Should you go to Suchitoto?

Trip date January 2026 1GBP = 1.32USD April 2026

Not yet ready to leave El Salvador, but ready to have a break from the capital city, we were torn on where to go. We could have hopped on a bus to the coast to visit El Salvador's self-appointed "Surf City", but the more we looked into it the less appealing it was. With the country's tourism board wanting to appeal more to rich American surf-bros than backpackers, any accommodation other than a hostel came with a rather hefty price tag. I don't mind paying more for things I really want, but as I'm not into surfing, it seemed a little expensive to just sit on the beach.

With the coast written off, we turned our attention inland. Being a fan of nature and history, Suchitoto, El Salvador's first capital won out. The bus station (Terminal Nuevo Amanecer) that heads to Suchitoto was annoyingly far from anywhere in San Salvador, so we first needed to grab an uber before we could get on our $0.60 bus. The journey was relatively quick, just and hour and a half, and despite it being a route popular with locals, it didn't get too crowded. The bus dropped us off in the more lively, local part of town, and from there it was a ten minute walk to drop off our belongings at the hotel.

Suchitoto is without a doubt a pretty town. It's all cobbled streets, orange clay roof tiles and tastefully plastered colonial-style houses. The outskirts manage to retain their charm while feeling lived in and functional. The town centre was a little more tourist focused with restaurants, cafes and those shops that sell artisanal "handmade" goods that I'm 99% sure no-one ever buys. The main plaza featured a picturesque colonial style white church and plenty of benches to sit and people watch from. While we lazed away some time there, we were lucky enough to see a wedding procession enter the church. The bride, with her traditionally voluminous skirts, was still dwarfed by the giant sized church doors she entered through.

However much we enjoyed wandering around the town, we enjoyed the scattered viewpoints even more. From various points in town, not only could we enjoy vistas over the mountainous landscape, but down over Lake Suchitlán the area's man-made lake too.

Not quite realising how far a walk in the blazing sun it would be, we left the town behind and followed the winding route that led down to the water. When we arrived, wind rippled across the lake's surface, causing the boats out on tour to crash into the waves. Despite the touts offering us "good" deals on boat rides, we decided to admire it from the land instead. Although Lake Suchitlán was purpose made in the 1970's as a reservoir for the country's hydroelectric production, this isn't at all apparent from Suchitoto and the lake fits into the landscape like it belongs. Not keen to walk back up the massive hill we walked down to reach the lake, we opted to get on the last bus instead (it leaves at 17.30) - it was fairly inexpensive and the ride took us a quick 20 minutes.

We could have done more in Suchitoto, like visit their famous plate museum or their art gallery, but we were happy just to soak in the relaxed atmosphere of the town and enjoy the panoramas. We did go on a fruitless search for the last cigar roller in Suchitoto, an elusive old woman keeping the craft alive, but she wasn't to be found.

So is Suchitoto worth visiting?

I think so but maybe it would be better as a day-trip or just for one night (instead of the two we stayed). The town itself is stunning and the views even more so. There's enough to do to fill an entire day, and it's a nice enough place to relax in with comfortable and cosy independent coffee shops and cafes too. For me, as a vegetarian, what I was let down by was the cuisine. The few restaurants still open at night after the crowds have gone, were still more catered to tourists than locals. Perhaps it's different further away from the centre, but we found the choices pretty overpriced and not very authentic.