SAN SALVADOR

DESCRIPTION

Welcome to the Valley of the hammocks!

This is how early inhabitants called where San Salvador is now located. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, tremors are common and hence the name. The actual name of San Salvador comes from the institution of the Catholic festivity in Honor of the Holy Savior each 5th of August. This festivity was established by Pope Calixto III as a way to give thanks for the victory of the Christian armies in 1456 against the forces of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II. This is why several places around the world were given the name of San Salvador, including our own capital city by instructions of Pedro de Alvarado back in 1525.

San Salvador is a city of 1.8 million people and you can experience everything that a modern city has to offer. It is located at 650 meters above sea level so it enjoys a tropical weather. The historical downtown includes several landmarks such as the National Palace. A neoclassic building built in 1905, it has a beautiful central patio as well as more than 100 rooms. Its files include important documents from the colonial period.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Historic downtown.

  • Cultural and entertaining activities.

  • Amazing viewing points to the city from mountains and volcanoes.

ACTIVITIES

  • Shopping.

  • Nightlife.

  • Sightseeing.

RECOMMENDS

  • Casual clothing, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

The current Metropolitan Cathedral substitutes the previous edifications destroyed by earthquakes and fires. The Cathedral is surprisingly wide and large (Neo-Romanesque and Byzantine) and celestial drawings are painted on its cupola. Inside stand a wooden figure of the Divine Savior of the World and the tomb of Archbishop Romero, a martyr and a Saint for the Catholic Church.

Rosario Church is also an interesting stop. Withits bizarre building, it holds the grave of Father José Matías Delgado, a very important figure of the Central American independence. The National Theater is the oldest in Central America with its grand hall considered as one of the most beautiful in the region.

All around San Salvador you will find many shopping centers, craft markets, and special areas of entertainment such as La Gran Via, Zona Rosa and Paseo el Carmen. The world famous typical dish pupusas, which are tortillas stuffed with cheese or cheese and beans or pork, can be enjoyed in several areas including Planes de Renderos where you will also enjoy a beautiful view of the city.