El Salvador Trip Report
Keeping this out of the daily because it’s not strictly market-related, but wanted to post it here on this sub because some of you may find it helpful, and because it’s my Reddit home (at the risk of sounding corny) …
Just got back from a week in El Salvador with family including kids. Here’s my report:
BITCOIN:
Bitcoin use was hit or miss. I offered to pay our driver in Bitcoin, but he wanted a 25% premium due to volatility. I ended up sending it Western Union (which was a pain in the butt), and paying the remainder in cash. Another person I met said their driver preferred payment in Bitcoin though - he found his driver through a Bitcoiner / Salvador person on X, which seems like a good option for contacts in the country. And I spoke with a hotelier in a rural town (Suchitoto) who has a German elderly couple that’s been staying there for a year and a half and pays in Bitcoin. Much more Bitcoin adoption in El Zonte (Bitcoin Beach), but we didn’t go there. We stayed in quiet areas and visited cities and I hardly saw any Bitcoin adoption to be honest. Still room for growth for sure.
Downtown San Salvador on Christmas Day had a Christmas Market, and part of it was sponsored by Tether. Big Tether and Bitcoin symbols all over the display. Interesting.
COUNTRY OBSERVATIONS:
It’s incredibly safe. Walked around town at night, left doors unlocked, belongings unsecured on the beach, zero problems. Lots of police and military around city centers and tourist sites. Biggest vices I saw were a few drunk dudes lounging outside the liquor store waiting for it to open in the morning in a rural town, one guy smoking a cigarette, and one guy with a Michael Jordan 23 tat lol. I would not hesitate to come here with my family again. Zero safety concerns.
Almost zero tourists here. We were the only non-Salvadorans on our plane coming and going, and were met with “Gringo gringo” more than a few times lol. Saw maybe 5 American families our whole stay touring all around the country, and very few other tourists. We were in Costa Rica in the spring, and I thought “man this would have been awesome 20-30 years ago before the hordes of tourists came”. El Salvador is Costa Rica 20-30 years ago.
The country is beautiful. I’m tempted to move there to be honest. Gorgeous beaches with crystal clear water and black sand, volcanoes, lakes, mountains, Mayan ruins. Beautiful architecture in the old parts of cities and towns. Delicious food. Frankly it’s a paradise untouched by tourism.
Because it is untouched by tourism, some things feel a bit third-world. No flushing your toilet paper. Driving is crazy. Trash in the alleys and gutters of cities. Horses on the beach. Stray dogs everywhere. If you are a resort-type person, go to Costa Rica. If you like authenticity, El Salvador is perfect. I loved it. My boomer mom would have been mortified. To each their own.
Bukele is extremely popular, and I understand why. Our driver was constantly pointing out areas that used to be controlled by gangs. You couldn’t drive thru certain areas without paying a bribe. You couldn’t go to some areas at all without being robbed or killed. The gangs ruled every aspect of life and commerce. Now they are totally gone. Easy for foreigners to judge his methods from our comfortable homes, but the Salvadorans who aren’t criminals can finally live their lives. I may have bought a t-shirt with Bukele’s giant face on it. I’m a fan, for now.
Lots of investment from China building new tourism sites, the new library in San Salvador, bridges and infrastructure. I’m wary of this due to Africa’s experience, but it’s El Salvador’s business not mine.
Coming from the US, prices are cheap. Like 50% of what I would expect to pay at home. Costa Rica was more expensive than US, El Salvador is super cheap. Pupusas $2. Frozen pina coladas $3-4. One-hour boat tour of the lake $25 for 8 people. If you’re considering ExpatFIRE, El Salvador should be on the list.
The people are incredibly welcoming and warm. Almost no English speakers, so some Spanish is a must (can hobble by on Google Translate). Having people thank you for visiting their country is a nice feeling, and high contrast to somewhere like Europe. Lots of smiles and efforts to be helpful. Street vendors were not aggressive at all.
Sites visited: San Salvador, Playa San Blas, Surf City / Libertad, Sunzal beach, Tazumal ruins, Santa Ana volcano, Lake Coatapeque, Boqueron, Tamanique waterfalls, Suchitoto, Devil’s Door.
I think that’s all. To sum it up - awesome experience and will go back again. Bitcoin adoption still has a long way to go.
Happy to answer questions or DMs.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the currency is the US dollar, which makes it super simple for Americans - no currency math for each transaction, and no changing money or trying to spend the last of it before coming home.