Why go
- Capital of El Salvador.
- Served by Ilopango International Airport (ILS).
History
San Salvador is the capital and largest city of El Salvador and of its eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The municipality of San Salvador has 525,990 inhabitants (2024). The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital itself and 13 of its municipalities, has a population of 2,404,097. The urban area of San Salvador has a population of 1,600,000 inhabitants.
Restaurants & places to go
292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →
Airports
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 12 airlines, 32 direct destinations
- Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia AV (Embraer 190, A320, A319, A321, ATR, 737-800) · 27 routes: Belize City, Bogota, Cali, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Houston, Liberia, Lima, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Newark, Orlando, Panama City, Quito, Rio Negro, Roatan, San Francisco, San Jose, San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, Toronto, Washington
- US Airways US (A320, Embraer 190, A319, A321, 737-800) · 8 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Washington
- United Airlines UA (A320, 737-800, Embraer 190, A319, A321) · 7 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth*, Houston, Los Angeles*, Miami*, New York*, Newark, San Francisco*
- American Airlines AA (737-800) · 2 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami
- Grupo TACA TA (A319, A320, Embraer 190) · 2 routes: Havana, Managua
- AeroMéxico AM (EMJ) · 1 route: Mexico City*
- British Airways BA (342) · 1 route: Madrid*
- Copa Airlines CM (Embraer 190) · 1 route: Panama City
- Delta Air Lines DL (A319, A320) · 1 route: Atlanta
- Iberia Airlines IB (342) · 1 route: Madrid
- LACSA LR (ATR) · 1 route: Managua*
- Spirit Airlines NK (A319, A320) · 1 route: Fort Lauderdale
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Where things are
Photographs
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page
When to go
The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.
Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.
Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.
Getting there & around
Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Ilopango International Airport (ILS); 5 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below.
Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for San Salvador (El Salvador). Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.
Trains & rail
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.