Last Updated on: 18th August 2024, 11:18 pm
Located 50 km northeast of San Salvador, Suchitoto is arguably the country’s most endearing small town, featuring an even mix of charming colonial architecture and scenic views. Not only can the beautiful Lago Suchitlán be seen from the town itself, but within walking distance is the unique Cascada Los Tercios waterfall.
Interestingly, the original San Salvador was founded near Suchitoto’s current location before the capital was moved to where it is now. Nevertheless, Spanish settlers remained in Suchitoto from the 16th century due to its idyllic location.
Ever since, Suchitoto has remained one of the country’s most prominent tourism hubs. With that said, Suchitoto doesn’t get anything near the number of visitors of other historical towns in Central America, so you’ll largely have it to yourself.
Following this guide to what you can expect to see and do in Suchitoto in a day or two, learn more about transport and accommodation at the end of the article.
Central Suchitoto
The best place to start your explorations of central Suchitoto would be the town’s main square, home to the Parroquia de Santa Lucía. The elegant white structure was built in 1853 and is widely regarded as one of the country’s finest churches.
The park also has a fountain and some benches for relaxing, while facing it is (unsurprisingly) a pupusa restaurant. These were among the best pupusas I had in the country, so try not to arrive on a full stomach.
Just a few minutes on foot from the central square is the ‘A Thousand Plates And More Museum.’ Small towns around the world commonly have a quirky museum like this, and I often find them to be worth a quick look. This was no exception.
As the name suggests, the museum displays plates from around the world, while the subject matter is completely random. You’ll find ancient Egyptian-themed plates, plenty of Christian-themed plates, plates with cats and birds, and some from random places like North Dakota.
There’s even a photo of Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev with a Chinese caption, while you’ll also see some masks from places like Bali.
The museum costs $3 to enter ($2 for locals), though there doesn’t seem to be a schedule published anywhere.
To the west of the central park are some additional landmarks, like the Teatro Alejandro Cotto. Also in the area is the Centro Arte Para La Paz, situated in a former Dominican convent.
It was established as an art center to support victims of domestic violence, though they now support a variety of causes. Visitors must be accompanied by a guide, though I was told to come back because the staff were out for lunch. Ultimately, I never made it.
In the northwest corner of town is San Martín Park, a peaceful but otherwise unremarkable park. But facing it is the Museo de la Moneda, though it’s only open from Thursday to Sunday and was closed during my visit.
A short walk northwest from the park, don’t miss one of Suchitoto’s – and El Salvador’s – most stunning scenic vistas: the ‘Mirador de Suchitoto.’
From a designated platform, visitors can enjoy views of Lake Suchitlán and the distant mountains. As beautiful as it is, Lake Suchitlán is in fact not natural, and was formed in the 1970s as a result of the Cerron Grande Hydroelectric Dam.
As we’ll cover below, you can enjoy more great views of the lake from the Cascada Los Tercios.
At the far northern end of town – about fifteen minutes on foot from the central square – is the Casa de los Recuerdos Alejandro Cotto, the former home of one of the country’s most famous film directors.
It’s said to be an excellent example of Suchitoto’s traditional architecture, though the museum was unfortunately closed for restorations at the time of my visit.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the walk over, as I passed by more charming colonial homes and tranquil plazas along the way.
Cascada Los Tercios
In addition to its town center, Suchitoto is also known for a special natural attraction. Though you could probably arrange a taxi to take you, I just decided to walk from the town center, which took about 30 minutes.
The walk is a mostly pleasant one, as, despite being a highway, the road sees little traffic. And you can also enjoy some great views along the way. But for whatever reason, Suchitoto is considerably more humid than San Salvador.
The scenic area costs just $1 to enter, making it a rare attraction in El Salvador that has equal pricing for locals and foreigners.
As mentioned above, you’ll be able to enjoy more views of Lago Suchitlán from this area. In fact, there are several different overlooks from which to see it, and it’s hard to get tired of these views.
