San Salvador

Home to more than a half-million people,
San Salvador is the country's largest city,
its capital and the center of the nation's commerce and banking activities.

It was founded by the Spaniards in 1539, and today offers historic monuments, modern hotels, excellent restaurants, a botanical garden, zoo, museums, art galleries and shopping centers. The city, overlooked by the majestic San Salvador Volcano, has a comfortable climate, with warm days and cool evenings. It is an important business and banking center for the region and is thus well-equipped to accommodate travelers and handle all types of business events, such as conferences, conventions and seminars. Within a short drive are found major tourism destinations, such as Pacific beaches, the Joya de Cerén and San Andrés archaeological sites, Lakes Ilopango and Suchitlán, and crafts centers such as La Palma and Ilobasco.


El Salvador del Mundo		National Palace downtown San Salvador
Historic Center & Museums

Within San Salvador's Historic Center are found monuments and plazas that are important to the country's history. The oldest plaza, originally named the Plaza de las Armas and today known as Plaza Libertad, was bounded by the first structures built by the Spaniards in sixteenth century San Salvador. These buildings were all later destroyed by earthquakes or fires. In the center of the Plaza is a monument commemorating El Salvador's "cry for freedom" in 1811, which ultimately led to Central America's declaration of independence from Spain ten years later, on September 15, 1821. A second plaza, just a block away, is bounded by the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. The Plaza Barrios, as this park is known, was named for President Gerardo Barrios, who introduced coffee as an export crop during the 19th century. The Palace was first built in 1866, but burned in 1889 and was rebuilt in 1905. It once served as the executive offices for El Salvador's presidents. Outside the Palace are two satues donated by Spain in 1924, one of Queen Isabella and the other of Christopher Columbus. Renovations were recently completed on the Metropolitan Cathedral, which was built in 1888 and destroyed by a fire in 1951. The cathedral's new facade consists of 3,000 hand-painted tiles with colorful, simple designs like those found on crafts from La Palma. Frescoes by national artists and a beautiful, painted cupola adorn the cathedral's interior. One of the church's oldest icons, the Salvador del Mundo, was donated by King Charles V of Spain in the 16th century. Beneath the cathedral lies a chapel housing the tomb of Archbishop Romero, who was shot on May 23, 1980, and beatified by the Catholic Church in 1998.


Just a block from the Plaza Barrios stands the lovely National Theater, built in 1911. The Theater hosts concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events. Outside the Historic Center are found several other statues and monuments, including statues of Francisco Morazon and Simon Boliver, the Constitution Monument, and the Monument to the Heroes of 1969, dedicated to soldiers who died in the 100 Hours War with Honduras. The Salvador del Mundo in the Plaza Las Americas is one of the capital's most beloved monuments. San Salvador's largest and most comprehensive museum is the David J. Guzman National Anthropology Museum, located across the street from the National Fair. Other museums include the Museo Tin-Marin, found in Cuscatlán Park, with temporary exhibits by local and international artists. The Stephen W. Hawking Museum has hands-on exhibits for school children related to physics. Several art galleries exhibit works by national artists.
Botanical Garden & Zoo
La Laguna Botanical Garden makes a fascinating stop for anyone interested in El Salvador's native plants or tropical agriculture. The garden, set in a volcanic crater on the outskirts of San Salvador, features economically important plant species such as coffee and cacao, along with areas devoted to bromeliads, orchids, cacti and plants used for medicinal purposes or commonly found in Salvadoran gardens. Facilities also include a pleasant cafeteria. The botanical garden is open from 9 to 5:30 Tuesday to Sunday. At El Salvador's National Zoo, visitors may see more than 600 animal species, including several that are native to the country or found elsewhere in Mesoamerica. The zoo is open from 9 to 4 Wednesday through Sunday.