Paseo El Carmen, Santa Tecla

Santa Tecla, a modern city on the edge of San Salvador, has turned its historic street, the Paseo El Carmen, into a pedestrian zone of cafés, bars, restaurants and art. On weekend evenings it fills with food stalls, live music and families, and it's one of the safest and liveliest places to spend an evening in the capital area.

Try pupusas, El Salvador's famous stuffed corn tortillas, from a street stall. The El Boquerón National Park, on the crater of the San Salvador volcano, is a short drive up the hill.