{"id":7843,"date":"2021-11-20T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-20T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/?p=7843"},"modified":"2022-11-23T00:37:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-23T00:37:51","slug":"san-salvador-conoce-este-amplio-departamento-salvadoreno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/departments\/san-salvador\/","title":{"rendered":"\u25b7 SAN SALVADOR DEPARTMENT \u00bb What to See and Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When visiting Central America<\/strong>, visit the department of San Salvador<\/strong>, in the Republic of El Salvador, where any of the destinations you choose will offer you essential and unforgettable experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoying its countless tourist attractions<\/strong>, among its architecture, its green spaces, the abundance of rivers and volcanoes, as well as its gastronomy and exciting history, will make your trip an unparalleled learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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San Salvador Data<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country:<\/th>El Salvador<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Category:<\/th>Departments<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Elevation:<\/th>658 meters<\/td><\/tr>
Surface:<\/th>72,25km\u00b2<\/td><\/tr>
Population:<\/th>238.244<\/td><\/tr>
Advice:<\/th>Ideal for both Museums,
as well as family outings<\/td><\/tr>
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Location of San Salvador<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Location<\/a>
Location of the San Salvador Department.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What to see and do in San Salvador Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The department of San Salvador<\/strong> offers different alternatives for the tourist, with great options of all kinds so that the traveler who visits any of the 19 municipalities<\/strong> finds engaging activities that will allow him to know much more about this beautiful country<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"What
What to visit in San Salvador. Rosary Church. Photo by Gerson Rodriguez at Pixabay.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Throughout the department, unique art sites<\/strong>, such as museums and archaeological sites, captivate you with their stories and legends. If you want to go on foot, you will have trails and mountains, including viewpoints, showing you the natural beauty of the landscapes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mystical art has its place reserved for temples and churches that you can visit and thus share the religious faith with the Salvadorans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, you can learn much more when you discover the culinary delights and some of the most traditional festivals you can imagine<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monuments and places of interest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We invite you to visit the Plaza Libertad<\/strong>, an exciting and easy place to walk around, where you will find the imposing El Rosario Church<\/strong> and the Monument to the Heroes<\/strong>, containing on top the angel of freedom with laurels in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n

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San Salvador Metropolitan Cathedral. Photo by Olivia Isabel Flores. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Other nearby places that can reach on foot are the Metropolitan Cathedral<\/strong>, the main temple, where the Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador<\/strong> is located, and the extraordinary National Palace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An important place for the department of San Salvador<\/strong> is the Plaza Salvador del Mundo<\/strong>, where the monument stands that is part of the Salvadoran soul, representing Christ on a globe. In front is the statue of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Gald\u00e1mez<\/strong>, assassinated in 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Visit San Salvador Monument to the Divine Savior of the World. Photo by Frankjh. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This priest, his death occurred in the Chapel of the Divine Providence Hospital<\/strong> while he was officiating a mass, and his remains rest in the Metropolitan Cathedral. In 2015 he was proclaimed “martyr” and “Blessed”<\/strong> by Pope Francis.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Crypt of Monsignor Romero in the Metropolitan Cathedral. Photo by Krissia Maravilla. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Different museums will invite you to learn much more about this Salvadoran department.<\/strong> Then, you should go to the Museum of the Word<\/strong> and the Image<\/strong>, whose objective is to preserve and compile all the elements related to the culture and history of this country<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A visit to the Dr. David J. Guzm\u00e1n Museum of Anthropology<\/strong>, which houses an incredible sample of archaeological, historical, and ethnographic objects collected in different locations, is highly recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Military Museum<\/strong> is located in the old facilities of what was once the El Zapote Barracks, exclusively dedicated to safeguarding the memory of the nation’s military history.<\/p>\n\n\n

