Travel Alert--Remember to take passports to any of the Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and Canadian locations. Even children traveling with their parents need passports.

El Salvador, located on the Pacific Ocean coastline of Central America with Guatemala and Honduras as neighbors, is the smallest country on the isthmus and new to tourism, which is just developing. El Salvador has beautiful black sand beaches on its Pacific coast, mountains, and volcanoes. The lodging is unique in El Salvador, which has hidden hotels just ask about those when you arrive in the country.

Even though tourism is new to El Salvador, there are plenty of places to visit and include:

• San Vicente, a picturesque town with a colonial church and regional market in the highlands;
• Parc Nacional El Imposible, a remote bio-diverse national park with anteaters, quetzals, and agoutis.
• La Libertad, a Pacific coastline beachtown with great waves some say that they are the best in the world or hemisphere, at least, and perfect for surfers;
• Santa Ana, A beautiful city;
• San Salvador, The capital city with the nearby ruins of Joya de Caran (circa 600AD);
• Parc Nacional Montecristo, A national park and reserve in a cloud forest;
• Tazumal, Mayan ruins;
• Lago de Caotepeque, Perfect for swimming with weekend homes and resorts; and
• La Costa Sol, a picturesque community along the central Pacific coast region.

Throughout El Salvador, tourists need permits to visit natural, historical, and cultural sites. Please check on acquiring the permits in advance to avoid disappointment.

Traveling to any Central American country requires preplanning by checking on travel advisories, required documents, and medical requirements.