Hostels in SANTA ANA, EL SALVADOR

Santa Ana – Hosting El Salvador’s Best Architecture

Santa Ana, El Salvador’s second largest city is full of beautiful churches, city halls, historical ruins and lovely gardens, thereby making it a leading tourist destination.

History
The city was founded by Pocamame tribes belonging to pre-Columbian era. It was conquered by the Pipiles in 1200 A.D. It was rechristened as Santa Ana in 1569 by a Guatemalan bishop. It earned the status of a city in 1824. It played a crucial role during the 1894 revolution. Most of its architectural jewels were constructed in the late 19th century by its coffee plantation owners who were enjoying the ever-rising coffee prices.

Popular Places and Attractions
The town hall located within the Central Park is a gorgeous colonial building with beautiful garden, shutters and courtyard. The Cathedral is also located nearby and is unique because the church’s cross points eastwards. The Cathedral was primarily constructed as a church in 1905. It was converted into a cathedral only 8 years after its construction. The Teatro de Santa Ana has renaissance style architecture, marble staircases, stained glass windows and beautiful artworks. The City Hall and Municipal Palace are two other popular city monuments known for their bustling inner yard and huge courtyard palm trees respectively.

The Coatepeque Lake is one of Central America’s most beautiful crater lakes. It is formed out of the active Caldera Volcano. The Parque Nacional Los Volcanoes provides spectacular views of the lake. The lake also contains an island having Mayan history. The Ruinas de Tazumal of San Andres contains Mayan ruins over an area stretching above 10 sq km. It is also the site of El Salvador’s biggest Mayan temple. The Carro Verde National Park and Volcan de Santa Ana are also located nearby. Carro Verde is a popular eco-tourism centre of El Salvador and contains rich diversity of plants and wildlife.

Getting Around
Buses and taxis are the most convenient options available for exploring the areas in and around Santa Ana, a good guide is to keep some small notes and change handy to pay for your travel.

Places for Entertainment
Discos, bars, cinemas and restaurants are the usual places for entertainment in Santa Ana. The city’s nightspots often feature table-dancing, drink specials and music performances. The city also has a good theatre, the Teatro de Santa Ana, featuring dance performances, concerts and plays. The Central Park or the Main Square is also a good place for watching people and street entertainment. Aquatic sports in Coatepeque Lake and volcano climbing at Carro Verde’s active Volcan de Izalco are two adventure avenues available in the city.

Accommodation
Budget hotels, youth hostels, bed & breakfast, guesthouse, motels and dormitories can be found in the city for fulfilling the accommodation requirements of visitors.

Currency
The official currency of El Salvador is the U.S Dollar. Traveller’s cheques and credit cards are also widely accepted but passports are required for cashing the cheques, check the internet and news for the latest exchange rates.

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