Surrounded by lush vegetation, waterfalls and cascades dash down big barren rocks and plunge into emerald pools, as if someone painted pictures and put them in frames. Tamanique Waterfalls, in the La Libertad department of El Salvador, look picturesque in serene settings, yet offer opportunities of adventures!
In this comprehensive guide to visiting Tamanique Waterfalls in El Salvador, we will share all the details about how to reach, what to expect from the hike, how best to experience the waterfalls and the list of things you need to remember when going for this waterfalls hike.
This post was last updated in March 2024.
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Why Visit Tamanique Waterfalls
Tamanique Waterfalls can offer a complete package of nature and adventure.
- There are multiple waterfalls and cascades within the same property. They say four, we say six! We will explain that later in this post.
- You hike on rugged terrain through the forest, with views of the beautiful Salvadoran landscape along the way.
- You can go for refreshing swims in the cool natural waterfall pools on hot sunny days.
- You can try jumping into the pools, at not just one, but two different spots!
- This nature and waterfalls hike can offer a rejuvenating recess from your beach days in El Tunco or El Zonte.
Even after visiting dozens of waterfalls in Costa Rica, we did enjoy our time at Tamanique Waterfalls. We would recommend including these wild and pretty waterfalls in your El Salvador itinerary.
Convinced about visiting these waterfalls beauty in El Salvador? Okay, now let’s get to the planning and logistics part of how you can visit Tamanique Waterfalls.
How to Reach Tamanique Waterfalls
Tamanique Waterfalls are located within the premises of a private property in the municipality of Tamanique.
Tamanique is located about 16 km (10 miles) from El Tunco. The waterfalls trailhead is a short walk from the town center of Tamanique. So, visiting the waterfalls becomes an easy half-day trip from El Tunco.
You can also visit Tamanique Waterfalls from the other nearby beach towns, like we did, from El Zonte.
Using Public Transport
Using the public bus network of El Salvador is the cheapest way of visiting Tamanique Waterfalls. But, you need to be cognizant of the timing because all buses run on specific schedules. Interestingly, they are often not on time. So factor in those while planning your travel.
From El Tunco
- Option 1: Take the public bus #187 from El Tunco to Tamanique. Cost: 0.50 USD per person.
- Option 2: Say yes to one of the cars passing by and offering a shared ride. Cost: 1 USD per person.
From Other Beach Towns
- Step 1: Reach El Tunco.
- Bus #102 runs on the highway, passing by several beach towns. Cost: 0.50 USD per person.
- Bus #102A is the AC version of the previous route and is more frequent. Cost: 1.50 USD per person.
- Step 2: For the onward journey from El Tunco, follow the directions mentioned in the previous section, to reach Tamanique.
Left to Right: (1) Tamanique town center, (2) Bus from Tamanique to El Tunco.
Take an Uber
An Uber ride will cost more but will eliminate the waiting times for buses. A ride from El Tunco to Tamanique will set you off by around 6 USD. Of course, the price will be even higher if your starting point is some other beach town. For example, an Uber ride from El Zonte to Tamanique can cost around 13 USD.
Rent A Car
Not just for visiting the Tamanique Waterfalls, you can rent a car for the whole of your El Salvador trip. With a vehicle at your disposal, you can define your own schedule, reach Tamanique on your time and spend as much time as you please at the waterfalls and swimming holes.
Check Discover Cars to check and compare the best deals across different car rental companies in El Salvador.
Book a Tour
The most hassle-free option is to book a tour of Tamanique Waterfalls from your base location. You can check out these organized guided tour options. These tours include transportation and fees, and the services of a guide.
- Tamanique Afternoon Hike: This tour originates in El Tunco with free pickups offered from El Zonte and some other beaches in La Libertad region. According to the schedule of this tour, the meeting time is 1:00 pm and hence the hike happens in the afternoon. Click here to check prices and availability.
- Tamanique Waterfalls + El Tunco Beach: If you are staying in San Salvador, this tour is perfect for you. It starts in the morning, gets you to Tamanique for the waterfalls hike, and later allows you time to visit the beautiful El Tunco beach. Click here to check prices and availability.
Where to Stay for Visiting Tamanique Waterfalls
You can visit Tamanique waterfalls while being on your beach vacation at El Tunco or El Zonte. Or, you can also choose to spend a couple of quiet nights in Tamanique itself. Here are some hotel recommendations for each.
- Tamanique: With mountain views and outdoor seating, Cabaña Tamanique is a relaxing accommodation choice in Tamanique. Click here to check prices and availability, and make your reservation.
- El Tunco: A 4-minute walk from El Tunco beach and 8-minute walk from El Sunzal beach, Boca Olas Resort Villas offer a full service stay, from outdoor pool, terrace, garden, free parking, restaurant, room service, concierge desk along with accommodation in comfortable AC rooms equipped with fridge, coffee machine, and safety deposit box. Click here book your stay.
- El Zonte: A premium boutique hotel committed to sustainability, Palo Verde Sustainable Hotel is located few steps from the beach and is one of the most sought after hotels in El Zonte. Click here to see how stunning the property location looks.
Do You Need a Guide for Tamanique Waterfalls Hike?
