{"id":8245,"date":"2021-12-09T05:53:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T05:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/?p=8245"},"modified":"2022-11-23T00:43:58","modified_gmt":"2022-11-23T00:43:58","slug":"santa-ana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/departments\/santa-ana\/","title":{"rendered":"\u25b7 SANTA ANA DEPARTMENT \u00bb What to See and Do."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On your trip to El Salvador, take the opportunity to visit the Santa Ana department<\/strong>, a geographical space where the natural environment is the protagonist of this tourist adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its hills and plateaus are attractive for outdoor walks, and the archaeological sites will take you to take a look at the ancient societies that inhabited here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Santa Ana Data<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country:<\/th>El Salvador<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Category:<\/th>Departments<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Elevation:<\/th>763 meters<\/td><\/tr>
Surface:<\/th>2.023km\u00b2<\/td><\/tr>
Population:<\/th>63,1100<\/td><\/tr>
Tip:<\/th>Declared the second
capital of El Salvador<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Location of Santa Ana<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Location<\/a>
Location of the Santa Ana department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What to see and do in the Santa Ana Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many activities, primarily rural and geo-natural tourism, can be done in the Santa Ana Department when visiting its forests and mountains.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way, historical places and beautiful buildings will allow you to know much more about the Salvadoran culture<\/a><\/strong> and the natural beauties. You can opt for the numerous spas and lagoons that abound here.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ruins
Ruins of Casa Blanca located in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In addition, you will have a glimpse of the remote past when you visit the pre-Columbian<\/strong> archaeological sites that remain here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The gastronomy, customs, and traditions of the people of Santanecos<\/strong><\/em> will complete this fabulous sensory experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The city of Santa Ana<\/a><\/strong>, traditionally known as La Ciudad Morena, is the head of the Santa Ana Department, besides being the second and most important of the Republic. It is over 50 kilometers from San Salvador<\/a><\/strong>, the country’s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Santa
Santa Ana Volcano. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It is convenient to visit the Santa Ana Volcano<\/a><\/strong>, still active, or Cerro Verde<\/a><\/strong>, another volcano but already extinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the city, the historic center is full of splendid spaces such as the Cathedral; an imposing temple declared a National Monument, the beautiful Santa Ana Theater<\/strong>, and the Regional Museum of the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ruins of Tazumal<\/a><\/strong>, with its dazzling main pyramid, or the extraordinary findings of Casa Blanca, show us a little of how the Mayas lived in the area of Chalchuapa in Santa Ana<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Santa
Santa Ana Department. Photo by hectorlo. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In El Boquer\u00f3n<\/a> National Park<\/strong>, you will see firsthand the geological features left by the volcanic areas and have great views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

The variety of plans can lead us to enjoy in different ways throughout the Santa Ana Department<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, 15 kilometers from Santa Ana<\/strong>, we arrive at Coatepeque Lake<\/a><\/strong>, a spectacular water mirror in the volcano’s crater. There you can practice scuba diving and relax in this enchanting landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lake
Lake Coatepeque in the Santa Ana Department. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In Masahuat, you can swim in the waters of the Guajoyo River<\/strong>, which make up the “Turicentro Apuzunga.”<\/em><\/strong> At the same time, in the municipality of Metap\u00e1n<\/strong>, the Montecristo<\/a><\/strong> forest offers you the possibility of camping in the middle of virgin nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destinations near Santa Ana that you can visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Natural areas such as Lake Guija<\/a><\/strong> are surprising since it is so large that its surface is shared between El Salvador and Guatemala, and the waters of other rivers flow into it. The Guajoyo Hydroelectric Power Plant is there.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Guija
Guija Lake in Santa Ana. Photo by Galyna_Andrushko. Envato.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It is surrounded by the San Diego, Mita, and Cerro Quemado volcanoes<\/strong>, all extinct, in the municipality of Metap\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Metapan
Metapan Lagoon, Santa Ana. Photo by Steven dosRemedios. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In this same municipality, you can go to the Metapan Lagoon<\/a><\/strong>, which depending on the time of year, has more or less water. There you can go for a ride in small boats, motorboats or fish, while you enjoy the surrounding forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you want to go through very coquettish and colonial-style villages<\/strong>, don’t miss visiting Candelaria de la Frontera<\/strong>. You will even have fun times in the natural pools of El Tanque<\/strong>, or you can milk cows in the farms that support innovative ideas to promote tourism. It’s less than an hour from the capital of the department<\/strong> and an hour and fifteen minutes from San Salvador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of the Santa Ana Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Santa Ana Department<\/strong> is in the western area of El Salvador<\/strong> and, in pre-Hispanic times, was inhabited since the V century by the Mayas, according to archaeological studies.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Views
Views of the Cathedral of Santa Ana. Photo by hectorlo. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The chronicles say that the Nahuas later occupied it<\/strong>. They gave it the name of Sihuatehuac\u00e1n<\/strong>, which in the Nahuatl language means city of priestesses or town of the pythonesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the year 1528, it was conquered by the Spaniards. Still, around 1569, Bernardino de Villalpando, Bishop of Guatemala, ordered the construction of a small temple in honor of the Virgin of Santa Ana<\/strong>. From there, they changed the name to Santa Ana La Grande<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Streets
Streets of the Santa Ana Department. Photo by hectorlo. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Later, in February 1855 and during the government of Colonel Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda San Mart\u00edn<\/strong>, the Santa Ana Department<\/strong> was officially created by legislative decree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 1894, the overthrow of the government, presided by the Ezeta brothers, took place in these lands, which is why it was historically known as the heroic city.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"What
What to see and visit in the Santa Ana Department. Santa Ana Theater. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

At the beginning of the 20th century, it lived its period of most extraordinary splendor due to the wealth produced by the cultivation of coffee<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geography and Municipalities of the Santa Ana Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Geographically, Santa Ana’s<\/strong> department is in the western part of the country, bordering to the north with Honduras and Guatemala<\/strong>, to the south with the departments of Sonsonate<\/strong><\/a> and Ahuachap\u00e1n<\/a><\/strong>; to the east, it connects with the departments of La Libertad<\/a> and Chalatenango<\/a><\/strong>, and to the west with Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Views
Views from Santa Ana Volcano. Photo by ElSalvadorViajar.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Its area occupies 2,008.35 square kilometers, and it has a population of over 600 thousand people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, the Santa Ana Department is into 13 municipalities, which are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n