Last Updated on: 10th August 2024, 03:58 pm
Though Santa Ana, El Salvador may be the country’s second-largest city, it has an altogether different look and feel from the capital. It’s more similar to one of the country’s smaller colonial towns, albeit with a lot of people and traffic thrown in.
Santa Ana has a beautiful historic center that was largely funded by the success of the local coffee industry. But frankly speaking, Santa Ana shouldn’t really be thought of as a destination in its own right, as its main attractions can be explored in a couple of hours.
With that said, it makes for an excellent base for some of the country’s best day trips, and you should plan on booking at least several nights in town.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering the most important landmarks of the city center, followed by a rundown of the region’s best day trips. And for more info on transport and accommodation, be sure to check the end of the article.
Around Santa Ana, El Salvador
As mentioned, Santa Ana’s historical center can be explored in just a couple of hours, or even less. As is typical in historical Latin American cities, Santa Ana is home to a myriad of churches.
To the west of the city center is the Iglesia el Calvario, originally constructed in 1825. But today it looks rather new, as it had to be rebuilt following a 2001 earthquake.
Sitting on a hill just south of the center, meanwhile, is the Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Carmen, established by the Dominican order in the 19th century.
But one can’t talk about the city’s architecture without mentioning the Santa Ana Cathedral, which has become its unofficial symbol. The Neo-Gothic structure, which was constructed in 1913, sits facing Santa Ana’s main square.
While a cathedral has stood here since the 16th century, the original was destroyed in a lightning fire in the 1800s. And so this new one was soon commissioned, on which construction actually continued until 1959.
The elegant white marble structure reminded me of Templo Expiatorio of León, Mexico, though that structure is even more recent.
Visitors are free to step inside to admire the interior’s numerous paintings and marble image of Saint Anne, though it happened to be a crowded Sunday on the day of my explorations.
Elsewhere around the square, meanwhile, is the Teatro de Santa Ana, known for its beautiful Renaissance-style architecture. It was constructed between 1902 and 1910 with funds accumulated after an export tax was imposed on coffee beans.
Also facing the square is the Santa Ana Municipal Hall, which continues to serve as the official city hall to this day.
While Santa Ana is home to a few random museums, such as the Human Anatomy Museum and the Military Museum, there’s only one museum focused on the region’s culture and history: the Western Regional Museum.
Over a few different stories, you’ll learn about the region’s pre-Hispanic past as well as some recent tragedies. And considering how the museum is set in the former building of the Banco Central de Reserva, the bottom floor features an exhibit on the history of currency in El Salvador.
In recent years, El Salvador has become known as the world’s first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. But oddly, as of 2024, the museum makes no mention of it!
While the museum just costs $3 to enter, the information is in Spanish only and it only features replica items. While hardly essential, museum lovers will probably still want to check it out.
At the time of writing, the museum is open from 9:00-15:00 except on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Top Day Trips From Santa Ana
As mentioned, Santa Ana, El Salvador is less about what there is to do and see in the city center. Rather, it’s better to think of it as a base from which to embark on various exciting day trips.
We’ll be covering the top four day trips from Santa Ana, while further below you can find additional suggestions and even more day trips in the region.
Santa Ana Volcano
Santa Ana Volcano is arguably El Salvador’s most popular day trip, not to mention the county’s highest volcano and third-highest peak. It’s a moderate 7 km (4.3 miles) out-and-back hike with about 470 m of elevation gain.
Most hikers will be getting to the trailhead via public bus, and all passengers will end up in the same hiking group accompanied by a local guide.
The roundtrip journey should take about three hours (including time at the summit). While it culminates at the peak of Santa Ana Volcano, the highlight isn’t so much the views from the peak, but rather the views into the crater.
Looking down into the crater, you’ll be rewarded with a view of a beautiful green crater lake. And the plumes of steam rising from different points around it reminded us that Santa Ana Volcano – officially known as Volcán Ilamatepec – isn’t entirely dormant.
On a clear day, hikers should also be able to see a view of Lago de Coatepeque in the distance, as well as some of the other nearby volcanic peaks.
