When to Visit San Salvador

San Salvador sits at around 680 metres above sea level in El Salvador's central highlands, which gives it a climate that feels noticeably gentler than the coastal lowlands many visitors expect from Central America. The city runs on two seasons that couldn't be more different from each other: a dry season that stretches roughly from November through April, and a wet season that dominates May through October. Within that broad pattern, though, there's real texture worth understanding before you pack your bag. During the dry season, San Salvador earns its nickname of the "Land of Eternal Spring" with more credibility than most tourist-office slogans deserve. Temperatures hover in a comfortable range, nights can turn cool, between December and February when lows can dip to around 17°C (63°F), and the sky tends to stay clear for days at a stretch. The landscape dries out and browns off a little by March and April, when the heat builds toward its annual peak at around 33°C (91°F), but the lack of humidity keeps things from feeling oppressive. February and March are the sunniest months of the year, when you'd swear the city is showing off. The wet season shift is dramatic and, once you know what to expect, rather impressive. Rain arrives in May and intensifies through September and into early October, September is typically the wettest month, with rainfall totals that can reach over 330mm across the month. These aren't gentle drizzles. San Salvador's rainy season delivers afternoon and evening downpours that last an hour or two, then clear. Mornings are usually fine. Temperatures ease off a little during the peak wet months, with highs settling around 29°C to 30°C (84°F to 86°F), so the rain comes with a modest cooling dividend. The landscape turns intensely green, waterfalls run full, and the volcanic peaks around the city emerge into sharper relief between storms.