Santa Ana (El Salvador).
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Overview

Santa Ana is the second largest city of El Salvador and a very important one in terms of agriculture and coffee production (coffee plantations - called fincas - cover much of the land outside town and up the hills). Its historic center offers some of the best preserved architecture in El Salvador, including the Cathedral of Santa Ana, a marvel of neo-gothic architecture, the Teatro de Santa Ana, a beautifully decorated theatre of the early 1900s; and the Palacio Municipal in front of the main plaza with giant palm trees shooting out from its courtyard.

Get in

Santa Ana lies 64 km northwest of the capital San Salvador, just off the Panamerica (Highway 1), from where several exits lead into town. Being close to the border, it's also a convenient stop if coming from Guatemala.

Some buses go via the San Cristobal border where immigration procedures are straightforward and hassle-free, while others use the busy border at Valle Nuevo (aka Las Chinamas on the Salvadorian side) where aggressive money changers await you. Be very careful here and don't hand out the immigration's paper slip to anyone. First stop is Guatemalan immigration where you get an exit stamp and a paper slip. After crossing the bridge over the Rio Paz you don't need to visit the Salvadorian immigration (the officer boards the bus to check your documents), and no entry stamp is provided as you're still in the CA-4 area. When arriving Santa Ana, the only stop will be at the office's new location at . Take a taxi or local bus into downtown (Route R-A will drop you just behind the Teatro.

Buses of the following companies pass by on their way from Guatemala City to San Salvador, but do not enter Santa Ana and might drop you at the intersection of Highway 1 (Panamericana) and Highway 12 a few kilometers south (locally known as La Ceiba).

From Antigua Guatemala, a shuttle leaves daily at 10:00. It's the same shuttle transfer no matter where you book it from. It bypasses Guatemala City, but expect to take 2-3 hours just to leave Antigua, as the shuttle drives around very slowly picking up passengers from their accommodations all over town instead of having everyone meet in one place like any other type of public transportation. Arrival at around 19:00. For a more comfortable ride, and likely also faster and cheaper, head to Guatemala City (shuttle transfer, taxi, or ride-hailing apps like Uber and inDrive) and take one of the previously mentioned coach buses. Traffic in Guatemala City can be quite bad, so aim to arrive early. From San Salvador's Terminal de Occidente on Bulevar Venezuela Entre 49a y 59a Ave Sur, two bus companies operate the service to Santa Ana (departure times about every 15 min, see Destinos/Horarios at ):

TUDO. Bus 201 uses the Panamericana Highway and doesn't stop along the road except in Santa Tecla. Arrival stops are at Metrocento, 31a Calle Poniente y Santa Ana California (INSA), 31a Calle Poniente y Ave Fray Felipe Moraga, roundabout Ave Fray Felipe Moraga y 15a Calle Poniente (Terminal), and finally at the bus depot at Antigua Carretera Panamericana 4 km southwest of town.

Seisabus. Bus 201 goes via the old road (via Santa Tecla, Santa Lucia, Ciudad Arce, and Coatepeque) with frequent stops, and arrives at east side of town at roundabout next to Universidad Catolica (UNICAES), also several stops along 9a Calle towards Parque Colon.

The small airstrip known as Pista Singuil about 18 km northwest of town (right off Panamericana Highway 1) is closed and now used for car racing.</p>

By train All train services were suspended in 1990, but parts of the station (a wooden shack) still exist 17a Ave Sur at the end of 7a Calle Oriente. Be careful here as locals consider this part of town as unsafe.

Get around

Most places within the historic center can be reached within a few minutes walk, there's no need to take a taxi or board local buses. The Tourist Office outside the (just across from the Theater) has city maps and other information.

Most touristic sights are located at the center of town around the . 4 blocks west of it is , and again roughly 6 blocks further south .

From central Parque Libertad Avenida Independencia runs north-south, while Calle Libertad runs east-west. Calles (streets) north of Libertad have even numbers (2-4-6), while Calles south of Libertad have odd numbers (1-3-5). So don't be confused! Avenidas west of Independencia have even numbers (2-4-6), the ones east of Independencia have odd numbers (1-3-5).

When asking for directions remember that house numbers are often out of sequence and might repeat in other blocks. Similar, street numbers are not well established (although well signed), and locals - including taxi and bus driver - usually navigate by these landmarks:

Centro. Buses are not allowed to pass Parque Libertad and usually drop passengers 1 or 2 blocks from the Parque.

