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.
12 km · about 20 min drive
North AmericaEl SalvadorSan Salvador Department
San Salvador
San Salvador Department, El Salvador · North America
About San Salvador
San Salvador is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Mejicanos, 12km from El Boquerón Crater.
San Salvador is in San Salvador Department, El Salvador, with about 530,000 people. The nearest town is Mejicanos, about 4 km away.
San Salvador (Spanish pronunciation: [san salβaˈðoɾ]) is the capital and largest city of El Salvador and of its eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The municipality of San Salvador has 525,990 inhabitantsRead more
(2024). The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital itself and 13 of its municipalities, has a population of 2,404,097. The urban area of San Salvador has a population of 1,600,000 inhabitants.
The city is home to the Consejo de Ministros de El Salvador (Council of Ministries of El Salvador), the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, the Supreme Court of El Salvador, and other governmental institutions, as well as the official residence of the president of El Salvador. San Salvador is located in the Salvadoran highlands, surrounded by volcanoes and prone to earthquakes. The city is also home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador, as well as many Protestant branches of Christianity, including Evangelicals, Baptists, and Pentecostals, and the restorationist Christian sect the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
San Salvador has been the host city for regional and international sporting, political, and social events. It hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1935, 2002, and in 2023 and the Central American Games in 1977 and 1994, as well as the Miss Universe pageant in 1975 and in 2023. San Salvador was also the host city of the 18th Ibero-American Summit in 2008, the most important sociopolitical event in the Spanish and Portuguese sphere. The Central American Integration System has its headquarters in San Salvador.
Where to Stay in San Salvador
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near San Salvador?
Within an hour or so of San Salvador: El Boquerón Crater (12 km), Joya de Cerén (24 km), El Tunco (30 km), Suchitoto (32 km).
Are there any good drives near San Salvador?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta de las Flores.
Where is San Salvador?
San Salvador is in San Salvador Department, El Salvador, about 4 km from Mejicanos.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 525,990
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- El Salvador
- Region
- San Salvador Department
- Timezone
- America/El_Salvador
- Coordinates
- 13.6893, -89.1872
Tags
Worth the detour from San Salvador
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.
24 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.
30 km · about 35 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.
32 km · about 35 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.
43 km · about 50 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.
51 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near San Salvador
- 51 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.
- 74 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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