But the main attraction, of course, is the waterfall itself. You’ll first see it from a distance, and once you get closer, the best views are from its base. To get there, you’ll have to carefully descend via a steep rocky path, which is not something you’d want to try on a rainy day.
Arriving around the beginning of rainy season, there was no water flowing at the time of my visit. But the Cascada Los Tercios is unique in the sense that doesn’t need water to be impressive.
The side of the cliff is completely comprised of hexagonal basalt columns that almost look manmade, but are in fact completely natural. Such shapes are formed when rock of volcanic origin cools down and then contracts, creating a series of long, narrow cracks.
These formations are officially known as columnar jointing. And while not common, similar examples can be found in numerous parts of the world, such as the Devil’s Tower in the US, Garni in Armenia, and different parts of Ireland and Iceland, among others.
I was the only visitor there that day, and I spent a while admiring the formations before returning the way I came.
While some sources mention robberies having taken place here in the past, I didn’t encounter anyone suspicious while walking to and around the waterfall.
When it comes to El Salvador, it’s always important to check the date of publication to see whether or not it was written before the current government ‘cleaned up’ the country.
On the contrary, during my walk back to town, a kind couple slowed down and motioned for me to get in their truck. They drove me back to the town center, allowing more time and energy to explore central Suchitoto.
Additional Info
While Suchitoto is fairly easy to reach independently from San Salvador (more below), you also have the option of going via tour.
Out of all the options online, this tour seems to be the best value. Not only does include the landmarks of central Suchitoto and the Cascada Los Tercios, but it also includes a stop at the nearby ruins of Cihuatán, a place I ended up visiting on a separate day.
Getting to Suchitoto from San Salvador is fairly straightforward. But first, you’ll have to get to the Terminal Nuevo Amanacer, which is quite a journey from the city center. It’s about a fifteen-minute drive east, but the timing can vary depending on traffic.
Though I found a blog post online about some Suchitoto-bound buses departing from central San Salvador, this no longer seemed to be the case as of 2024.
Once at Terminal Nuevo Amanacer, it shouldn’t be long before you find a bus with Suchitoto written on it. If not, simply ask someone and they’ll point you in the right direction.
The ride only costs $1 and it takes about an hour to arrive in Suchitoto. In town, the bus should drop you off right outside a market. It would be wise to memorize this location, as this is also where you’ll want to come to get the return bus. There’s no signage in the area at all, which makes things rather confusing for non-locals.
In my case, I had to wait quite a while for a San Salvador-bound bus to appear. Several buses with San Salvador written on them did show up, but they were only dropping passengers off. But wait around long enough and a bus headed for the capital should eventually come.
Note that the buses between San Salvador and Suchitoto are similar to regular city buses, with no proper luggage storage. While Suchitoto would be a great place to stay for a few nights, those with lots of luggage might want to hire a private driver.
While most of Suchitoto can be seen as a day trip from San Salvador, it would be an ideal town to stay for a while to soak up the atmosphere.
The Mayan Grouper features a lake view, while affordable hotels like Hotel y Café Ixmati Suchitoto are located right by the central square. Hostal Koltin Suchitoto seems like another ideal option for budget travelers.
San Salvador is a large and sprawling city, but in terms of visiting its main tourist attractions, you should focus on a few particular neighborhoods. No matter where you stay, expect to rely on Uber a lot to get around the city.
The fanciest part of San Salvador is San Benito/Zona Rosa, which is home to numerous cafes, shopping malls and museums. If you’ve been to Guatemala City, it’s San Salvador’s equivalent to that city’s District 10.
One of the highest-rated hotels around here is the Il Buongustaio, though you could save money by staying at the Hotel Villa Florencia Zona Rosa.
Of course, you could also base yourself within the Centro Histórico, which would give you easy walking access to all the attractions there. Hotel Abrego has high ratings, while Hotel Villa Florencia Centro Histórico is one of the most affordable places in the area.
Another convenient place to stay would be somewhere near the Monument to the Divine Savior of the World, located right in the heart of the city. That’s where I stayed, and found it pretty convenient.
Lujoso Condo seems like a great higher-end option, while Hotel Luigi is much more affordable.