In Defense of the Detour Destination

In discussing spring break this year, I found that pretty much everyone goes to the same places—“Flah-dah,” “Cali,” “the D.R.,” “P.R.,” Spain—you get the point. I heard about these locations over and over—that’s not to say they aren’t great trips. However, in looking for a good, unique, yet still budget-friendly trip, my friends and I decided to take a chance on an alternative route: El Salvador. 

El Salvador is not what first comes to mind when people hear “paradise.” In fact, it is unfavorably viewed by many Americans. My peers and I received significant pushback when we talked about our chosen destination. Harvard students would often warn us about the “dictator” President Nayib Bukele, who abuses human rights and jails many of the country’s citizens. My family even sent me newspaper articles from 2015 when El Salvador was considered “the homicide capital of the world.”

But despite others’ anxiety, we were well-researched for the trip—and well-assured. Once ruled by street gangs, the country is now considered one of the safest in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 1 travel advisory for El Salvador, ranking it above countries such as France and the United Kingdom. Since 2015, there has been just under a 99 percent reduction in murders. While we were aware of the controversies surrounding Bukele, as short-term visitors, we primarily experienced the increased public safety rather than the political consequences. 

Outside of the safety of the country, El Salvador is often considered to be one of Central America’s best-kept secrets, boasting tall volcanic mountains along the warm waters of the Pacific. The coast is dotted with black-sand beaches, each surrounded by towering black cliffs. 

So, all things considered, our group, which had now grown to 14 people, went ahead with our plans. 

After arriving Sunday evening and settling into the Airbnb, moods about our decision were high—especially since online photos of the country did not do it justice. Our “random” lodging was positioned on a small 1,000-yard beach nestled between two large black cliffs, overlooking a vast horizon. The water sat at a heavenly 85 degrees. On the drive to the city, the road wound up and down the mountainous coast, with cliffs overlooking beaches. The landscape was nothing short of magnificent. 

Strung along the road into town were hilltop seafood restaurants overlooking the beach thousands of feet below—the ambiance was too alluring for our group not to frequently stop at these vendors for lunch. Also, further inland along the road were small stands. The majority of these places sold pupusas—the country’s national dish—best described as a corn or rice cake filled with cheese, meat, and beans. They were delicious, and a full lunch of pupusas cost about $3. A full plate of seafood at the restaurant would cost about $15, which, although not as well priced as the pupusas, was still a great deal.

Throughout the week, our daily activities included touring a local coffee plantation, surfing in the newly developed surf city in Playa El Tunco, or exploring the busy streets and cathedrals of San Salvador. There were certainly an endless number of experiences that could not possibly fit into a one-page article—and one travel itinerary.

One of the coolest places to visit was Plaza Gerardo Barrios in the city center. The Plaza is anchored by the national palace and the metropolitan cathedral, among other shopping and dining areas. We all found the square pristine; what we didn’t realize was the development it had gone through in the years leading up to our trip. Following our trip to the city center, Bukele posted a before-and-after of the square on his Instagram—as an advertisement for what his administration has accomplished. Though we were likely not the designated audience as non-voters for Salvadoran politics, our group nonetheless took particular note of the changes, comparing the structure’s past state to our present understanding of the location.

Now, my optimistic portrayal of our experiences does not mean our group experienced a week free of hiccups. Because of the windy and hilly roads, semi-truck drivers had to take painfully slow turns, as slow as 20 kilometers per hour. At first, I was cursing them out, waiting for my turn to pass. But on day three, we were met with a jarring explanation for such steady driving: on our way back to the house, we got caught in a traffic standstill after an oil tanker flipped, leaving the two-lane road unusable for six hours. Although the country has many strengths, it’s continuing to develop, including expanding a section of this coastal road to four lanes.

The other factor we may have underestimated was the lack of English proficiency among people in the country, even in touristy areas. Obviously, when traveling to Central America, you shouldn’t expect English to dominate conversations with locals. However, in many countries with American tourists, some hospitality-oriented locations offer bilingual services. This was not the case, though it turned out to be good practice for my Spanish 20 midterm—even if my language skills were a bit too broken to match the country’s vernacular.

In terms of the budget, the trip was a dream for my wallet. The highest cost was my flight—$350 round trip. Next, the beautiful oceanside house with a pool, split between the group, was $177 per person, or just over $25 a day. The final big-ticket cost was transportation, running us $120 per person for three cars (a sedan, a seven-seater crossover, and a truck). While there were certainly costs for food, groceries, and experiences, the base trip cost came to $647, which barely covers the cost of a flight to many other spring break destinations. 

I have endless great things to say about El Salvador as a country and destination, but the point of this article is not to do the job of the country’s tourism industry—although if Bukele is reading this, call me, I would consider it. This is a testament to the importance of not judging a place based on others’ reactions. Doing your research is important, but if my group had listened to the naysayers, we would not have had this experience. For a week, we traded the typical college spring break for something uncertain. It turns out that the detour brought us to one of the coolest places I have ever been to.

Kalvin Frank ’28 (kfrank@college.harvard.edu) had an intense dopamine drop coming off of break.