{"id":9216,"date":"2022-03-04T05:07:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T05:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/?p=9216"},"modified":"2022-11-23T01:02:57","modified_gmt":"2022-11-23T01:02:57","slug":"department-of-morazan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elsalvadorviajar.com\/en\/departments\/morazan\/","title":{"rendered":"\u25b7 MORAZ\u00c1N DEPARTMENT \u00bb What to See and Do"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plan your vacations to El Salvador and include in your visit plan the Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/strong>, a place full of history, nature, and beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touring the attractive spaces of this large Salvadoran town<\/strong> and discovering its environment surrounded by surprising peace and tranquility will make your trip an unforgettable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Data from Moraz\u00e1n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Country:<\/th>El Salvador<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Category:<\/th>Departments<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Fundation:<\/th>1875<\/td><\/tr>
Surface:<\/th>1.447 km\u00b2<\/td><\/tr>
Capital:<\/th>San Francisco Gotera<\/td><\/tr>
Height:<\/th>369 m.s.n.m<\/td><\/tr>
<\/th><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Location of Moraz\u00e1n<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Location<\/a>
Location of the Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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What to see and do in Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps one of the virtual tours to do in Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/strong> is the so-called Peace Route<\/a><\/strong>, which includes many towns that were unfortunately involved in the civil war of the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Peace
Peace Route. Massacre Memorial Church. Photo by Archbishop Romero Trust. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

However, there we will see spectacular forested areas full of pine trees, waterfalls, and the source of the largest rivers in El Salvador<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we will not miss the cave of the Holy Spirit with its extraordinary sample of Salvadoran<\/strong> rock art, as well as the hammocks and black pottery, highly appreciated throughout the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, we can enjoy the fantastic fruits offered by Moraz\u00e1n’s lands, avocados, citric fruits, or pineapples, and taste the dishes made from bovine and poultry meats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Many interesting monuments<\/strong> are scattered throughout Moraz\u00e1n Department.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"San
San Felipe Church in Jocoro. Photo by Stvn87. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Take the opportunity to visit the characteristic buildings in the historical centers of the various communities. If you go to Cacaopera, go to the Church of the Virgen del Tr\u00e1nsito, and in Jocoro, you can pray at the Church of San Felipe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also take a walk through the colonial streets of San Francisco Gotera<\/strong>, the department’s capital city, enjoying the beauty of its old houses amid an atmosphere of great calm and serenity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In the middle zone of Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/strong> is the Cordillera de Cacahuatique, part of the Torola River<\/a><\/strong> basin. According to experts, its peak is an extinct volcano.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Torola
Torola River. Photo by Marden Nolasco. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On the other hand, the departmental capital, San Francisco Gotera<\/strong>, shows us La Concordia Park, where we can enjoy peaceful silence. Although if you want to know a more lively space, there is the Plaza Fray Alfredo<\/strong>, built entirely on stone.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Llano
Llano del Muerto in Moraz\u00e1n. Photo by ElmerGuevara. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Right there is the church dedicated to San Francisco de Asis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destinations near Moraz\u00e1n that you can visit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All the towns that make up Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/strong> have a very personal charm, typical of small villages surrounded by mountains, where the old town has a particular attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Sapo
Sapo River. Photo by Briandvid. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

However, among the 12 municipalities that make up the Peace Route<\/strong>, we suggest you visit the town of Arambala, where you will find the Sapo River<\/a><\/strong>, with its unalterable turquoise green color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, in El Rosario, we recommend you go to the Araute River<\/strong> to enjoy its beautiful waterfall and thermal waters, surrounded by a gorgeous forest full of birds and a good diversity of butterflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you go to Corinto<\/strong>, visit the Cave of the Holy Spirit<\/strong>, declared a National Monument, where there are some powerfully attractive cave paintings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way as the municipality of Guatajiagua<\/strong>, where the well-known black crafts are, and other ancestral traditions are maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know that the current Moraz\u00e1n Department was inhabited by indigenous populations in the colonial period but formally born with the name of Gotera in 1875 by order of the then President Santiago Gonz\u00e1lez. It has already had the title of “villa” since 1871<\/strong>. Its name was changed to Moraz\u00e1n in 1887 to honor General Francisco Moraz\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Church
Church of San Bartolom\u00e9 in Arambala, Moraz\u00e1n. Photo by CapitanCan. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Osicala was the original head or capital of the department until 1877, when it was moved to Gotera, later called San Francisco Gotera<\/strong>, the name it maintains today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was an essential defense of the guerrilla while the civil war occurred during the 80s. The cruel and well-known massacre of El Mozote<\/strong> took place in this village in Moraz\u00e1n Department, where it is estimated that about 900 Salvadorans were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Geography and Municipalities of Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The beautiful Moraz\u00e1n Department is located in the eastern part of El Salvador<\/strong>, bordering the north with Honduras. In contrast, it connects the Department of San Miguel<\/a><\/strong> to the southwest, and to the southeast, it borders La Uni\u00f3n Department.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Perquin
Perquin high strings. Photo by Hotel Las Margaritas. Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Its territorial extension occupies 1447 square kilometers and has a population slightly above 250,000 people; it has an uneven surface, as we can find large areas with grasslands and, on the other hand, mountains like Cerro El Peric\u00f3n or Cerro Cacahuatique<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The head of the department, San Francisco Gotera<\/strong>, is located 245 meters above sea level, with a population of 22,000 inhabitants, and at a distance of 168 kilometers from San Salvador<\/a><\/strong>, the capital of the Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Nature
Nature of Moraz\u00e1n. Photo by Lee Shaver. Flickr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

For its administrative control, Moraz\u00e1n Department<\/strong> is divided into three districts which are Ocoatique, Osicala, and San Francisco, and also contains 26 municipalities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n