Discover El Salvador: 20 Fascinating and Fun Facts You Didn't Know!

1. Soccer Gold Medals

When they're not practicing the art of brewing championship-worthy horchata, El Salvadorans like to score in soccer, and score big: El Salvador snagged two shiny gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games for football, first showing off their golden moves in Mexico City in 1954 and then strutting their stuff on home turf in 2002 in San Salvador.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Coffee Lover's Paradise

What do you get when you cross a handful of Salvadoran beans with a dash of citrus and a pinch of Borbón? A steamy love affair in your coffee cup, of course: El Salvador is home to the exquisite Pacas and Pacamara coffee varietals, with 60% of the country's output being the Bourbon kind, renowned for its sweet profile and dominant citrus notes. But watch out! These tasty beans are under threat from the villainous coffee leaf rust, causing a 20% drop in revenue between 2011 and 2013. Fear not, though, for El Salvador's heroic small farms continue to provide the world with quality caffeine fixes.
Source => coffeehunter.com

Did you know avocado-loving ancient Mesoamerican cultures like the Mokayas were already enjoying this delicious fruit around 8000-7000 BC, way before the wheel was even invented? Discover the fascinating history of avocados and their spread across civilizations!

=> Fun Facts about Guatemala

3. Yuca and Chicharrón Heaven

Forget being stuck between a rock and a hard place, try yuca and chicharrón heaven instead: This famously favored Salvadoran and Honduran dish combines delectably fried or boiled cassava with cabbage salad and crispy, fried pork skin, making it an irresistible sidekick to soups, tamales, and roasted meats. Our taste buds are tingling and we're not sorry!
Source => 196flavors.com

4. Volcanic Lake Wonders

Whoever said "don't go chasing waterfalls" clearly never saw El Salvador's lakes: they're breath-taking, stunning, and – wait for it – volcanic! Behold the largest of them all: Lake Ilopango, a natural beauty situated in a volcanic crater with mesmerizing emerald blue water, alongside Lake Guija, Lake Coatepeque, and the Jocotal Lagoon, a permanent freshwater haven - this volcanic quartet truly steals the show.
Source => daytranslations.com

5. Fashion-Forward Motmots

When motmots do the catwalk, they put supermodels to shame: El Salvador and Nicaragua's national bird, the turquoise-browed motmot, or torogoz, sports a stunning blue hue, a warm rufous ensemble, and a trendy racketed tail. These fashion-forward avians slay the runway in open habitats, can be quite bold around humans, and nest in earth banks or fresh-water wells.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Izalco: The Queen B of Volcanoes

Move over, Beyoncé, there's a new Queen B in town: meet the sassy Izalco Volcano of El Salvador! It's been lighting up the night sky an impressive 51 times since 1770, earning it the title of "the Lighthouse of the Pacific." This compact basalt beauty had its latest fabulous eruption in 1966 and can't resist showing off her summit crater fumaroles as they cool down just like her gas temperatures from 1964-1974.
Source => volcano.oregonstate.edu

7. Volcano Bingo

If you thought that Kilauea, Mauna Loa, or Pinatubo were no match for a game of "volcano bingo," wait until you hear about this place where Mother Nature clearly had too much time on her hands: El Salvador has over 100 happy-go-bumpy volcanic mounds, boasting the highest density of volcanoes in Central America! And just like a proud parent, they refer to the highest one, Santa Ana, as Ilamatepec or Mother Mountain, standing tall at 2,381 meters above sea level. Although 20 of these volcanic beauties could throw a temper tantrum at any moment, they mostly behave, making El Salvador a delightfully sizzling travel destination!
Source => enjoytravel.com

8. Pupusa Oscar Worthy Performance

If the Salvadoran pupusa were an actor, it would likely win an Oscar for its versatile gastronomic performances: El Salvador's beloved national dish is a handmade corn tortilla filled with a cast of delectable ingredients such as cheese, pork, beans, or loroco, stealing the spotlight at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Served alongside its trusted sidekicks curtido, a pickled cabbage slaw, and salsa roja, pupusas prefer to be eaten with their hands in the limelight, but won't object to a refined knife and fork.
Source => elmeson-santafe.com

9. Eco-Friendly Buses

If you thought the wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round was just a catchy children's song, El Salvador's capital city took that tune to heart and turned it into an eco-friendly reality: San Salvador recently implemented the Metropolitan Area Transport System (SITRAMSS) which features 200 energy-efficient and wheelchair accessible buses on dedicated lanes, streamlining transportation, reducing pollution, and adding a harmonious verse to their urban symphony.
Source => cispes.org