Metrocentro. Shopping mall (roundabout) at south entrance of town. Often shorten to Metro to avoid confusion with Centro (Downtown).

Terminal. Bus station south of Mercado Colon. Local buses stop at the roundabout at Ave Fray Felipe Moraga y 15a Calle Poniente.

Pollo Campero. Fast food restaurant at Ave Independencia y 5a Calle, 3 blocks south of Parque Libertad.

Hospital. Calle Libertad Oriente y 17a Ave Sur.

ISSS. Ave Santa Ana California Sur, next to the stadium.

INSA. Ave Santa Ana California y 31a Calle.

DUI. 25a Calle Poniente Entre 18a Ave Sur y Calle Internacional.

By bus Local buses (called Urbanos) serve almost every part of Santa Ana and its colonias and operate roughly between 05:00 and 21:00. They can be very crowded especially during rush hour. Routes are complicated, difficulte to follow, and no route map is published. Some useful lines are:

R-8. Metrocentro to downtown, via Bulevar Los 44 (commonly known as bypass), Universidad Catolica, then along 7a Calle and 5a Calle Oriente (get off at Pollo Campero and walk 3 blocks to Parque Libertad).

R-9. Metrocentro to downtown, follows Ave Independencia (get off at Pollo Campero and then walk 3 blocks to Parque Libertad).

51-E. Downtown (Scotiabank behind the Palacio Municipal) via INSA to UES (Universidad de El Salvador). In opposite direction 51-E goes from UES via INSA to Parque Colon.

51-F. Downtown (Scotiabank behind the Palacio Municipal) via INSA to Metrocentro. Don't take 51-F back to downtown unless you're ready for a 45-min ride or want to go to Parque Colon (but if you do, ask the driver if he's going via IVU as two different 51-F routes exist!)

Most drivers have difficultes to find specific streets, better use hotel names, landmarks (see above), or the name of the Colonia (town district) of your destination.

See

Most visitors of course come to see the Cathedral and the Theatre, but Santa Ana has more to offer. According to La Secretaria de Cultura, its historic center (roughly within the limits of 4a Calle, 7a Ave, 9a Calle, Ave Jose Matias Delgado) counts 210 buildings in neoclassical style, 5 Gothic, 64 neocolonial and 102 in traditional style. The most intact ensemble of colonial houses can be found east of Parque Libertad, although most houses are privately owned and therefore inaccessible. For a self guided tour follow Calle Libertad eastbound and discover the north & south leading Avenidas (1a, 3a, 5a, 7a, 9a).

Teatro de Santa Ana. A masterpiece of colonial architecture, built between 1902 and 1910. Regularly holds performances (sometimes free entrance), check in advance. Guided tours available; after the tour has finished, don't forget to have a look in the restrooms!

Escuela de Artes y Oficios Jose Mariano Mendez. Often overlooked, this once impressive building was saved in the very last moment from demolition by the city government. No plan for restoration exists so far. As of Dec 2024, there is no access due to maintenance work.

Museo Regional de Occidente. Located in the former building of Banco Central de Reserva. Dedicated to the history of El Salvadorian money, exhibition of coins and bills in the former strong room downstairs. Don't miss the art exhibition upstairs.

Museo de Armas (Museo Militar). Segunda Brigada de Infantería. The ruined building nearby (at the corner of 3a Ave Sur y 13a Calle Oriente) is the Casino Militar Centroamericano, which was destroyed by fire during the war in 1981.

Museo AJA. Small privately-owned museum.

Santa Ana has a classical colonial town layout with 4 churches forming the Christian cross:

Catedral de Santa Ana. Built in gothic style in 1906 and with its splendid facade now completely restored (almost, the lower parts are still crumbling), this is one of the most impressive cathedrals in Central America. Don't miss it!

Iglesia El Calvario. This church was badly damaged during the 2001 earthquake but is now completely restored.

Mosque Palestina Tierre Santa. Built in 2011, dedicated to Santa Ana's small Islamic community.

Parque Ecologico San Lorenzo. A small zoological garden which is a bit disappointing but maybe to only chance to see local primates such as Mono Araña (Spider Monkeys). Also has attached picnic area with ponds and swimming pools (not too clean). Popular at weekends but deserted during the week.

Do

Santa Ana makes an excellent base for discovering western El Salvador's archaeological and natural spots. FUNDAR (Fundación Nacional de Arqueología de El Salvador) maintains the excellent and highly recommended website with tons of information, although its participation ended in 2009.

