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San Salvador
San Salvador is the country's nod to its Central American
status. It has everything you expect of a city in this region:
pollution, traffic, shanty towns and streets lined with vendors
selling just about any conceivable item.
San Salvador was founded in the sixteenth century yet no
old buildings are to be seen. It has been ravaged by three
earthquakes, an eruption of the nearby San Salvador volcano
and extensive floods - all in the last 200 years. Nevertheless
it's a convenient base for exploring the rest of the country
(everywhere is within a three hour radius) and deserves a
couple of days of sight seeing in its own right.
Attractions include the domed Catedral Metropolitana
housing Archbishop Oscar Romero's tomb, the opulent Teatro
Nacional and the Museo Nacional Davíd J Guzmán
which exhibits many of the country's important archaeological
relics. There are two markets; the Mercado Ex-Cuartel sells
handicrafts, textiles and ceramics and the Mercado Central
caters to everyday needs. The city is well endowed with green
spaces that provide a pleasant respite from the concrete sprawl.
Suchitoto
Arguably the best-preserved colonial town in El Salvador,
Suchitoto has a fascinating history. It was once a key colonial
centre for government and commerce and its narrow streets
and fine architecture are a joy to wander around. The Catedral
de Santa Lucìa is an impressive, fully restored
centre-piece for the town. In the 1980s the town and surrounding
hills were a hive of revolutionary activity and disused trenches
and encampments are still visible. For a closer look at the
town's more troubled past take a guide to Cerro Guazapa,
a battleground just outside of town.
The post war years have brought a cultural renaissance to
Suchitoto. The Parque San Martín has become
an 'open art gallery' dotted with sculptures by local artists
using war 'garbage'. There are other art collections on view
too, including the works of the well-known local artist Victor
Manuel Sanabria, who will personally show you around his studio.
Parque Nacional Cerro Verde
Cerro Verde is the place to experience the awing magnificence
of volcanoes. The steaming Volcán Izalco is
one of the youngest in the world. Two hundred years ago it
was merely a hole in the ground spewing forth black sulphuric
smoke, now it's 6255ft high. This still active volcano, dubbed
the 'lighthouse of the Pacific' for its impressive round-the-clock
emissions of molten rock and flames, is accessible by a marked
path.
The park's other breathtaking sight is the blue volcanic
lake in a crater on the side of Volcán de Santa
Ana, El Salvador's highest volcano. Of course, there's
the distinctly unpleasant smell of sulphur coming off the
water but the hike up and around the crater to the highest
point open up views of Izalco, the coast and Cerro Verde among
others and you'll soon have forgotten to hold your nose!
The park is about three and a half hours by bus from the
capital, via Santa Ana. |