As with the tourism of El Salvador in general, the Tamanique Waterfalls also started gaining popularity in the recent years. That means, visiting the waterfalls now costs more for visitors but also creates better income opportunities for the residents of Tamanique.
Until recently, hiring a guide was not mandatory for the Tamanique Waterfalls hike. Even if you did hire one, it could cost around 5 USD for a group, and you would need to pay the entrance fees separately. However, the entire system of booking a guide for Tamanique Waterfalls has changed now. We did this hike in end of December 2022.
So, if you are doing Tamanique Waterfalls hike in 2024, it is mandatory to hire an official guide. You will first need to go to the Tamanique office where there is a guild of guides. An official would brief about the waterfalls hike, you will need to put your names in a register (for record of visitors), pay the fees and then one guide will be assigned to your group.
Cost of Tamanique Waterfalls Hike
In 2024, a guided hike of Tamanique Waterfalls costs minimum 20 USD per group, including the property entrance fees. We were 2 people, so it cost us 10 USD per person. If you are a group of 3-4 people, you will spend lesser per person.
How much you spend in total for doing the Tamanique Waterfalls hike will depend on the mode of transport you choose and your group size.
But, to give you an estimate, for 2 people starting from El Tunco, 21 USD is the least you will spend, that is, 10.50 USD per person.
- Bus from El Tunco to Tamanique. 0.50 USD X 2 = 1 USD.
- Guided tour + Entrance fees: 20 USD.
If your group size is different or if you choose different modes of transport or if your starting location is different, you can calculate the Tamanique Waterfall hike price estimate using the details we provided in the previous two sections.
2024 Update: Some official sources, like the El Salvador tourism website, state that the Tamanique waterfalls hike guide fees are 7 USD per person, which is clearly different from what we were charged. If you visit the waterfalls and hire a local guide, will you please let us know how much it cost per person (or per group)? That way we can keep this article up to date which can help other travelers plan their Tamanique Waterfalls hike. Thank you.
Tamanique Waterfalls Hike
After the guide joins you from the office, it is a short walk to the trailhead of the Tamanique Waterfalls. There is an official who will check for entrance tickets. Your guide will take care of this.
The first bit of the hike is on a cobblestone road, which gradually takes a downward gradient. Soon you take a right and start walking downhill on the rugged dirt paths of a jungle. There are some parts where stairs have been carved out using wood, tree roots and soil.
On the way, you will pass by a small ticket office (wasn’t open at the time of our visit) and a little stretch of landscaped path. From here, you need to take left to visit the Tamanique Waterfall #3 and #4. There will be an intersection from where the right will take you to Waterfall #3 and the left will lead you to Waterfall #4.
Tamanique Waterfall #3
Walking at a relaxed pace, in about half an hour from the start of the hike, you reach a point with the first look of the first waterfall (referred to as Tamanique Waterfall #3). From here, in a few minutes, you will be near the waterfall.
But these few minutes consist of walking a bit more on a downhill slope, walking down a flight of wooden stairs, balancing yourself on the edge of rocks while holding on to a rope (reminded us of Montezuma Waterfalls!) and then swimming in the strip of natural pool to finally get to the waterfall.
Emerging from the top of the cliff, this waterfall drops down a gorge and plunges into an emerald pool of fresh water. The best part of this Tamanique Waterfall #3 is the refreshing swim in the cool natural pool.
Left to Right: (1) The emerald swimming hole near the Waterfall #3, (2) Indranil in front of Waterfall #3.
Tamanique Waterfall #4
The next one on our hike was the Tamanique Waterfall #4. Our guide almost persuaded us not to go for this one. He tried to warn us that the hike is steep downhill and then a steep climb back up on the return path. He suggested we could skip this one so that we had more time for jumping off the rocks later. But he also told us that if we chose, we could go to that Waterfall #4. Both of us did not hesitate much to declare that yes, we wished to visit Tamanique Waterfall #4 too!
We are so glad that we chose to go for this waterfall. Our guide was right that the hike was somewhat difficult. Not just the steep downhill, but also after that, you need to scramble on big rocks and walk on stones laid on water, to see the final reveal of the waterfall. But according to us, this one is the most gorgeous of the Tamanique Waterfalls. So, if you are okay with a somewhat challenging hike, do not skip Tamanique Waterfall #4!
This Tamanique waterfall is the tallest among all and drops down to a big natural pool. The water is cool, and you can take a swim here too. But even if you do not swim here, just being at edge of the pool, you can feel the drops off the waterfall spattering on your face. I loved this feeling of freshness, and spent some quiet time here just admiring the beauty of the place.
Left to Right: (1) Pubali walking on the rocks to reach Waterfall #4, (2) Waterfall #4.
Tamanique Waterfalls #5 and #6?
When you complete the downhill part of the hike to Tamanique Waterfall #4, but before starting to approach the waterfall, you can see a little pool area in the distant background. But as you get closer to the waterfall, this area starts hiding behind a big rock.
After soaking up the beauty of Tamanique Waterfall #4, you can walk around the rock to head to this pool area. It is here that you will notice two more small cascades. These are not really marked. That is why we are naming these as #5 and #6. Now, can we say there are 6 of Tamanique Waterfalls or should we still count 4?
