TIPS, for my Salvadorian vacation please?

Question

I will be in El Salvador for the 3rd time. I love it there! I'm a born us citz from mexican parents. My last vacation there we went to Playa el Sunzal, it was very nice; charcoal sand, warm (very salty) water but this time I would like to visit another one, maybe a lighter color water with calmer beaches...I hear it is winter over there now, so maybe there will not be a calm beach? The family is from san salvador, so something not too far is nice too. Any reccommendations for beaches would be appreciated!

Also, I want to taste new foods, more natural foods, like weird, exotic fruits, any reccommendations there?

For the pupusas, I love to go to Planes de rendero (I think that's the name). So any tips are greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

i really love tropical fruits.

el salvador has many

the "anonas" (you might know them as chirimoyas, but these are slightly different) are the best fruit ever.  they are ripe in july august and september i think.  the pink ones are more expensive.  both the pink (meat) and white (meat) ones taste equally good.  the english name is "sorsop"

"mamones" look like mini red sea creatures with the tenticles on them.  they are ripe nearer to christmas  the name in english is "rasputin".  it is kinda similar-ish to a lychee flavor

try some "baby bananas".  there are smaller ones and then there are REALLY small ones.  these are the sweetest.  some people call them "dominicos", others jjust "baby bananas".  the ones called "manzanos" are not the same.  these seem to have a sandy tast IMHO.  then there are the red ones.  sweet and thick tasting, many use them to cook with.  if you go to a really poor persons house, they might give you a "criollo banana" or "guinea criolla"...the stubby fat cooking bananas....they are not very good raw, but often times that was all they had to give me.  they cook well tho.

"granadillos" (you might know them as "granada chinos") are ripe in january-ish.  they look like orange easter eggs... these are "passion fruits".  

There is also a "maraculla" which has some similarities to a passion fruit (the maraculla is used to make a yummy drink).  i have never eaten one tho.  i think that they are kinda sour so that might be why i only have had them as a "refresco"

"mangoes" are ripe in april-june-ish.  late in the season watch out for the little worms that are inside if you pick one off of a wild tree.  mangoes are my favorite aside from the anona.

the many varieties of "avocados" down there are yummy.  the smaller wild ones, you can eat the thin green skin.

"nisperos" (zapote blanco in mexico) are way too sweet for me.  i think they ripen in september-november?

"papaya" (the large ones) are ripe in december and actually many other months.  yummy!

"coco and pipa" (pipas are green) have yummy milk inside....well, i dislike them, but others really love them.

"pineapple" is often made into a drink....yummy eaten ripe from the...bush?  it is sweet as sugar water.

"nance" is some kind of yellow cherry looking thing.  the smell of them makes me ill, but my friend LOVED them when they were soaked in orange flavored chaparo (el salvadoran moonshine).  they fall to the ground from the tree easily.

the "jocote" is also popular.  i am not sure how to discribe that one. i really don't like that one either.

"loroco" is a kind of vegetable that some health food stores sell up here.  it looks like a wierd looking asparagus.  you might have had some in your eggs or more likely the pupusa.  i loved the loroco pupusas.

"flor de izote" is the national flower.  it kinda looks like but is NOT the white flowers on a yucca plant which we have up here.  it makes a yummy soup.  the first time i saw them in a soup, i thought they were petals of an artichoke (my favorite) so i exlaimed "alcochofa!"  well, since few people in the countryside of el salvador know what an alcochofa is, they made fun of me the next several times i came to visit and called me "hey alcachofa, ?como esta?"

"yuca" is like starchy potatoes.  i love these vegetables.

"pasteles" are fried yummy....well, let me just call  them "corn fingers" "or corn sticks".  you probably have had them.  i think the insides were potatoes or was it rice?

in mexico i ate something called a lima (sweet lime)  i think central america has them too.

then there is the "guava" or "guyaba"  IMHO better as a drink.

i think "tamarindo" or tamarind in english is there.  the drink can be real tart depending on how many tamarinds "tamarinds are used to make the "refresco."  it is the brown liquid you might have had.

the "carambolla" (star fruit) were tart in central america, but up here in the states, i had some with a sweeter taste.

the "pepetos" are another .....i guess you would call it a fruit.  not sure if it is bebetos or pepetos tho.  

if you can have "agua de jamaica" AKA refresco de jamaica" , i would reccomend it.  it is the red drink made from hybiscus flowers and it is DELICIOUS on a hot day.  very very yummy, my favorite refresco.

horchata in mexico and the USA may be made from rice and in the carribean, it may be made from almonds, but in central america, it is made from a type of gourd or.....chufas?  i cannot remember the name in spanish.  anyway, the little gourd has seeds that you soak to make the liquid.  it is much yummier than the "rice" variety from other countries.

fruit drinks can be made from most (not all) of the above fruits.  i drank something called "chang"  which i think is flax seed.  a few times it was mixed with the green lime.  delicious.

of course you have had "colachampan"  the original is best.   the "coke" knockoff is ok tho.

i must have had 6 or 7 different types of squash...guisquiles, chayotes, whatever......one time it was soaked/boiled in some honey water.  how sweet it is!!!

my friend makes a great "sopa de pata de rez"  AKA "cow's hoof soup?"  not a very appatizing translation.  but try it if you can.  

well, that is all i can think of for the moment.  there are many many more fruits and yummy foods in central america and specifically el salvador.

have fun!  oh yeah, i have only been to la libertad beach, buy i hear that in the east near la union, there are some cool water sports and boat rides to the islands nearby.

Answer 2

The surf is always strong in El Salvador, and the season affects it only slightly.  Be mindful of the waves and you should be fine.

As for beaches, everyone has their favorite.  My favorite (and close to San Salvador) is Playa Salinitas.  A beautiful white sand beach that seems to be made out of very tiny shells!  

As for new foods and exotic fruits, there's no better place for variety than San Salvador's central market (mercado central de San Salvador) or Santa Tecla's central market.  Depending on what is in season, you may find cashew fruit (marañones), jocotes, mangoes, anonas, zapotes, nisperos, etc.  You will go wild with all the choices.  I always search out granadillas de fiesta, large passion fruits that are very sweet and musky!  Delicious!

You'll also get your share of exotic foods there.  Anything from something mild like chorizos de Nahuizalco to very daring garrobo (iguanas) and jutes (river snails).  Very tasty!

If in Santa Tecla, try Tipicos Margoth.  Local chain that has been around for a long time.  I remember eating their pupusas as a kid, way back in the early 80's.  They have great dishes.

I wish you a wonderful time.