• Ruta De Las Flores & The 7 Waterfalls
• Climb El Salvador’s Tallest Volcano – Santa Ana
• Lake Coatepeque
• Sunset & Sunrise Camping In Conchagua
• Tamanique Waterfalls
• Visit Another Circular Economy – Berlín

Bitcoin Beach has become a mecca, a place of pilgrimage for Bitcoiners to visit from all around the world. Located in the small, rustic, surfer’s paradise that is El Zonte, Bitcoin Beach has cemented itself as *the *Bitcoin Circular Economy. While it may not be the first one (that honor belongs to Arnhem, NL ) it is without a doubt the most famous and well-known.

However, there is a lot more to El Salvador than just El Zonte and Bitcoin Beach. Though, based on what I had seen from social media as well as chatting with fellow Bitcoiners while at the Plan B conference in San Salvador, it seemed the overwhelming majority of Bitcoin tourists to El Salvador spend little time in the country, and only go to El Zonte. Chatting with my friend Ronny from the Bitcoin Hardware store in town confirmed this suspicion.

There is much more to visit in El Salvador than just El Zonte…

§Ruta De Las Flores & The 7 Waterfalls

Located at just about 25 miles northwest of El Zonte is the town of Sonsonate and the beginning of a small, scenic highway connecting 7 towns, known as La Ruta De Las Flores. The route starts in Sonsonate on the south-end and ends at Ahuachapan on the north-end.

However, the 5 towns between Sonsonate and Ahuachapan are what make up the meat and potatoes of La Ruta. They are: Nahuizalco, Salcoatitan, Juayua, Apaneca, and Concepcion de Ataco.

A street in Apaneca!

The various towns are small and quaint; it’s entirely possible to quickly swing through all of them in a day. However, a good idea is to spend a night or two in Juayua, located in the middle of the Ruta. From Juayua, you can easily spend a day visiting the towns to the south, and then a day visiting the towns to the north.

While in Juayua, you can also do what I consider to be the gem of La Ruta De Las Flores: the 7 waterfalls hike.

The 7 waterfalls hike (Las Siete Cascadas in Spanish), is a moderate hike near Juayua that must be completed with a guide. It’s a lovely walk and hike through the dense forest (and through a coffee plantation!) that visits 7 waterfalls along the way. You even get the climb one of the waterfalls!

At the end of the hike, there are a few more waterfalls not included in the original 7, with one of them feeding into a large pool to go for a swim in!

I’ve seen guided tours of the hike go for $20 | 18,467 sats-30, however, you can do it with Rick’s Hostel and Que Ondas Hostal for just $10 | 9,233 sats, including transportation.

The first of the seven waterfalls

While the tour cannot be paid for in Bitcoin (unless you can convince the tour guide to accept it), a stay at Rick’s Hostel can be, as well as a scooter rental! I stayed at Que Ondas Hostal and was trying to convince the owner, Oscar, to accept Bitcoin. He’s definitely interested, so maybe if you stay there, you can deliver the final orange-pill.

§Climb El Salvador’s Tallest Volcano – Santa Ana

El Salvador is home to 20 volcanoes, with the tallest being the Santa Ana volcano (Ilamatepec). Standing at 7,812′ (2,381m), the Santa Ana volcano is funnily enough also arguably the easiest to hike up!

The volcano is located in Parque Natural Cerro Verde, a feasible day trip from San Salvador and El Zonte.

Selfie’ing atop Santa Ana volcano!

The hike takes about an hour, and I honestly think calling it “moderate” difficulty would be a stretch. It’s fairly easy; seasoned hikers will think it’s a breeze, and the casual hiker will also find it non-strenuous.

The hike boasts great views of the neighboring Izalco volcano, as well as panoramas of the surrounding area. You can even see all the coast to the coast and the Pacific ocean! At the top awaits a beautiful turquoise pond in the caldera of the volcano.

§Lake Coatepeque

Right next to Parque Natural Cerro Verde and the Santa Ana volcano is Lake Coatepeque, which sits in the Coatepeque caldera.

This crater lake is one of the largest in El Salvador and is home to tranquil waters and chill vibes. I spent a few days on the lake and it was both beautiful and relaxing!

Selfie at Captain Morgan Hostel at Lake Coatepeque!

§Sunset & Sunrise Camping In Conchagua

Visiting the top of the Conchagua volcano in eastern El Salvador looks to be an absolutely stunning experience! While I unfortunately have not done this (yet), I have heard nothing but rave reviews and have seen nothing but gorgeous pictures from fellow travelers.

Most people I’ve met have opted to do a camping experience atop the volcano where you get to experience both an incredible sunset and, more beautifully, sunrise over the Gulf of Fonseca. From atop Conchagua you can see both Honduras and Nicaragua in the background of the several islands dotting the Gulf.

The view from atop Conchagua (Credit: Daniel Perez)

I will most likely be doing the Conchagua volcano as an overnight camping trip from San Salvador. However, the nearby town of La Union has hotels to stay in, as the volcano is about 4 hours from the capital.

§Tamanique Waterfalls

A short drive from El Zonte and the Surf City coast is the town of Tamanique and its natural beauty.

Tamanique is another item on my to-do list, and has been recommended to me by countless locals along the coast. It’s an area that boasts 4 waterfalls with watering holes for swimming, as well as 2 places to cliff jump!

§Visit Another Circular Economy – Berlín

A bit isolated from the rest of the places highlighted is El Salvador’s second Bitcoin circular economy; Berlín!

In the rolling hills of El Salvador’s Usulután department is possibly the world’s fastest growing Bitcoin circular economy. Started in 2023 , the town of 20,000 people has over 150 businesses accepting bitcoin!

While Bitcoin Beach has turned El Zonte into a tourism hotspot, Berlín is a quieter town, with locals spearheading and driving Bitcoin adoption. It appears to be a much more community driven movement, and I recommend this article for a deeper look into what’s developing in Berlín!