Overview
Plenty of breathtaking sightseeing opportunities await the
traveller coming into this most lush of Central American nations.
Lush because it's one of the most volcanic places on Earth,
producing fertile soil and a thriving wilderness in its small 8,124
square miles (21,040km²).
Interspersed between the forest, mountains and 21 volcanoes are
the best preserved remains of the Mayan civilisation. Joya de
Cerén is all that remains of a Mayan site buried under
volcanic ash 1,400 years ago and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
San Andrés region and the ruins of Tazumal boast
well-preserved structures as hallmarks to this ancient
civilisation.
Getting around the small country is easily achieved by bus or
taxi. The longest journey is between San Salvador to La Palma and
lasts a meagre four hours, making internal flights redundant. San
Salvador and San Sebastian are the main attractions. The latter is
a popular picturesque beachside resort village, a town of quaint
Romanesque sights and simple beauty. San Salvador, by contrast, is
the hub of a rapidly industrialising country, it is densely
populated and crime-ridden. Still, visitors can enjoy a wide range
of sights in the city; colonial cathedrals and buildings including
the Catedral Metropolitana, St Ignatius Loyola and the Spanish
façade. Atop San Jacinto Mountain one can enjoy a panoramic
vista of the city as well as an amusement park and cable car
rides.
