How to Spend a Day in San Salvador, San Salvador, El Salvador

When visiting El Salvador, you will likely travel through its capital at least once. Instead of passing by without stopping, we think it is worthwhile to spend a day exploring San Salvador and area. You can fill your day by visiting the city’s downtown in the morning and Joya de Cerén Mayan archeological site in the afternoon.

The largest city and capital of El Salvador had a reputation for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world. That was definitely true in its past, but fortunately, a recent government crack down on gangs has turned it into a relatively safe city for both visitors and residents. The city is still rebuilding from these years of unrest, but there are a few newly restored sites in the city’s downtown that can be visited in a half-day.

Begin your exploration at the city’s main square, Plaza Gerardo Barrios. On one side of the busy park is the National Palace. It is rather grand looking, built in the Neoclassical style. The original palace burned down in a fire in 1889, so this new building is from the early 1900s.

When we arrived there were a couple dozen heavily armed soldiers protecting the building. It is the former house of the president and legislative assembly but hasn’t been used by government since the 1970s. Today it is used for ceremonial events and receptions as well as housing the state’s archives. The soldiers were gone by mid-morning so we suspect there was an important event taking place inside when we first arrived. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).