El Salvador

San Salvador

San Salvador is the capital city of the nation of El Salvador. The valley where it is located was earlier known as "El Valle de las Hamacas" (The Valley of the Hammocks in English) because of its high seismic activity. San Salvador is the second largest city in Central America. Its climate is mainly hot, the coldest months being November, December, January, and February.

San Salvador is a surprisingly green city, with a canopy of lush vegetation, and a ring of mountains standing guard on the horizon.

Tourist Atrtactions

Metropolitan Catedral, the National Theatre of El Salvador, the National Palace, Monument to the Savior of the World, the Presidential Mansion, Monument to Liberty.

The Pacific Beaches

Playa La Paz, the La Libertad town beach gets rather dirty, although the waves are good and surfers ride at the western end by the rocks. A short distance east of town, however, leads to much cleaner and welcoming expanses. The small and crowded beaches of Flores and Obispo are within walking distance. There are a few huge seafood restaurants here, with meals fresh from the ocean, including El Mirador del Pacífico and La Curva de Don Gere, both of which have terraces with impressive ocean views, as well as Fisherman's Beach Club.

Five kilometers from La Libertad, the beautiful Playa San Diego, with its clean, white and seemingly endless stretch of sand, is deserted during the week except for a few fishermen. A turtle-nestling reserve has recently been set up here to help protect these endangered species.

A little further along the Littoral Highway, past the turn-off for the beach, is the entrance to Walter Deininger National Park, an extensive stretch of dry forest, supporting a range of flora and fauna.

Lago de Suchitlán

Situated on a scenic ridge above the southern edge of Lago de Suchitlán, friendly Suchitoto – the Nahuatl name means "city of birds and flowers" – makes for a relaxing getaway from San Salvador. Boasting some of the finest standing examples of colonial architecture in the country, low red-tiled adobe houses stretch attractively along the town's streets. Some tourist attractions are Iglesia Santa, the Casa de Cultura and San Martin Park.