10. Pacific Embrace

Who needs the Caribbean when you've got the Pacific's sweet embrace, darling? El Salvador may be missing the typical Central American Caribbean magic, but fear not, sun worshipers and wave tamers: This gem of a country compensates with a 191-mile Pacific coastline, offering shimmering destinations like the picturesque Playa El Tunco, where surfing and swoon-worthy sunsets go hand in hand.
Source => try3steps.com

11. Metallic Treasures at Tazumal

Move over, Indiana Jones! El Salvador's Tazumal ruins might not be as big as their Mayan cousins, but they've got a treasure trove of metallic wonders that even Indy would be impressed by: As one of the earliest known Mesoamerican locations housing metal artifacts dating back to the 8th century AD, Tazumal was an ancient epicenter of trade and cultural exchange, with connections stretching from Central Mexico to the Yucatán Peninsula and lower Central America.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Tarzan's Playground

In El Salvador, where Tarzan would have a harder time than usual deciding which branch to swing from next: the country boasts a thriving ecosystem with over 800 species of birds, 200 reptiles, and 100 mammals, including the critically endangered Central American spider monkey inhabiting its lush forests.
Source => weatherspark.com

13. Disaster-Ready El Salvador

In El Salvador, they're "shaking things up" and preparing to "ride out the storm" with some financial buoyancy: A $400 million loan granted by the Inter-American Development Bank is enabling El Salvador to proactively prepare for future earthquakes, tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and potential epidemics and pandemics, through the Contingent Credit Facility for Natural Disaster Emergencies and Public Health, ensuring quick disaster response and promoting gender equity.
Source => iadb.org

14. Tech & Textile Exports

When El Salvador isn't brewing the perfect pick-me-up in the form of a latte or stitching together the hottest new fashion trend, they're technology whizzes, beeping and booping away at computer motherboards! Turns out they're friends with the United States too: In reality, El Salvador's economy relies heavily on exporting coffee, textiles, and electronics, and has been a proud member of the Central American Free Trade Agreement since 2006.
Source => data.worldbank.org

15. Chanchona and Zafacaite Tunes

Let's face it, when it comes to El Salvador's music scene, they don't just march to the beat of their own drum - they cha-cha to the chimes of a marimba, swish their hips with the strings of a violin, and maybe even do a little two-step with an accordion in the mix: Hidden in the harmonies of this Central American haven, chanchona and zafacaite are two vibrant regional music styles that put the "fun" in "fun fact"; chanchona thrills with its upbeat, rural sound played on guitars, violins, and double bass, while zafacaite is known for its fast-paced tempo, dished out on a guitar, accordion, and violin combo.
Source => elsalvadorinfo.net

16. Surf & Ruins Time Travel

Who needs a flux capacitor when you can surf through time in El Salvador: Home to ancient Mayan ruins sites, San Andrés which dates back to 900 BC, and Tazumal with structures from 250 AD, these historic spots are just a short drive away from the coast for a gnarly blend of swell breaks and archaeological trips.
Source => sunzal.com

17. Timeless Clocks

In El Salvador, they don't "spring forward" or "fall back" because they choose to live in a timeless world of unchanging clocks: The country hasn't observed Daylight Saving Time since September 24, 1988, and consistently follows Central Standard Time year-round.
Source => timeanddate.com

18. Fishy Rain Forecast

When the skies have a fishy forecast and it's raining cats and dogs, minus the cats and dogs: In Yoro, Honduras, a bizarre yearly phenomenon called "lluvia de peces" or "rain of fish," has been mystifying locals and visitors alike for over a century, with fish falling from the sky during the first major rainfall between May and June. Researchers speculate that strong winds or waterspouts may be responsible for scooping up and hurling these fin-tastic creatures onto terra firma, prompting residents to host an annual festival in honor of this peculiar piscatorial precipitation.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

19. Climate Change Threat

As the beach bum capital of Latin America, El Salvador may soon have to metaphorically trade in its beach towels for scuba gear: Rising sea levels are expected to swallow 10-28% of the country's coastal territory by the end of the century, making it one of the most at-risk nations in the region for climate-related disasters.
Source => climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org

20. Jaguar Princess & Bitcoin City

Forget the movie "Goldfinger": El Salvador has a Jaguar Princess who transforms into golden birds when she kicks the bucket! But don't just take our word for it, let the mysterious Conchagua volcano and its rich Lenca legends do the talking: This awe-inspiring natural marvel is steeped in indigenous mythology and offers breathtaking views from its Mirador Espiritu de la Montana lookout point, while also aiming to harness volcanic energy for a futuristic, crypto-mining "Bitcoin City" backed by a $1 billion Bitcoin bond from the state-owned power company, LaGeo.
Source => en.wikipedia.org