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San Salvador. Museum of Art of El Salvador. Photo by MARTE El Salvador. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Do not forget to visit the Museum of Art<\/strong>, a cultural reference that, since the nineteenth century, has been responsible for disseminating Salvadoran art in exhibitions of painting, engraving, and sculpture, permanently or temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attractive places to visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is appropriate to enjoy nature and other environments found in the department of San Salvador.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go to Cuscatl\u00e1n Park<\/strong>, located 9 minutes from the center of San Salvador’s capital<\/strong>. An excellent idea for family recreation, as it has multiple spaces for enjoyment, either in the places for hiking or in the football fields<\/strong>, in the same way for the practice of yoga or gymnastics. It also has areas to rest and picnic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Saburo Hirao Park<\/strong> is recommended, where children have fun while learning in its Natural<\/strong> History Museum<\/strong>. It is 15 minutes from the capital of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Zoo, just 12 minutes from San Salvador<\/strong>, shows visitors a vast collection of animal species, including mammals, birds, and reptiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little further away, the Jos\u00e9 Antonio Rodr\u00edguez Porth Municipal Viewpoint<\/strong>, a little more than 16 minutes from the capital, offers magnificent views of San Salvador<\/strong> and the volcanoes and the Salvadoran sunsets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And 6,6 km from the capital city, the Bicentennial Park, a protected natural area ideal for hiking, walking, or biking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destinations near San Salvador that you can visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The natural areas of San Salvador<\/strong> give us splendid places to visit, such as La Puerta del Diablo<\/a><\/strong>, a rock formation divided into two parts and located about 13 kilometers south of the capital, in the municipality of Panchimalco<\/a><\/strong>. A place full of stories and exciting legends, which offers us, from its height of approximately 1070 mt, beautiful views of Panchimalco, the San Vicente Volcano<\/a><\/strong>, and even the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Places to visit in the department of San Salvador. Panchimalco. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And of course, it is a good idea to visit other tourist places a little further away from the department, but worth knowing, such as the ancient El Boquer\u00f3n National Park<\/a><\/strong>, immersed in the crater of a dormant volcano in the volcanic mountain range of the neighboring department of La Libertad. A wonderful protected area at 1800 mt above sea level and about 40 minutes from the Salvadoran capital.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Visit San Salvador. El Boquer\u00f3n National Park. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the green areas surrounding it, we can contemplate, among other plants, hydrangeas and bego\u00f1as; in the same way, it is known that deer, armadillos, and foxes live there with other animal species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, taking advantage of our tour of the department of La Libertad<\/a><\/strong>, only 50 minutes northwest of the capital, we find the Joya de Ceren Archaeological Park<\/a><\/strong>, a pre-Columbian site, where we will learn about the way of life of the Mayas during the seventh century. It is considered a World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, we can visit the Apulo Tourist Center and its Ilopango Lake<\/a><\/strong>, between the department of San Salvador and the departments of La Paz<\/a><\/strong> and Cuscatl\u00e1n<\/a><\/strong>, about 25 kilometers from San Salvador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lake, one of the largest in El Salvador<\/strong>, is of volcanic origin<\/strong>. Its crater occupies the bottom of the lake, making it an attractive natural space popular with tourists and locals, especially on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of San Salvador Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The department of San Salvador<\/strong> is the most populated in the country, being in the central part of the nation, where the country’s capital, San Salvador<\/a><\/strong>, is.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Historic Center of San Salvador. Photo by Rodet7. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Its name was Quetzalcoatit\u00e1n, which means “land of quetzals”<\/strong> due to the abundance of these exotic birds throughout its territory. Some suggest that the name means “the corridor of wind god”; or “God of wind and star of the dawn.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was found as the republic’s capital in 1525; later, in 1824, its denomination as a department was considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the conquest<\/strong>, the Spaniards called the town the “valley of the hammocks.” Due to the constant activities generated by the tremors and volcanoes in El Salvador<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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San Salvador nightlife. Photo by @lmvs81 via Twenty20. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

History tells that Pedro de Alvarado<\/strong> set foot in what would later become Salvadoran lands in 1524, and between 1530 and 1553, essential populations were founded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, around 1824, by constitutional decree, the department of San Salvador was created as such, thanks to the impulse of Juan Manuel Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>. He was the first Head of State<\/strong> and an essential hero of the independence in Central America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geography and Municipalities of San Salvador Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

San Salvador is located in the paracentral zone of the Salvadoran territory and is one of the 14 departments that divide the country<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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National Palace of El Salvador. Photo by Mauricio Cu\u00e9llar. Unsplash.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Geographically it limits to the north with the department of Chalatenango<\/a><\/strong>, to the west with the department of La Libertad, while to the south-east it borders with the departments of La Paz and Cuscatl\u00e1n, occupying a total area of 886.15 Km2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the department of San Salvador is into three districts, which at the same time are into 19 municipalities, namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n