You can walk along the perimeter of the pool to reach the side of one of the cascades, walk to the top of one of the rocks and then jump off into the pool from there!
Tamanique Waterfalls #1 and #2
After visiting the bigger waterfalls and the two small cascades, we headed back to the landscaped stretch. A short walk under the shades of the trees on a fairly easy terrain led us to the area of Waterfalls #1 and #2. However, to get closer, you need to climb over couple of big rocks and jump over the flowing waterfall.
From here, you can take a jump from the edge into the pool below. But note that, this one is a much higher jump! If you walk down a bit along the edge, you will wind a wooden platform hanging in the sky, balanced on couple of branches. To add more thrill to your waterfall jumping experience, you can walk up to that platform and jump from there!
At the time of our visit, we came across another group of people here. Some of them also tried sliding down the bigger waterfall. It seemed like a longer slide than Uvita Waterfall, or may be more cramped, but looked fun!
Left to Right: (1) One can jump into this natural pool! (2) Indranil standing at the edge.
Thoughts on the Guided Hike
On our visit to the Tamanique Waterfalls, our guide Pedro led the way by walking ahead of us. He offered to take pictures near the waterfalls. When Indranil flew the drone closer to the waterfall or the cliffs or the trees, he kept an eye out and occasionally uttered some friendly “Be careful” whenever he felt it was needed.
During our hike back in the heat of the afternoon, when I was overwhelmed by the heat, Pedro advised me to take it slow and also offered some oral rehydration to mix in my water. In summary, he was a very kind and friendly guide.
However, when it is a “guided hike”, I expected some bit of knowledge sharing from the guide about the history of the place and the geographic formations. But none of that happened, apart from getting the answers to the specific questions we asked him.
Now, depending on your preferences, this may work in favor or against your expectation from the waterfalls hike. If you prefer to be left alone without any continuous disruptions, you may like this style of guiding. But if you seek to learn more about the place, you may be left wishing for more.
We have an interesting El Salvador travel story that involves 1 drone, 1 Salvadoran guy, 4 armed Salvadoran policemen and of course, the two of us – Pubali & Indranil. Read it here: Drone Drama in El Salvador.
What to Pack for Tamanique Waterfalls Hike
Tamanique Waterfalls hike is not an easy waterfall hike, neither is a 10 km long hike. We would classify Tamanique Waterfalls Hike as moderate-difficult, but it can get more difficult during the rainier months when the trails are slippery. But, with the right attire and the right things to pack, you should be ready for the hike!
- Wear comfortable quick-dry clothes or clothes of breathable fabric, and put on a sun hat or cap.
- Put on your hiking boots or hiking sandals. We wore our hiking boots and felt very comfortable on all parts of the trail, including when going downhill and when walking on the edges of rocks.
- Carry water shoes for swimming in the pools, and/or for the jumps.
- Wear or bring swimsuits for swimming.
- Apply sunscreen. The sun is harsh! Some parts of the trail are exposed directly to the sun.
- Apply insect repellent, a must-have in your things to pack for Central America.
- Bring drinking water and snacks.
- There will be plenty of photo opportunities. Do not forget your camera!
Curious to know what’s in our camera bag? Check out this page.
Left to Right: (1) Indranil enjoying the swim at Tamanique! (2) Comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes, swimwear – ready for waterfalls hike!
Tips for Visiting Tamanique Waterfalls
Based on our experience of doing the Tamanique Waterfalls hike during the dry season (summer), we would suggest:
- Start the hike earlier in the morning. As the day progresses, the temperature starts soaring and the sun becomes harsher. We visited the waterfalls in the afternoon, and the return hike was not very comfortable.
- If you try waterfall jumping or sliding, keep your guide informed and listen to his advices.
- Eat a good breakfast. You will need the energy for the hike.
- Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
- Do not forget a sun hat or cap. (I did and suffered!)
Final Thoughts
For nature seekers, waterfall chasers and adventure lovers, Tamanique Waterfalls hike offers an alluring option to spend half a day amidst the charming Salvadoran nature. They are among the best waterfalls to visit in El Salvador.
Even if you are not going with a tour company, it is fairly easy to plan and go for this waterfalls hike. Hope this guide to visiting Tamanique Waterfalls in El Salvador can help you plan your trip. If you have any questions about this hike, or wish to share your experience of the hike, drop them in the comments below.
Plan your El Salvador trip:
- Things to do in Santa Ana + City Guide
- Salto de Malacatiupan Hot Spring Waterfalls
- Santa Ana Volcano Hike
- El Tazumal Mayan Ruins
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Travel Planning Logistics
- Accommodation: For several years now, Booking.com has been our platform of choice for booking accommodation while traveling. You can apply all the desired filters and shortlist the ones that meet your criteria. On continued use, you will keep unlocking their Genius benefits. For long term stays, we use Airbnb. Of late, we have also started browsing Hostelworld for finding hostels.
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- Packing: From swimwear to sunscreen, hiking pants to insect repellents, buy your vacation packing essentials on Amazon.
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