Tazumal. One of the most important and most impressive pre-Columbian sites in El Salvador. Excavated ruins cover an area of 10 km² and are the largest Mayan temple in El Salvador.

Joya de Cerén. The park can be easily visited in concunction with San Andrés.

Lago Coatepeque. A beautiful lake that was once an active volcano caldera. Access to the lake shore is difficult due to many private properties, try at one of the or restaurants.

Cerro Verde. A must for eco-tourists, and the starting point for climbing Santa Ana and Izalco volcano.

Santa Ana Volcano. Is noteworthy for the turquoise lake in its crater. A guided and police escorted tour (they don't let you do the hike without a guide) leaves Cerro Verde at 11am to the vulcano. The hike up takes 2 hr and 1.5 hr down, and is moderately difficult. Trekking boots recommended. The weather is chilly at the high altitude (2381m, 7812ft) so long pants, a jacket, and a windbreaker are also recommended. Bring at least 1 liter of drinking water with you! Best time for climbing is during dry season (between Nov and April) when perfect sky is the rule, but even in rain season (between May and October) good weather is not uncommon. For volcanic activity check web, last eruption was in 2005.

Izalco Volcano. A guided and police escorted tour (they don't let you do the hike without a guide) also leaves from Cerro Verde at 11:00 to the vulcano. The hike is way harder than the Santa Ana volcano. Both volcanoes can be done in the same day if you start with Santa Ana volcano around 07:00-08:00 then go to Izalco and start the hike from there at 11am.

Ruta de las Flores. A beautiful route across the mountains south of Santa Ana, with several lakes and waterfalls along the road. In Juayua change to bus 249 (ask driver to make sure you're on the right bus!) towards Apaneca, Concepción de Ataco, and finally Ahuachapan. In Ahuachapan you can transfer to the 210 bus back to Santa Ana. As always, times are approximate. It is better to arrive 15min early and safe your seat.

Los Naranjos. While not part of the Ruta de las Flores per se, this tiny village located 23 km southeast of town at an altitude of 1450m (4754ft) is the closest place if you seek relief from Santa Ana's heat. As everywhere in the region, ask locals for security advise (and guide, or even police escort) before setting out in the surrounding countryside. You cannot climb Santa Ana vulcano from here!

7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy.

Events Every year in July the 2-week Fiestas Julias (July festival) is celebrated. It's one of the biggest in El Salvador in honor of Señora Santa Ana, the city's patron. Activities end on the 26th with a large procession. Don't miss the amusement park 800 m (1/2 mile) south of Metrocentro (towards the Panamericana highway)!

At the end of the year, Christmas (Dec 24) and New Year's Eve (Dec 31) are celebrated with tons of firework and firecrackers, and Parque Colon turns into to a big firework selling spot. Be very careful as firecrackers are powerful and accidents happen frequently.

Learn

Academia Europea. Branch of its San Salvador operation, offers classes in Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and even Mandarin.

Buy

Smaller shops are usually closed between 12:00 and 14:00 (for lunch break) and after 18:00, and most shops are closed on Sundays (except Supermarkets and Metrocentro).

Santa Ana has 3 main commercial areas:

Downtown. Covers a few blocks mainly to the south and west of Parque Libertad.

Ave Jose Matias Delgado Sur. Stretching from Parque Menendez south to Parque Colon.

Metrocentro. A large mall (greatly expanded in 2017) with expensive shops and cafes, a department store (Siman), a food court, plus a Cinepolis cinema . In the same area you'll find fast food restaurants such as Burger King, McDonalds with McCafe, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, plus the Salvadorian chains Mr Donut and Pollo Campero.

Mercado Central. Central Market offering the usual things, fruits, vegetables, meat, and cloths. Very busy in daytime. On March 11, 2021, a huge fire destroyed the Mercado completely. As of Dec 2024, everything is still in ruins, and vendors are using the Parque Menendez and Parque Colon instead.

Mercado Colon. Santa Ana's largest market. The opposite Parque Colon is dedicated to hardware & electronic goods (mostly mobile phones), also bicycle parts can be found here. Can be very crowded, so keep an eye on your belongings as pocket thieves are active in this market.

Fleamarket. Mostly used mobile phones and used hardware stuff are sold at this small fleamarket.

Super Selectos. Has several braches in town.

