El Salvador with Kids: Itinerary for a 5-Day Family Adventure 2025
Volcano Views, Mountain Towns & Beachfront Fun — with Kids!
🧭 Overview
Made by a local mom in El Salvador, this 5-day family itinerary blends adventure, culture, and relaxation—perfectly balanced for traveling to El Salvador with kids. Designed with ages 3–10 in mind, it offers a mix of exciting outdoor experiences, hands-on cultural stops, and downtime to recharge. Each day is flexible, with suggestions you can adjust to your family’s rhythm and interests.
Doing everything in 5 days could be a bit of a whirlwind with kids. If you have time and want a slower pace you can spread out the destinations to stay 2 nights in your favorite spot, or you can remove a stop. The good thing about El Salvador is that it is so small, driving time between destinations shouldn’t be over 2 hours. (But do see the note about traffic times at the end of this post, it can have a big impact!)
🔄 Suggested Route:
1. San Salvador City Life →
2. Rural Mountain Towns: Ruta de las Flores →
3. Volcano views: Cerro Verde and Lake Coatepeque →
4. Beach stay: La Libertad or Sonsonate beaches
5. Back home!
📍 Day 1: Volcano Views & San Salvador Family Highlights
Morning – Arrival & Get Oriented
- Land at SAL Airport
- I recommend renting a car when traveling with kids—it makes exploring so much easier. You can compare family-friendly options through DiscoverCars.
- Check into your San Salvador hotel (see lodging tips below)
Kid-Friendly Stops if you have time in the morning:
- 🌿 Plan de la Laguna Botanical Garden – explore trails, fishponds with large iguanas and plants from all over the world. Reviews here.
- Another of San Salvador´s great parks.
- 🧪 Museo Tin Marín – a favorite with younger kids for hands-on science play. You will need at least 2 hours here! Location here.
- BINAES, The National Library of El Salvador, it has a great section for kids and some fun thematic exhibits to check out, also some great views of the city from the top!
Lunch Recommendation:
- 🧺 Picnic Steak House – scenic outdoor dining with kid-approved food on the Boquerón volcano
- OR any of the other kid-friendly restaurants on El Boquerón.
Afternoon Adventure:
- 🌋 Drive up to El Boquerón National Park (10–15 min from Picnic)
- Short walk to the volcano’s edge for beautiful views inside the crater
- Stop for photos and snacks at roadside vendors
- Short walk to the volcano’s edge for beautiful views inside the crater
Dinner:
- 🍽 Pupusas or typical food at a local favorite like La Pupusería Suiza or Tipicos Margot
Options to stay in San Salvador:
- Barceló San Salvador – central & reliable, well known hotel for families
- Avitat Joy – Apartment space which includes a pool, green space and gym.
- Finca San Nicolas – Green space, a bit farther out of the city, pet friendly
- Suites Las Palmas – Close to everything in the city, kitchenette, pools
📍 Day 2: Ruta de las Flores – Mountains, Art and Coffee
Drive Time: ~2 hrs to Juayúa or Ataco
Choose either Ataco or Juayúa. Doing both will probably be too much for the kids, or you can stay two days and go to both!
Option 1: Ataco
- 🧭 Wander through Ataco – known for its colorful murals, artisan shops and coffee.
- ☕ Short coffee tour at El Carmen Estate (Ataco area), there is a restaurant/café, small kids play area, horse rides and “go-karts” (like large trikes that you can pedal on a race course, ages 7+)
Option 2: Juayua
- 🍴 Juayúa weekend food fair (if Sat/Sun) – sample traditional Salvadoran dishes at this outdoor market in the main square.
- 🦎 Reptilandia in Juayúa – small reptile zoo with turtles, snakes & more (great for ages 3+)
- 💦 If you are in Juayua take a hike to Chorros de la Calera waterfall (kids ages 10+ recommended, you will need to get a guide at the trail entrance for $10)
Meal ideas:
Lunch is usually the bigger meal in El Salvador. For dinner it is common to eat some pupusas, or bread with cream, beans and plantain. You could also try a traditional dish of Yuca which is made of boiled or fried cassava root and topped with tomato sauce, pickled cabbage, pork rinds, and chili sauce if you want. Trust me it is delicious.
You can check out some small local restaurants or try some of these bigger and well known ones in the area:
- Café Entre Nubes
- Jardín de Celeste, beautiful gardens and green spaces with a children´s play area
- Restaurante Santa Catalina, (Apaneca city) swings, hammocks and nice green area to walk around as you wait for food.
- La Pampa Ataco, Has a cute tree house and play area for kids
- Monte Berat (Ataco), a kids play area and a maze you can walk through.
Lodging Suggestions:
- Stay 1–2 nights in the area to soak in the mountain vibe and take advantage of all the activities.
- Hotel Santa Leticia, Apaneca
- Hotel Juayua, Juayua
- Hotel Alicante Montaña, Ataco
- Casa 1800 Ataco Boutique Hotel
- El Pueblito de Don Luis, Ataco
📍 Day 3: Cerro Verde Volcano Park + Optional Lake Stay
Drive Time: ~1 hr to Cerro Verde
Guided Walk at Cerro Verde:
- You can get a guide and walk all the way to the top of Santa Ana volcano to see the crater lake inside. It is an amazing experience but is quite a hike. I recommend it for kids 7+, or babies in a backpack carrier. Get more details on our article HERE.
