El Tunco, El Salvador: This Untapped Gem Awaits

Take a yoga class at Balance. Balance is a yoga and surf boutique hotel waterfront to the El Bocana surf break in El Tunco. Not only does it attract surfers, but it also serves as a yoga retreat center. When a retreat is not taking place, regularly scheduled yoga classes are held daily. Drop-in prices are $10-$15 for a 75min class!

Rent a scooter. It’s an awesome way to check out the surrounding region, and the roads in El Salvador are some of the most organized and nicest roads I’ve experienced in Central America. A short scooter ride away is access to additional beaches, restaurants, hikes and hotels. Many of them are around $20 for the day, but you can also rent them by the hour as well. I went to a little pop-up called Munchbox on the main road in El Tunco. Ask for Brian. He’s the man.

Shop. Local artists line the main street toward the beach. You can find a lot of great local art and jewelry there. There are also several stores on this street that sell cute souvenirs. Most of the items are the same, but there is a lot to choose from. There is also a little shopping plaza in the middle of town, where there are several surf shop-type stores with clothes and other surf items. One of my favorites was Coconut Company, Surf & Skate — walking into it felt like a retro step into 80s skateboarding culture!

Catch the sunset. The sunsets in El Tunco are a stunning collection of pinks and purples. It’s especially magical watching them from the beach with the iconic El Tunco rock in the foreground.

Explore the night life. On the weekends, El Tunco morphs into the bustling energy of buzzy night clubs. Fridays and Saturdays are great nights for even local Salvadorans to go to El Tunco to listen to live music, go to bars that turn into nightclubs, and dance until you're tired. There was one elusive white bunny we spotted at La Bonita Beach Club early on the trip…we never saw it again after that. No joke. I challenge you to find it! (We need to know why it was there and what a white fluffy bunny is doing in a hot Salvadoran night club).

Eat papusas. A small, flat tortilla stuffed with veggies, cheese, beans or meat. They're the native food of El Salvador. They are offered everywhere and are around $.50-$1.

Esquina La Comrade. I can’t count the number of times I visited this little corner shop in the seven days I was in El Tunco. The fish tacos are amazing and less than $3…I could have eaten them for every meal of every day! The staff is very friendly, and they serve big Regia beers (traditional Salvadoran beer) in koozies to help protect them from the warm humidity. They know what they're doing. Because it’s on the corner connecting the two streets El Tunco consists of, there is plenty of activity and people-watching to observe while you eat and drink at the chillest spot that fully encompasses a foreign surf town.

Restaurante Erika. This place is at a corner, steps away from El Tunco beach, and its two-story building allows for plenty of seating. The staff is very friendly, serving up the most delicious food from their extensive menu at very reasonable prices. They also have many large TVs, so if soccer is playing, this is a great place to watch the game. Be sure to order the Tierra y Mar plate…every bite is just as good as the one before!

Grab a craft beer at Cadejo Brewery. Cadejo prides themselves on being the first craft beer in San Salvador…and it delivers! They offer a large menu selection of both beer and food, so it’s easy to keep coming back to try the different options — plus, it’s delicious. The brewery overlooks the ocean, so it makes for a very enjoyable experience all around!

Balance’s smoothies & bowls. This boutique hotel has a cafe that is open every day from 10a-4p to not just its residents, but also to the public. I highly recommend any smoothie or bowl they have on the menu — you can’t go wrong. They’re made to order and are as beautiful as they are delicious.

La Neveria ice cream. The first bite I took of an ice cream that I ordered from here, I nearly dropped my cone. It was the creamiest, most flavorful ice cream that was the perfect compliment to the hot and humid weather. I went here multiple nights, and you can get the largest “single” scoop of ice cream on a cone for less than $2.

Mopelia. Not only do they have delicious, typical and non-typical Salvadoran food, like pizzas and burgers, but Tuesday nights they have “jam sessions”. On these nights, local musicians band up for open mic night. Dedos Locos were a local band playing the night I was there, and they were amazing. If you can catch one of their shows, I highly recommend it!

Drink Cihuatan with orange slices. Cihuatan is El Salvador’s native rum, and I would not have tried it had it not been for La Bonita Beach Club. The bartender recommended it with orange slices to take versus a traditional lime. The orange complements the rum’s vanilla flavor, making it taste like an orange creamsicle.

Capt. Cook’s. I went to this place on the last day of the trip, and I’m really sad I didn’t find it sooner. I ordered their standard ceviche and it is — hands down — the best ceviche in El Tunco. It was made fresh, had the right citrus flavor and ended with just enough spicy kick that made me want to order another one of these $7 bowls.