Learn the full details about this day trip in our dedicated guide.
Tazumal & Casa Blanca
Just a short distance from Santa Ana, Tazumal is well worth the trip to see, and it could even be considered El Salvador’s most impressive archaeological site.
The ancient Mayan city was first inhabited thousands of years ago, though it mainly thrived during the Classical Period (350-900 AD). The area had to be temporarily abandoned following the eruption of the Ilopango Volcano in the 5th century AD, though it would eventually bounce back.
And much later, from around 900-1400 AD, Tazumal would be taken over by Nahua-speaking settlers from central Mexico.
Tazumal is somewhat small as far as Mayan archaeological sites go, with most of the site centered around the main pyramid and the massive platform on which it stands.
The pyramid reaches up to 23 m high, and while it’s not climbable, visitors can admire it from a designated viewing platform. Built between 350 and 600 AD, it was likely modified at least seven times over the course of its history.
Just fifteen minutes on foot from Tazumal, meanwhile, is an additional site known as Casa Blanca.
Amazingly, most of Casa Blanca’s structures were built atop a single massive manmade platform which stretches out to 240 x 220 m. Its construction dates back to the Late Preclassic period (400 BC–300 AD), and it consists of materials like mud, stones and soil.
The Tazumal and Casa Blanca archaeological sites are situated in the town of Chalchuapa, just a thirty-minute drive west of central Santa Ana. To get there, you can either take a public bus or hire an Uber.
If you’ll mainly be basing yourself in San Salvador, this highly-rated tour, picks you up in the capital before taking you to the ruins of Tazumal, Joya de Cerén and San Andrés. It even includes some of the landmarks around Santa Ana mentioned above.
Joya de Cerén & San Andrés
The Joya de Cerén & San Andrés archaeological sites are located in between Santa Ana and San Salvador. While slightly closer to the capital, the sites can definitely be visited as a day trip from Santa Ana as well.
Joya de Cerén is often regarded as El Salvador’s premier archaeological site, yet it was never the seat of a mighty king, nor did it contain a single pyramid. In fact, it was nothing more than a small agricultural community that lasted for less than two centuries.
So why is it so well-known today?
The UNESCO World Heritage Site is pivotal when it comes to our understanding of the pre-Hispanic Maya, as it’s the only place where an ancient rural village has been preserved in situ.
The reason for the village’s preservation is also what caused its sudden demise: a large volcanic eruption that buried the area in layers of ash.
Visitors to Joya de Cerén walk along a predetermined pathway that overlooks various sections of the archaeological findings. The different sections are roofed over to help better protect them, but this unfortunately makes much of the site dark and difficult to see. Nevertheless, it’s still fascinating.
Visitors should also be sure to visit the excellent on-site museum. It features a very comprehensive (and bilingual) overview of the site’s known history, as well as a summary of its excavations.
Relatively close by are the ruins of San Andrés, which served as the main administrative center during Joya de Cerén’s lifespan. This is more of your typical Mayan site, with a pyramid and a large plaza. San Andrés certainly can’t compare with Tazumal, however.
Reaching Joya de Cerén and San Andrés can be done by public bus from either Santa Ana or San Salvador, though it is quite a hassle (learn all the details in our dedicated guide).
The most hassle-free way to see both sites would be a tour like this one, which also includes a stop at Tazumal, though it only seems to depart from the capital.
The Ruta de las Flores
The Ruta de las Flores is often hyped up as one of the top day trips from Santa Ana, if not El Salvador as a whole. The region is home to several colonial-era towns, while it’s also known for its coffee plantations and of course, colorful flowers.
While some travelers might want to take things slow and spend a few nights there, the region can indeed be visited as a day trip from Santa Ana.
The best time to visit is from November-April when the flowers are in full bloom. And by far, the easiest and most hassle-free way to see the Ruta de las Flores would be to take a private tour. This one appears to be the cheapest (though perhaps not for solo travelers).