- 🌋 Sendero La Ventana Trail – ~45-min to 1-hr guided loop through lush cloud forest with views of the Santa Ana and Izalco volcanoes. You can ask a guide when the next guided walk will be or you can walk around and explore yourselves.
- The trails are not stroller friendly – best for kids ages 6+ (If your kids are younger this is still a great spot to walk around and explore on your own. Check out my article on my visit with a 2 and 5 year old.)
- There is a play area and lots of food stands to try out traditional Salvadorean snacks.
Lunch Options:
- You can eat at one of the restaurants at the park (Casa 1800 or Los Volcanes Bistro Cafe)
- OR pack a picnic to eat at the picnic tables there.
- OR drive a bit down the volcano and you can stop at Las Lomas Restaurante, a nice stop with a tree house and toys for the kids to play with. Location here.
Optional Afternoon Add-On:
- 🌊 Detour to Lake Coatepeque – swim, snack, or kayak with a view
Where to Stay:
- 🛏 Villas Noelia, has a beach area on the lake where kids can swim in shallow water as well as a pool, children’s play structure also. There is a suite with a kitchen.
- OR drive to the coast to wake up near the beach!
📍 Day 4: Beach Day – Pacific Fun in La Libertad or Sonsonate
Choose your coast destination:
🏄♀️ Option 1: La Libertad Area (Closer to the airport)
- Beaches: El Tunco (lively, more touristic), Sunzal (surfy but peaceful), El Zonte (quiet & family-friendly)
- Activities:
- Surfing, tide pool walks, beachfront dining
- Visit Sunset Park for amusement park rides, seafood restaurants, and to buy fish on the pier right from the fishermen!
- Stay recommendations:
- Boca Olas Resort Villas – family-friendly suites
- Puro Surf Hotel – upscale + surf lessons (slightly older kids)
- Hotel Estero y Mar – Beachfront and also next to the inlet, they have boat rides and certain times of the year they do baby turtle releases!
🐚 Option 2: Sonsonate Area (More secluded, great for little kids)
- Beach: Playa Los Cóbanos – calm waters
- Resorts:
- Las Veraneras Resort – all-inclusive, pools with kid areas, beach access, very family-friendly.
- Royal Decamerón Salinitas – All inclusive resort, many restaurants, with a variety of pools, kids play area, activities for families, shows in the evenings.
- Nearby Add-On: Check out Turtle releases with AMBAS.
📍 Day 5: Wrap-Up Day – City Culture or One Last Adventure
Depending on your departure time, choose your own family-friendly finale:
Option A: Explore More of San Salvador
- 🛍 Mercado de Artesanías – local crafts, wood toys, and souvenirs
- ☕ Coffee & play break at San Martin in Santa Elena, a popular brunch and lunch restaurant
- 🏛 Missed Museo Tin Marín, the Botanical Garden or the National Library? Go today!
- 🌿Or check out some of the other great parks near San Salvador.
Option B: Archaeology & History
- 🏺 Visit San Andrés Archaeological Site (~30 min from San Salvador, google maps link)
- Walkable area with ruins, a small museum, kid-friendly open spaces and mini pyramid to climb on.
- Walkable area with ruins, a small museum, kid-friendly open spaces and mini pyramid to climb on.
Airport Transfer:
- Most coastal or city stays are ~45 mins to 1 hr from SAL Airport.
- Plan accordingly!
🧳 Bonus: Packing List & Travel Tips
✅ Must-Haves:
- Lightweight, foldable stroller if you have younger kids.
- Sun protection (SPF, hats, UV clothing)
- Swimwear, water shoes, (crocs are very popular here to protect toes!)
- Bug spray or picardin
- Small medical kit (Band-aids, anti-itch cream, alcohol wipes)
- Water bottles. It isn’t recommended to drink the tap water here. Most people buy big jugs of bottled water or have their own filter at home. Water is easily available at any store and usually hotels will provide you with some. Drinks at restaurants are safe, they are made with bottled water.
💡 Insider Tips:
- Traffic peaks 6:30am – 9:00am and again at 4:00pm till 7:00pm on weekdays. There is also a peak of traffic on Saturdays starting at 12:00pm till about 3:00pm as most Salvadoreans work Saturday mornings and get out at noon.
- El Salvador uses U.S. Dollars, bring small bills (some places don’t have change for even $20 bills)
- Cell service can drop in remote areas — use Google Maps offline!
- I recommend adding a travel insurance plan—compare options easily through VisitorsCoverage for full peace of mind, or opt for simple coverage like Klook Protect when booking activities (just double-check what’s included before you click “Buy”)
- Google maps and Waze work quite well for directions here.
- Baby/toddler gear available for rent via BabyQuip El Salvador. If you need a car seat, stroller, crib etc. they can deliver it right to your hotel or to the airport.
Hopefully this will help you plan a fun packed, yet relaxing trip in El Salvador with kids. If you have questions, feel free to write a comment and we can help you out! Happy exploring!
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