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San Salvador Attractions
13 Results
- Religious Site
Catedral Metropolitana
El Salvador's national cathedral is not as visually stunning as some famous European cathedrals, but it is steeped in El Salvadoran history and offers an example of the nation's adopted artistic style. Historically, the church was the site of deadly massacres prior to the country's… El Arbol de Dios
Arbol de Dios is the gallery, workshop, and nonprofit office of El Salvador's most revered living artist, Fernando Llort, who founded an art movement in a small mountain town in 1972 by teaching locals to use available materials to express their lives. His colorful style of art,…- Religious Site
Hospital La Divinia Provedencia
It was at the altar of this small hospital chapel in the midst of mass on March 24, 1980, that one of El Salvador's most revered citizens, Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, was gunned down in front of his parishioners. A single shot was fired from the back and hit the priest in the… - Religious Site
Iglesia El Rosario
This is one of the most visually interesting churches in San Salvador, if not the whole country, and well worth the 5-minute walk off the main square. El Rosario's concrete, half-moon, bunker-like appearance is a bit bizarre and un-churchlike from the outside, but inside, visitors… - Park/Garden
Jardín Botánico La Laguna
Unless you're really into plants and flowers, you shouldn't make the trip here. La Laguna is a beautiful and lush 3-hectare (7 1/2-acre) park inside an extinct volcano crater with winding paths through hundreds of species of plants and flowers from around the world. The park, which… - Historic Site
Joya de Cerén
While not as visually grand as the nearby Tazumal ruins, Joya de Cerén offers one of Central America's best glimpses into the daily lives of the region's Maya ancestors. Discovered in 1976, this UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises the remains of a Maya community frozen in time 1,400… - Natural Attraction
Lago Ilopango
Ilopango is El Salvador's largest and deepest lake and offers a pleasant afternoon break from the city heat. But unless you are on a prearranged scuba-diving trip, Ilopango is overrated as a major attraction. You're better off heading 56km (35 miles) east to Lago de Coatepeque, which… - Neighborhood
Los Planes de Renderos
Heading up to Los Planes de Renderos to watch the lights of San Salvador come alive on a Sunday night is one of the city's most underrated joys. Planes de Renderos is a small community town about a 20-minute bus ride from San Salvador, with a large overlook offering sweeping views of… - Landmark
Monumento a la Memoria y la Verdad
The Monument to Memory and Truth is an 85m (279-ft.) black granite wall displaying the names of the 25,000 victims of the civil unrest, political repression, and war of the 1970s and 1980s. It is a stern reminder of just how much this country has suffered and is all the more powerful… - Historic Site
Parque Archeologío San Andrés
If you have time for a third ruin, you'll enjoy your visit here. Otherwise, stick to Tazumal and Joya de Cerén. San Andrés is the partially excavated main plaza of a Maya community that was active between A.D. 600 and 900, and ruled over this Valle de Zapotitlán. The site was… - Zoo/Aquarium
Parque Zoológico Nacional
This leafy 7-hectare (17-acre) zoo south of the city center is a hugely popular weekend spot for San Salvador families. Here, you'll find winding, shady paths and numerous small lagoons inhabited by roughly 400 animals and 125 species, including such crowd pleasers as lions,… - Landmark
Plaza de Las Américas
Plaza de las Americas is a large, grassy traffic circle in the midst of a busy intersection containing the much-photographed "Monumento al Salvador del Mundo," or Monument to the Savior of the World. The monument includes a tall, four-sided concrete base with crosses on each side… - Natural Attraction
Volcán San Salvador
Volcán San Salvador is an iconic part of the capital, since it looms over the landscape west of the city. The main volcano complex, which peaks at 1,960m (6,430 ft.) was formed after an eruption roughly 70,000 years ago, with smaller volcanic activity forming secondary peaks and…
San Salvador Shopping
San Salvador offers the best upscale shopping in El Salvador, with most high-end shops centered in four large, modern malls . The city's Zona Rosa section along the Boulevard del Hipódromo is lined with smaller independent shops and the small Basilea shopping center (Blvd. del Hipódromo; tel. 503/2279-0833), which features small boutiques and jewelry stores.
San Salvador's largest but least upscale mall is Metrocentro (Blvd. de los Héreos and Calle Sisimiles), across the street from the Intercontinental Real Hotel. Metrocentro has a few designer shops, but it's better for basics. More upscale is the Galerías Escalón (Paseo General Escalón, #3700; tel. 503/2245-0800), which is a large mall with designer shops, chic restaurants, and a multi-screen cinema in the midst of the exclusive Escalón residential neighborhood. And about 20 minutes from Metrocentro are the Multiplaza and Gran Via malls. The Multiplaza Mall (Calle El Pedregal and Carretera Panamericana a Santa Ana, Antigua Cuscatlán; tel. 503/2248-9800) is the city's most upscale, with designer shops such as Zara clothing, a multi-screen cinema, and an entire wing offering some of the city's best nightclubs and lounges. About a block from Multiplaza is La Gran Via Mall (Carretera Panamericana a Santa Ana and Calle Chiltiupan, Antigua Cuscatlán; tel. 503/2273-8111), which is smaller than Multiplaza but centered around a large, inviting outdoor courtyard with upscale designer shops, a multi-screen cinema, and restaurants with outdoor seating. If you have time to visit only one of these malls, Gran Via is the best place to eat and people-watch on its central outdoor plaza, Multiplaza has the best nightlife, and Escalón is the place to go for small boutiques.
San Salvador Nightlife
San Salvador offers an excellent array of high-end lounges, dance clubs, and a few laidback bars. The city's current hot spot is the strip of nightclubs and lounges in the Multiplaza Mall. Don't let the word "mall" fool you: On weekends, this two-story nightlife strip is packed with San Salvador's stylish young elites. Multiplaza's offerings are modern and upscale, and you'll need to dress your best. Boulevard del Hipódromo is San Salvador's other happening nightlife spot, anchored by a major dance club and numerous smaller bars and lounges. Like Multiplaza, you can take a cab to Boulevard del Hipódromo and then barhop by foot the rest of the night. Clubs get going around 11pm and generally close at 2am. Some San Salvador neighborhoods can be dangerous at night, so unless you're with a local, it's best to stick to the better-known spots. Also avoid the "private" clubs suggested by cab drivers.
Theater, Dance & Classical Music
San Salvador's performance art scene lags a bit behind its nightlife, but national and international performances can be found. The most glamorous spot in the country for the performing arts is the newly renovated Teatro Nacional (2 Av. Sur and Calle Delgado, 1 block east of Plaza Barrios; tel. 503/2222-5689). The next best place to see art performances in San Salvador is the Teatro Presidente (Final Av. La Revolución; tel. 503/2243-3407), located beside the Museo de Arte. The city's downtown Casa de la Cultura (Primera Calle Poniente, #822; tel. 503/2221-2016) also has a small space with year-round performances and art exhibits.
The country's premier dance school, La Escuela Nacional de Danza (1 Calle Poniente, #1233; tel. 503/2221-0972), performs often in the Teatro Presidente and around the country. You can also find a nationwide arts calendar on the website of El Salvador's main arts organization, Concultura (tel. 503/2510-5320; www.cultura.gob.sv).