But if you’re hoping to visit the Ruta de las Flores independently by bus, you would probably only have time for three towns: Ataco, Apaneca and Juayua.
Ataco is the most charming town of the three, though Apaneca is popular for Café Albania and its challenging Labyrinth.
Even More
Yes, there’s still even more to see and do around Santa Ana, El Salvador. Hikers should consider Izalco Volcano, considered a more challenging alternative to neighboring Santa Ana Volcano. Also in the general area is the scenic Lago Coatepeque.
Outdoors lovers should also look into Parque Nacional Montecristo and Parque Nacional El Imposible, known for its rivers and waterfalls.
Technically, San Salvador is also a possible day trip from Santa Ana, as the cities are only 1-2 hours apart depending on traffic. But traffic is always a major factor in Central America, so you likely wouldn’t be able to see much of the capital while based in Santa Ana.
Additional Info
Ideally, the closer you are to the historical center, the better. Not only is this where the city’s landmarks are concentrated, but it’s also where you’ll find the most restaurants and coffee shops.
Some highly-rated midrange options near the center include Hostal Las Puertas and Casa Vieja Guest House, while those looking for something a bit more upscale should consider the Remfort Hotel.
Of course, Santa Ana is home to plenty of budget options. But if you’re hoping for a private room, you might have to stay outside the city center.
Altea Hostal looks like a good option to the north of the center, while I stayed at Casa Blanca Tu Casa to the east.
I had an overall good experience at Casa Blanca. The owners were friendly and helpful, and breakfast each morning was included in the price. While bathrooms were shared, I rarely found them full, and the internet also worked great.
The only downside was the location. While walkable from the historical center, it took about twenty minutes. And there were not many restaurants or coffee shops in the area.
Most people will be getting to Santa Ana from either San Salvador or from somewhere in Guatemala. We’ll be covering both cases below.
FROM SAN SALVADOR
If you’re coming from San Salvador, you’ll want to head to Terminal de Buses de Occidente and take a 201 bus. From my experience, some of these buses appear like your typical ‘chicken buses’ (converted US school buses), while some are more like your standard city bus with separated seats.
The ride only costs a dollar and should take between one and two hours depending on traffic.
I’ve only taken this bus going from Santa Ana to San Salvador, and I’m not exactly sure where the bus terminates in Santa Ana. But when departing from Santa Ana, you should take an Uber down to the Metrocenter shopping mall in the south of the city.
Here, the 201 buses run down Avenida Independencia Sur, and you’ll find a bus stop in front of Galerias de casa Sandoval. The 201 buses are very frequent, passing by every several minutes.
Whichever direction you’re coming from, note that there’s no luggage storage on the 201 buses (from my experience). I offered to pay the driver double, as my luggage would be taking up an extra seat, but he declined, and I made the journey with zero issues.
You can also just take an Uber between San Salvador and Santa Ana, which should be about $40-50 in total.
FROM GUATEMALA
A lot of travelers skip Guatemala City altogether (which is a shame) and come to El Salvador directly from Antigua. In that case, private tourist shuttle will be your only option, unless you’re willing to transfer in Guatemala City.
From Guatemala City, you can take a direct coach bus, with a few different companies running international routes. I went with Pullmantur and had no issues with them.
Though not that cheap (about $35 USD), it was a fancy double decker bus that was similar to the VIP buses in Mexico, and it’s a shame these types of buses aren’t more common in Central America.
Anyway, before the journey, the staff will check your passport and make sure you haven’t overstayed your visa. You will eventually go through border control, but keep in mind that residents of Central American countries don’t have to get their passport stamped or pay a fee for entering El Salvador.
In my case, I was the only non-Central American on the bus, and so I was the only one who had to get off and pay the $12 entry fee for El Salvador.
Note that if Santa Ana is your final destination when coming from Guatemala City, you will not be taken to the city center. You will probably be dropped off at a roundabout to the west of the city (Redondel Santa Maria in my case).
Fortunately, Guatemalan SIM cards should work just fine on roaming in El Salvador, so you shouldn’t have any problems hailing an Uber to your hotel.