natural wonder
El Boquerón Crater
The 1.5-km-wide crater of San Salvador Volcano, reached by a scenic road climbing from the capital to 1,800 m: peer into the perfect cinder cone left by the 1917 eruption.
8 km · about 15 min drive
North AmericaEl SalvadorLa Libertad Department
Antiguo Cuscatlán
La Libertad Department, El Salvador · North America
About Antiguo Cuscatlán
Antiguo Cuscatlán is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Santa Tecla, 8km from El Boquerón Crater.
Antiguo Cuscatlán is in La Libertad Department, El Salvador, with about 34,000 people. The nearest town is Santa Tecla, about 4 km away.
Antiguo Cuscatlán (colloquially known as Antiguo) is a municipality in the La Libertad department of El Salvador; its eastern tip lies in the San Salvador Department part of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, southwest of San Salvador and southeast of Santa Tecla. The population was 47,956 at the 2020 census.Read more
Antiguo Cuscatlán can be translated as Old Jeweled City: Antiguo means ancient or old in Spanish, and Cuscatlán means jeweled city in Nahuat. The city used to be the capital of the Pipil or Cuzcatecs, before the Spanish conquest of the New World.
The historic downtown sits on the foothills of La Cordillera del Bálsamo, and the city extends towards the Cordillera del Bálsamo on the south and on the foothills of the San Salvador Volcano on the north. The estimated per capita income for the city was $22,783 in 2013, which is 5.9 times higher than the national per capita (nominal).
Because Antiguo Cuscatlan is part of the San Salvador metro area, it is often confused as part of San Salvador.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Antiguo Cuscatlán?
Within an hour or so of Antiguo Cuscatlán: El Boquerón Crater (8 km), Joya de Cerén (21 km), El Tunco (24 km), Suchitoto (38 km).
Are there any good drives near Antiguo Cuscatlán?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta de las Flores.
Where is Antiguo Cuscatlán?
Antiguo Cuscatlán is in La Libertad Department, El Salvador, about 4 km from Santa Tecla.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 33,767
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- El Salvador
- Region
- La Libertad Department
- Timezone
- America/El_Salvador
- Coordinates
- 13.6649, -89.2532
Tags
Worth the detour from Antiguo Cuscatlán
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
ancient ruins
Joya de Cerén
A UNESCO site known as the Pompeii of the Americas, a Maya farming village preserved under volcanic ash from the 6th century.
21 km · about 25 min drive
beach
El Tunco
El Salvador's top surf beach with a distinctive pig-shaped rock formation, vibrant nightlife, and consistent Pacific waves.
24 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Suchitoto
El Salvador's best-preserved colonial town: cobbled streets and a white timber-columned church above Lake Suchitlán, a reservoir that draws huge flocks of migratory birds each winter.
38 km · about 45 min drive
natural wonder
Lake Coatepeque
A stunning volcanic crater lake in western El Salvador with turquoise water, surrounded by forested hills and lakeside restaurants.
39 km · about 45 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Santa Ana Volcano (Ilamatepec)
El Salvador's highest volcano, whose nested craters hold a sulphurous turquoise lake. A two-hour guided hike from Cerro Verde car park ends on a rim looking down at the acid lake and across to Izalco and Lake Coatepeque.
46 km · about 55 min drive
Driving roads near Antiguo Cuscatlán
- 46 kmSanta Ana Volcano (Ilamatepec)El Salvador's highest volcano, whose nested craters hold a sulphurous turquoise lake. A two-hour guided hike from Cerro Verde car park ends on a rim looking down at the acid lake and across to Izalco and Lake Coatepeque.
- 68 kmRuta de las FloresA picturesque route through the western highlands of El Salvador connecting colorful colonial villages and coffee plantations.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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