Feeling Safe in El Salvador

If you're thinking about moving, you've probably wondered: "Is El Salvador really safe now?"

My first trip to Central America was in 2005, when I spent about a month visiting family in Guatemala. We never went out at night, and it was common to hear gunshots in the neighborhood. It was also the first time I saw an official carrying a rifle, which was intimidating, because you just don't see that in the US.

So when I first visited El Salvador in 2022, with my children, I was nervous. I was quickly comforted, though, because crime was being cleaned up before our very eyes. On at least two occasions, we saw a truck full of handcuffed men on their way to jail. It was wild to witness.

Today, it's comforting to see police and soldiers all over the country, and a security guard at almost every business. It sends a clear message that they're not messing around. Since our family vacation in 2025, I've never felt that we were in danger, and we go out during the day and at night without a second thought. The US government has noticed the change too. Its travel advisory for El Salvador has been at Level 1, "Exercise normal precautions," the lowest of its four levels, since April 2025.

That doesn't mean we've stopped using common sense, because crime isn't completely gone anywhere. In a crowd, each of us keeps a hand on one of our girls, and we keep our things close.

Newcomers should also learn a few rules before arriving, such as what to carry when you go out and why some US CBD products can get you in trouble. The book explains those rules, the scams going around, and who to call if something happens.

More in the book: Chapter 32, Safety & Community. Sign up below to get next week's post.