La Despensa de Don Juan. Santa Ana's biggest and best stocked supermarket (owned by Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica), but fairly expensive by Salvadorian standarts.

Queso de Metapan. offers delicious locally produced cheeses. Other outlets in town: 31a Calle y Ave Independencia, and at 2a Calle Poniente y 2a Ave Norte (1 block west of the Theater).

Plaza Artesania. Has the usual tourist schnick-schnack.

Eat

Mostly self service (comida a la vista). Usually open for lunch between 11:00 and 14:00 (for dinner head out to pupuserias). Be early as food is often prepared in advance and may not stay fresh in the tropical heat. Also places sometimes run out of food after 13:00. Virtually all comedores are closed Sundays.

Rancho Santaneco. Nice setting & good food, be early (before 12:00) as it is very popular.

Pupuseria La 31. Offers delicious pupusas which are not as greasy then usual.

Papilandia. French fries joint. You will spot it easily, as it always has a queue of patrons waiting for their food. They also have other dishes such as Papa Mix, with meat pieces spread on top of the fries.

Quattro Estaciones. This is the only place in the city with Mediterranean food. Entrees, salads, sandwiches, pasta, chicken, beef, desserts and one of the best coffees in town. Wines, drinks & teas.

Lover's Steak House. Large portions on huge plates, open from 07:00 for breakfast, free WiFi.

El Patio. Nice location around a patio. Excellent meat, but side dishes are not worth mentioning.

La Pampa. Argentinian steak house, maybe Santa Ana's best meat place.

Banban. A Santa Ana institution, serves delicious pastries and good coffee, all have AirCon, and most have free WiFi. Several branches throughout town:

. Main location with the largest choice.

. Nice terrace, very crowded around 16:00.

El Sin Rival. Another Santa Ana institution, serves delicious sherbet ice cream. Several branches throughout down:

Expresión Cultural. Good for drinks, coffee & pastries, but lunch meals are not exceptional. Superfriendly, nice shady patio, sometimes live music in the evening, free WiFi.

Café Expresso. (formerly Star Mon's) Inexpensive but good coffee & homemade cakes served in a peaceful patio, free WiFi.

Panizzimo. Small but cozy, free WiFi. Another branch is located at 4a Ave Sur y 9a Calle Poniente, no WiFi.

Bites Bakery. Good coffee & pastries, Aircon, free WiFi, same owner as Lover's.

Drink

2a Calle Poniente is Santa Ana's small outgoing area. Turns into a pedestrian zone Friday and Saturday evenings, many bars and restaurants with street side tables, safe as guarded by police.

La Taberna del Capitan. Bar & restaurant, open until late.

Super Selectos. This supermarket has a reasonable selection of spirits and Argentinian, Chilean and European wines. Also sells German Köstritzer, Belgium Leffe, and original Czech Pilsener beer.

La Despensa de Don Juan. Has an even larger selection, including Chinese Tsing Tao and German Erdinger beer.

Warning: Under no circumstances visit the drinking holes along 11a Calle Poniente Entre 8a Ave Sur y Ave Fray Felipe Moraga Sur (Parque Colon area)!

Sleep

Casa Verde. Casa Verde is safe and secure and offers modern, spotless, comfortable rooms and bathrooms, 2 incredibly well-stocked kitchens, free coffee, water, and WiFi (and a computer), a laundry area, parking, and pick up/drop-off service, beautiful patios, hammocks, TV/movie room, a swimming pool, and rooftop deck. Centrally located, a short walk to the main square, bus terminal, and a large grocery store. Carlos, the owner, lives on site and is an excellent source of information for the Santa Ana area and travelling in El Salvador.

Hotel Continental. Popular and safe, a good option although not central, limited car parking.

Hotel Brunette. Friendly and very central but basic.

Hotel Livingston. A simple but good place if you're on a budget, WiFi, secure car park.

Pool House: Santa Ana Hostel. Basic hostel with kitchen and swimming pool. Wifi. Tours available through host.

Casa Blanca Tu Casa. single/double room. free wifi. can speak English.

Hotel Kali. The rooms are great and comfortable. WiFi, guarded car park.

Hotel Tolteka Plaza. The best place to stay in Santa Ana, but a long way out of town (get a taxi to downtown). Bus 201 (TUDO company) coming from San Salvador can drop you right in front of the hotel, ask driver. Bus 59 from/to El Congo also passes here.