San Salvador

San Salvador has been El Salvador's capital since 1839 and it is the country's largest city. It lies in a valley, which is dominated by the San Salvador volcano. The downturn of the valley is that it traps all of San Salvador's pollution. During the civil war in the 1980's, countless people migrated from rural areas to the city, causing large shantytowns (favelas) to spring up. People from these shantytowns line the streets of San Salvador and sell everything from fruit to plastic bags, just to survive.

San Salvador was founded in 1546, but since the region is prone to earthquakes, and because of the civil war, there are only few old buildings in the city. San Salvador was destroyed completely during earthquakes in 1854 and 1873, while an eruption of the San Salvador volcano flattened the capital in 1917. Floods had the same result in 1934.

The Catedral Metropolitana is San Salvador's major landmark. Archbishop Oscar Romero is buried there. The square in front of the cathedral is Plaza Barrios. Not far from there is the Teatro Nacional that was built in 1917 and boasts a huge ceiling mural. Most of El Salvador's archaeological sights can be seen in the Museo Nacional Davíd J Guzmán.

There are two major markets in San Salvador. The Mercado Central is where you'll find all your daily needs, while the Mercado Ex-Cuartel has countless stalls where handicrafts, hand woven textiles and ceramics are sold. The Jardín Botánico La Laguna is a nice place to get away from the city's horrendous traffic and noises. It consists of a beautiful garden that was laid out on a former swamp at the bottom of a volcanic crater.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants in San Salvador. Most accommodation is concentrated around the eastern and western bus stations, but you should be very careful in these neighborhoods, as they are unsafe, especially at night. Better places can be found on the city's western edge and near the center. The best place to go for San Salvador's nightlife is the Zona Rosa. There you will also find numerous restaurants.