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.
44 km · about 50 min drive
North AmericaEl SalvadorLa Paz Department
Santiago Nonualco
La Paz Department, El Salvador · North America
About Santiago Nonualco
Santiago Nonualco sits on the route: 15 minutes from Zacatecoluca, 44km from El Boquerón Crater.
Santiago Nonualco is in La Paz Department, El Salvador, with about 9,500 people. The nearest town is Zacatecoluca, about 9 km away.
Santiago Nonualco is a municipality in La Paz department of El Salvador.
"Nonualco" means "tribe of mutes" in the native Nahuat language, referring to the Nonoalca people who settled here around 900 CE. There are three "Nonualcos" in the area, the other two are San Juan Nonualco and San Pedro Nonualco.
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Nonualco is a relatively poor community even by Salvadoran standards. The primary historical economic activity has been subsistence farming and the cultivation of sugar cane, providing back-breaking work for those willing to bake in the sun swinging their "corvos," curved tobacco-knife like machetes, for a couple of dollars a day. Currently there are very few employers in the area. Santiago Nonualco has a small central market, a few modest stores (tiendas), diners (comedores), bars, doctor's office, pharmacy, a couple of dentists, a small bank (casa de credito), some lawyers, and not much else. The nearest factories are located near the airport at El Pedregal, about 25 minutes away by bus.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Santiago Nonualco?
Within an hour or so of Santiago Nonualco: El Boquerón Crater (44 km), El Tunco (47 km), Suchitoto (47 km), Joya de Cerén (56 km).
Are there any good drives near Santiago Nonualco?
The nearest famous roads are Ruta de las Flores.
Where is Santiago Nonualco?
Santiago Nonualco is in La Paz Department, El Salvador, about 9 km from Zacatecoluca.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 9,490
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- El Salvador
- Region
- La Paz Department
- Timezone
- America/El_Salvador
- Coordinates
- 13.5167, -88.9500
Tags
Worth the detour from Santiago Nonualco
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
El Tunco
El Salvador's top surf beach with a distinctive pig-shaped rock formation, vibrant nightlife, and consistent Pacific waves.
47 km · about 55 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.
47 km · about 55 min 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.
56 km · about 65 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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