Welcome to El Salvador Kids Guide
About Me
Hello! I’m Ariana!
Since I was young, I always dreamed of traveling to Latin America, learning the language, experiencing the culture, and trying everything! That dream first brought me to Nicaragua during a gap year in 2008, where I unexpectedly met my future Salvadoran husband.
Originally from the Seattle, Washington area, I have been visiting El Salvador regularly since 2009 and have called the country home for more than seven years. Over the years, I’ve experienced El Salvador through different chapters of its history, from before the country’s dramatic transformation in safety to the changes that have made it one of the most talked-about destinations in the region today. (You can read more about safety in El Salvador in my article.)
My journey with El Salvador began long before I became a parent, but since welcoming our first child in 2020, I’ve explored the country from an entirely different perspective. Traveling with babies and young children taught me that family travel requires different information than a typical guide will provide. Parents need specific practical details, kid-friendly spaces, and experiences that make traveling with little ones smoother and more enjoyable.
Over the years, I’ve lived and worked in El Salvador in a variety of roles, including as an English teacher and supporting cultural and educational programs. Today, I work with a local nonprofit organization that helps companies strengthen their sustainability efforts through tools, training programs, and international best practices. This work has given me the opportunity to collaborate with businesses and organizations across the country and has deepened my appreciation for the people, communities, and landscapes that make El Salvador unique.
El Salvador Kids Guide actually grew out of another side business I run as El Salvador’s first BabyQuip Quality Provider. While helping traveling families rent baby gear, I quickly realized that visitors—and even local families—often struggled to find reliable information about family-friendly places, activities, and services. Questions like, “Where do you recommend we take the kids?” or “Is this place good for families?” came up again and again.
And so, I finally decided to put all those years of experience and recommendations into one place and create El Salvador Kids Guide.
Today, this site is a growing collection of everything I’ve learned—and continue to discover—from more than 15 years of visiting El Salvador, over six years of exploring it with children, and many years of living and working here. Thank you for visiting and I hope you find some information to make your trip unforgetable! If you want help planning you can schedule a consultation with me, otherwise check out the many articles I have to help guide your planning.