El Salvador kayaking

Ever wonder what kind of flora and fauna live near the bays, mangroves, estuaries and crater lakes? El Salvador kayaking offers the opportunity to find out! And if you are tired and would prefer to not have to paddle your way around, boat trips around these areas are also available.

Exploring this bio-diverse eco-system is such a relaxing experience as all that surrounds you is water and nature, the city will seem to be miles and miles away.

You might want to try more that one kayaking spot!

Following are some the most popular spots to practice El Salvador kayaking, we hope you will like them as much as we do!

Prearranged kayaking trips work best as they will provide you with all the gear needed, such as a life jacket and will guide you along the way to ensure you get the best sights. They actually follow you along the way on one of their small boats so you feel safe and secure at all times.

Most likely, you would enter the mangroves at San Dionisio Island, where you would be able to spot the Tecapa-Chinameca volcanic range (as in picture above). Madre Sal Island is usually the final destination. This is a really nice kayaking trip that takes about 3 hours to complete.

Besides, you'll be busy spotting Spider Monkeys, Big Blue Butterflies and the many species of native and migratory birds found in this region. Before you know it, you'll be at the end of your trip!

To get to Bahía de Jiquilisco from San Salvador, you would take the coastal highway CA-2 (carretera litoral) eastbound. At km 101 you'll see the detour to "Jiquilisco"; take a right (south) and keep going for about another 4 km. There you'll see Puerto El Triunfo (Triumfo port) and you're there!

Be sure to take your camera though, there will be many opportunities for great shots and oh yes, don't forget your sunscreen either, you'll need it! Discover Bahía de Jiquilisco and enjoy your kayaking tour!

There are local boat owners who offer tours around the area which are great if you don't feel paddling, but you can also book an El Salvador kayaking tour with a tour company. I find that these companies are quite flexible and really go out of their way to accommodate their clients, besides, if you book with a tour company, they offer transportation there and back to San Salvador if needed, so this is a good option.

A tour company will likely take you along the beach to Golfo de Fonseca area (Fonseca Gulf), one fo the most beautiful areas in El Salvador and it serves as a border for El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. There are several small islands in this gulf that are also worth exploring!

If you want to get to El Tamarindo by car, you would have to take carretera el Litoral (coastal highway) CA-2 eastbound to "El Delirio", here you would take a right and continue on until you get to a detour sign that says "Camino a las Playas" (road to the beaches). Take this detour and continue on this road, a little while later you will get to Las Tunas and Playas Negras; El Tamarindo beach will be right after these ones.

El Tamarindo beach is so unique and beautiful, be sure to enjoy it whether on a boat or a kayak!

Besides being a great fishing location, Estero de Jaltepeque is another great spot for kayaking. The mangroves in this estuary are so bio-diverse, it's a great habitat for all kinds of creatures which you will no doubt see.

Here too, there will be local boat operators who offer trips around the estuary and mangroves, so you can just sit back, relax, and take it all in! But of course, kayaking tours can also be arranged with tour companies who know all the best passages around the area for a great kayaking trip. Of course, while you're here you can also enjoy the beach and the facilities around the area.

To drive to Estero de Jaltepeque from San Salvador, you would have to take the coastal highway CA-2 eastbound. At km 43 you'll see a detour that will take you to Costa del Sol; here you would take a right and about 15 minutes later you'll come up to another detour that says "a Costa del Sol". This detour will take you to your final destination.

Be sure to bring your sunglasses and sunscreen, and leave the city behind, relax and enjoy your El Salvador kayaking experience!

La Barra (as it's commonly called by the locals) is an area rich in fauna. Here you can see iguanas, alligators, sea turtles and many more! Los Cóbanos is not too far from La Barra de Santiago, so you can stop here after a diving and snorkeling trip

You can chose to take a boat trip with one of the local boat operators or you also arrange an El Salvador kayaking tour with a company. They would be able to take you to the best spots in the area for an awesome and relaxing experience. Barra de Santiago also has a great beach that is worth checking out!

To get to Barra de Santiago from Sonsonate, you would take the road to the city of Acajutla. At km 5 you will come to a detour, take a right (westbound) and keep going until km 99. There you will se another detour sign that says "Hacia Barra de Santiago" (to Barra de Santiago). Take this detour and it will take you straight to the estuary.

There are so many other places that are great for kayaking, like the Ilopango and Coatepeque lakes (click on this link to find out about scuba diving in these lakes as well). Yes, there's so much to explore and discover in this great little place.

Getting to some of these places can be a little bit tricky because some of them are a little off the beaten path and there is not a lot of infrastructure in place so it can be confusing. So for your first trip to El Salvador, we would recommend calling a tour company to get your tours set up for an exciting and unforgettable experience!

We Hope you like the information presented here and that it has peeked your curiosity just enough to want to find out more about discovering this great destination in Central America.