Is El Salvador Safe For Travel?

When I first bought my ticket to El Salvador this past January the first and honestly most popular question I was asked was, "Is El Salvador even safe?" So I'm here to answer this question.

Disclaimer: This is going to sound controversial, but I think safety is often relative and depends on your comfort levels. I have traveled to over 40 different countries, so my comfort levels may be different from yours. Though, I'll still try to be as objective as possible.

El Salvador is a mighty country that's gone through a lot of tragedy including a 12-year Civil War that killed thousands. For many years, it was not a safe destination to travel to. But with recent political changes including a new president, many tourists and Salvadorians have felt safe enough to start visiting the country more and more. While visiting, I ran into so many Salvadorians that left during the war and were just now returning. To hear their stories were inspirational and they were so excited to see tourists back in the country.

I felt completely safe traveling around the country with my group of friends. We had a driver with us through the entirety of our trip (you can find the driver service information here). Most tourist spots and restaurants have armed security guards which did take some getting used to. There's a heavy police presence, especially in the capital. Uber is widely available, especially in the cities and I felt more than safe calling and riding without our guide.

I think as long as you keep aware and take your usual recommended safety precautions, you will be okay. The most unsafe I felt was being on the roads at night because of speeding and a few rough roads and tunnels. Because of that, I would suggest hiring a driver instead of renting a car.

Check out my below video to learn more about my experience traveling around the beautiful country of El Salvador.