San Miguel

San Miguel is the third largest city in El Salvador and center of agriculture and production. It is less cosmopolitan than the capital San Salvador in the West but the surrounding areas of San Miguel are very beautiful with many beaches around the city. The weather is amazing, very warm and subtle and so the "Wild East" offers tourists the opportunity to get off the beaten path and see an authentic El Salvador

Get in

The Pan-American highway travels through El Salvador and is a safe route for entering the country and travelling between San Miguel in the East and San Salvador in the West

Get around

From San Miguel bus terminal there are regular one hour bus rides to El Cuco where you can get a taxi to Playa El Esteron and Intipuca Beach

See

• San Miguel Volcano. A stratovolcano and one of the most active in the country. 
• Downtown San Miguel. Av. Roosevelt is the place to find the Metrecentro Mall, bars and nightclubs which also hosts the biggest carnival in Central America in November 
• 1 East Regional Museum (Museo Regional de Oriente), 8A Av. sur & 15 Calle Oriente, ☏ +503 2660-1275. (updated Oct 2018)
• 2 Catedral San Miguel, Parque, 2a Calle Oriente, Santa Ana, ☏ +503 26610962. Headquarters of the patron saint of El Salvador, the virgin "Queen of Peace," this cathedral is sort of a San Miguel city icon from 1862. You can admire it from David Guzman Park in front, and close by is the National Theater which was built in 1909. (updated Aug 2020)

Do

• Surfing. In Playa Las Flores, one of the best surf spots in El Salvador 
• Stand Up Paddleboarding. At the famous Intipuca Beach 
• Boat trips. Around the islands 
• Water skiing, Tubing, Wake boarding, Para sailing, Jet skiing. In Playa El Esteron, one of the most beautiful beaches in El Salvador 
• Kayaking. Through the mangroves 
• Volcano hiking. Up Chaparrastique One of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador 
• Waterfalls and hot springs. 
• Nature hikes and lake tours. To Isla de Olomega on Lake Olomega 
• 1 Turicentro Altos de La Cueva, 2A Avenida Norte, ☏ +503 22609249. 8AM-4PM daily. Outdoor swimming pool center with multiple pools and slides. (updated Aug 2020)

Buy

Since 2004, San Miguel has doubled its size, which made the city invest in malls around the modern areas of San Miguel. Metrocentro is one of the newest mall in San Miguel. Now the city has 2 malls and many other plazas in the important areas.

On the coast there is also an artisans village in Intipuca Beach where can you can purchase an array of arts and crafts

Eat

San Miguel, like any other modern city, has a lot options, either fast food restaurants or, for sit down restaurants there are a few options in Metrocentro.

You can find the best sea food in Central America fresh from the coast of San Miguel at El Cuco, Playa Esteron, Intipuca Beach and Playa Las Flores.

Drink

For nightlife you can head to Ave. Roosevelt in San Miguel which has numerous bars and clubs open until the early hours of the morning and is also host to the biggest carnival in Central America in November.

Intipuca Beach is home to the first microbrewery in El Salvador and offers an array of hand-craft beers by the beach.

Sleep

San Miguel has the most modern hotels in the eastern side of El Salvador, right in front of Metrocentro you will find a four star hotel, Comfort Inn a few miles ahead there's another good option, the Hotel Tropico Inn. There are also budget hotels located next to the bus terminal.

• La Tortuga Verde (La Tortuga Verde will cover the $5 taxi ride from El Cuco), ☏ +503 73389646, info@latortugaverde.com. Beach resort, turtle sanctuary, swimming pool, jacuzzi, yoga and meditation temples, health and beauty spa, restaurant and bar, shuttle service to El Cuco, Intipuca Beach and Las Flores surf spot. Other tours include, stand up paddle boarding, island boat trips, water-skiing, wake-boarding, para-sailing, volcano and nature hiking, hot springs, lake tours, and kayaking through mangroves. Dorm $6, Private $20-30, Bungalow $50-100, House $100-150. 
• Hotel Miraflores, Playa Las Flores, El Cuco,, ☏ +503 7890-4751. Incredible view over one of the best waves of El Salvador, Las Flores point break. Nice rooms with amenities such as a swimming pool, hammocks, board rental, massages, restaurant service, sundeck, boat trips and tours. 
• Las Flores Surf Club, Wild East, El Cuco, ☏ +503 2684-4444. Surfing resort with facilities and equipment that include a private beach access road, beachfront palapas with hammocks, beach shower, boat house with enclosed surfboard storage, restaurant, infinity pool, swim-up bar, massage table and canopy. 
• 1 Comfort Inn Real San Miguel, Final Alameda Roosevelt Y Ca a la Unión, Esquina Opuesta, ☏ +503 2600-0202, fax: +503 2600-0203. The Comfort Inn Real San Miguel has 86 single and double rooms, two meeting rooms, pool, gym, restaurant and tequila bar that serves regional and international dishes. Prices range between $80 - $140. (updated Oct 2018)

Go next

• El Cuco is a quintessential beach with dark sands, lined with vendor huts and seafood restaurants and shaggy palms
• Playa Las Flores is next to El Cuco and is regarded as one of the best surf spots in all of El salvador
• Playa El Esteron is located on the other side of El Cuco and is one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches in all of El Salvador
• Intipuca Beach is next to Playa Esterone and is famous for El Salvador's first microbrewery and where the river joins the ocean is hugely popular for stand up paddleboarding.
• There are regular busses that leave El Cuco for San Miguel bus station where you can catch a connecting bus to many other destinations inside or outside the country.
• Some hotels offer a shuttle service to San Miguel or other destinations inside the country.
• La Tortuga Verde offers transport between El Salvador and Nicaragua (skipping Honduras) by private boat $200 for up to 20 people.