Tamanique Waterfalls Complex Trek + El Tunco Beach

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Just few minutes away from the beach, are a series of fun, crystal spring waterfalls that deserve your visit. Tamanique waterfalls is an adventure of 1 hour drive from San Salvador. It requires a hike so please be prepared for a steep walk and bring good footwear. It takes about 30 minutes to hike down to the waterfalls from town. On the way, let the locals regale you with stories of years living in a surf paradise. Then dive into the cool pools and take a break from the tropical heat.

   2 hAdmission included

2. El Tunco El Salvador is one of the most famous beaches in the country; and also one of the top surfing spots in El Salvador and all of Central America. This surf village, with only two streets, is famous for its excellent surfing, striking sunsets, and weekend parties. Year after year, surfers and non-surfers from many countries visit El Tunco to take advantage of the excellent waves and everything else it has to offer.

   2 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 109 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Gaby was excellent , warm...

  Gaby was excellent , warm and friendly. She assisted my friend who got some motion sickness when needed.

  Rudra_RSeptember 2026via Viator

• 5Gaby was the best tour guide!

  Gaby, our tour guide was amazing! I lost my wife’s phone and we only found out when we made it to the bottom of the hike and she volunteered to go up before us and find it! If you are booking this ask for Gaby! And she will come to pick you up from some of the smaller airbnbs in la libertad or surf city.

  O195YTjakesSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Great experience

  Overall tour and experience was a 10 out 10.

  michaelfL2667MHJuly 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Challenging but fun

  Gaby was our tour guide. At the waterfall Freddy Joined us as a guide as well. They were both great. Gaby was very nice. It was a VERY challenging tour though!! The way down and up from the waterfall are so hard. I don’t know if the volcano or this one was hard. There’s no breeze and you sweat like if you were in a Sauna. The good thing is that the water is cold. Tunco was fun and had a couple of streets to walk. I actually liked their souvenirs way than the stores and markets I went to. I would suggest buying them there. The tour was fun but I would never do it again as it’s physically very challenging.

  Yesarily_SJuly 2026via Viator

• 5Gabby was amazing - waterfall tour

  Gabby was amazing! She communicated day before and was early for pick up! She shared a lot of knowledge about the country and was more than happy to keep us entertained along the way!

  etsilmJuly 2026via Tripadvisor

• 4Amazing Tamanique Waterfalls Experience Thanks to an Outstanding Guide

  I had an amazing experience visiting the Tamanique Waterfalls in El Salvador, and a big part of that was thanks to my tour guide, Gaby. Gaby was outstanding from start to finish. She was punctual, professional, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. As a solo traveler, I especially appreciated how much she shared about El Salvador's culture, history, and daily life. Her passion for her country made the experience much more meaningful, and I am very grateful for everything she taught me throughout the day. The waterfalls themselves were absolutely beautiful. We spent about 30–40 minutes there swimming, taking photos, and even jumping from a small cliff into the water. After hiking in the humid conditions, the cool water felt amazing. It had rained the night before, so the trail was muddy and slippery, and I was very thankful I brought hiking boots. The only aspect that slightly tainted my experience was that, although I booked as a solo traveler and it was initially just Gaby and me, we ended up joining another group of about six or seven people. Most of them appeared to be hungover and were speaking very loudly, often using foul language. Since I was hoping to enjoy the nature and tranquility of the area, I found that part of the hike less enjoyable and somewhat uncomfortable. One thing I would suggest is providing more detailed information before the tour. It would have been very helpful to know in advance to bring water shoes and a change of clothes, especially since swimming at the waterfalls is such a major part of the experience. Thankfully, on the hike back up, Gaby and I stopped at another waterfall where I had the entire place to myself for about 10–15 minutes. It was peaceful, beautiful, and one of my favorite moments of the day. I also appreciated that I did not have to continue the return hike with the larger group. Afterward, we visited El Tunco, the famous surf town on El Salvador's Pacific coast. It is definitely a tourist-friendly destination with plenty of small shops, cafés, and places to browse. The beach is more geared toward surfing than relaxing on the sand, but it was still a wonderful place to visit. I only wish I had a little more time there to explore. Overall, I highly recommend this experience. The waterfalls are stunning, the scenery is beautiful, and Gaby's exceptional customer service made the day memorable. Despite the minor issues with the larger group and the lack of preparation information, I had a fantastic time. El Salvador exceeded my expectations—it felt safe, clean, welcoming, and full of natural beauty. I would gladly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the country.

  Teresa_RJune 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in San Salvador

• Its from-price is 27% below the median of the 104 day trips we list in San Salvador.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 8 of 104.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About San Salvador

San Salvador is El Salvador's capital, set in a valley beneath a volcano, with a historic centre of plazas and cathedrals, museums and mountain viewpoints.

San Salvador sits in a bowl-shaped valley under the San Salvador volcano, whose crater, El Boquerón, rises above the city to the west. The historic centre around Plaza Gerardo Barrios has the neoclassical National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral, where Archbishop Óscar Romero is buried, and the Teatro Nacional stands nearby. The Divine Saviour of the World monument, a statue of Christ on a globe, stands on a busy roundabout.

Top-ranked sights in San Salvador: Lake Coatepeque, El Rosario Church (Iglesia El Rosario), Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana).

See all 228 experiences in San Salvador