7/24/09 – 7/29/09

As the capital city of El Salvador, San Salvador boasts around 1 ½ million residents in the greater metropolitan area.  In spite of this large number of people, the city does not seem overcrowded.  However, the city is booming with business and the number of American-based chains is staggering.  City planning is evident in San Salvador as the streets are wide enough and well signed, allowing for fairly easy negotiation.  The greenery around town is refreshing, with tree-lined streets and ornamentals spilling from private properties.   The surrounding hills and volcano add to the city’s charm.  We were thrilled to meet up with our high school friend, Claudia, who provided us with invaluable information and tours about the city as well as lots of recommendations around the country. 

Boulevard Hipodromo

San Salvador and Santa Tecla

Volcan San Salvador (Quetzaltepeque) above the city

We opted for a bit of luxury in the Zona Rosa at the Hilton Princess San Salvador.  This high-end part of town offers many dining and entertainment choices – weekend nights can get a bit loud so choose a volcano/mountain view if noise is bothersome.  For dining, we stopped by a local favorite, La Hola Beto’s, for ceviches and micheladas on their extensive indoor/outdoor patios.  Another good place for drinks, small bites and people-watching is Zanzibar, located in the Centro Comercial Basilea.   Within walking distance are two museums, theMuseo Nacional deAntropologia (MUNA) and the Museo de Arte de El Salvador (MARTE). MUNA focuses mostly on pre-Columbian history but also has exhibits on present day events.  MARTE has a good collection of Salvadoran art and also had an excellent restaurant called PUNTO.  We also attended an orchestra performance at the Teatro Presidente up the hill from the Hilton which was well worth it.  For shopping and an array of restaurant choices a bit further west of the Zona Rosa, head to La Gran Via near Santa Tecla.  We particularly liked the food at Senor Tenedor, which also has an extensive wine and deli selection for gift giving or to take home. 

MUNA

Artifacts at MUNA

For some historical perspective, we visited the Teatro Nacional and the Palacio Nacional.  These beautifully restored buildings are located in the historic downtown near the Catedral Metropolitana and Plaza Barrios. The national theater was designed by a Frenchman and is modeled after the Palais Garnier in Paris.  Unfortunately this lovely theater is currently closed due to the flu, but we hope to catch a performance when we return.  The National Palace is still undergoing massive renovation, but some of the upstairs rooms are open for touring.  I particularly liked all the different flooring.

Centro, San Salvador

Catedral Metropolitana

Courtyard, Palacio Nacional

Sala Rojo, Palacio Nacional

Sala Azul, Palacio Nacional

Various flooring, Palacio Nacional

Understanding El Salvador’s history can be a bit daunting for the foreigner.  We visited the Museum de la Palabra y la Imagen(Museum of the Word and Image (MUPI)) and the Museum of Military History to increase our knowledge.  Both these museums provide unique perspectives on El Salvador’s history and the civil war and have extensive collections that are fascinating and informative.  The Museum of Military History also has a large relief map of El Salvador that showcases all the topographical features as well as the country’s cities and towns. 

We enjoyed our stay in San Salvador immensely and are now ready to explore the countryside!