvador.

4. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America with a land area of about 8,000 square miles. Even tiny Belize is bigger than El Salvador. It is also the most densely populated country in Central America. Here are land areas of other Central American countries for comparison:

1. Nicaragua: 50,337 sq mi
2. Honduras: 43,278 sq mi
3. Guatemala: 42,042 sq mi
4. Panama: 30,193 sq mi
5. Costa Rica: 19,729 sq mi
6. Belize: 8,867 sq mi
7. El Salvador: 8,123 sq mi

5. The República de El Salvador flag is a symbol of independence in Central America

The blue-white-blue banded flag of El Salvador is a similar design to the flag originally used to represent the independent Central American Republic when it formed in 1823. The flag has changed designs, but the Republica de El Salvador has used the current design (with minor modifications) since 1912.

Plaza Gerardo Barrios in San Salvador showcases a proud statue and fluttering national flag.

6. El Salvador does not have a standing army.

This decision was made after the civil war that lasted from 1980-1992 ended in a peace agreement. El Salvador focuses on maintaining internal security through a national police force.

Sunlit Volcán de Santa Ana rises among the mountains.

7. Visit El Salvador for volcanoes and surfing

El Salvador earns its nickname as the “Land of Volcanoes” with around 20 volcanoes. Two of the most famous are San Miguel Volcano and Santa Ana Volcano. San Miguel has been more active since 2023 and authorities ask people to observe a 2-mile radius away from it to be cautious.

El Salvador is the only Central American country without a Caribbean coastline. Western El Salvador meets the Pacific Ocean and offers a popular global surf destination. When you surf in El Salvador, you can check out these two main areas:

• La Libertad – this is the most famous area, with lots of well-known breaks. Most of the beaches here are rocky cobble so watch your feet.
• Oriente – centered on La Periquera town this is the less well-known area and one of the best regions in the Americas for off-road surf adventures and discovering new breaks.

8. El Salvador’s national dish the papusa is super yummy

El Salvador’s national dish is pupusa, a delicious pocket of corn flour filled with refried beans, pork, and cheese. Salvadorans celebrate National Pupusa Day on the second Sunday of November. My favorite pupusas are made with refried beans. Eat one hot off the pan and you will know heaven.

9. The bus urbano is the El Salvador form of transportation

In El Salvador, the most common form of bus is the “bus urbano” or “bus.” These are typically small to medium-sized buses or microbuses that operate within cities and towns, providing public transportation for commuters. The San Salvador population bops about in the city in this mode of privitized transport. When you need to go further, there are also larger “coaster buses” or “buses interurbanos” that connect cities and towns.

10. El Salvador has 5 National Parks