"Santa Ana and the vulcanoes" Santa Ana by MalenaN

Santa Ana Travel Guide: 32 reviews and 137 photos

Street by Parque Libertad in Santa Ana - Santa Ana

Vulcán Izalco

Santa Ana is the second largest city in El Salvador with more than 250 000 inhabitants in the urban area. The city is situated at an elevation of 650 metres above sea level and has a warm climate with an average temperature of 25°C. As the rest of El Salvador there is a wet season and a dry season.

Santa Ana was inhabited long before the Spaniards arrived and was then known as Sihuatehuacán, which means “The city of sorceresses” in Nahuat. In 1569 the name was changed to Santa Ana and that year a chapel in honour of Our Lady of Santa Ana was built. Santa Ana became a town in 1812 and a city in 1824. After a revolt in 1894 against the president and dictator Carlos Ezeta Santa Ana was called the Heroic City because the revolt begun there. In the late 19th century the coffee industry grew prosperous and some of the historic buildings around Parque Libertad were built at that period.

Vulcán Santa Ana

Santa Ana can be a good place to base yourself in when exploring the western part of El Salvador. I visited Parque Nacional Los Vulcanes (Cerro Verde) from here and had hoped to visit the ruins in Tazumal as well, but changed my plans in the end. In the city itself it is nice to spend some time exploring Parque Libertad and the historical buildings around. You can also find some good restaurants and cafés in the city and big shopping malls in the outskirts.

Last visit to Santa Ana: Jun 2009
Intro Updated Dec 9, 2009
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Reviews (17)

Changing buses on the way to Metápan - Santa Ana

From Santa Ana to Copán Ruínas... Transportation (4)

To go from Santa Ana to Copán Ruínas in Honduras the quickest way is to go through Guatemala and if you are using public... more travel advice

Parque Nacional Los Vulcanes Off The Beaten Path (2)

Parque Nacional Los Vulcanes has only had that name since 2003. Before it was called Parque Nacional Cerro Verde and... more travel advice

El Sin Rival Restaurants (6)

In one corner of Parque Libertad I saw an ice-cream café and headed there. At the entrance there were several drunken... more travel advice

Lago de Coatepeque Off The Beaten Path (2)

Lago de Coatepeque is a beautiful crater lake at the foot of Vulcán Santa Ana. When we climbed Santa Ana there was a... more travel advice

Things to Do (3)
See All Teatro de Santa Ana
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Travelogues (7)

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Comments (9)

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claudiacal Dec 8, 2010 at 9:57 AM

Hello Malenan, I just want to let you know I just joined this website after returning from my trip from Europe (France, Italy, Spain & London). I came across your photos from Santa Ana in El Salvador. I was borned & raised in Santa Ana.
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Nemorino Jan 29, 2010 at 9:00 AM

Great volcano photos in your travelogues! But why do you have to have a police escort? Because of dangerous people or because the volcano might erupt? -- I'm glad the Teatro de Santa Ana has been restored, at least mostly.
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globetrott Jan 2, 2010 at 3:27 PM

an interesting location with great architecture and stunning nature !And hitchhiking in this part of the world is certainly a great adventure by itself !
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toonsarah Jan 2, 2010 at 8:46 AM

I love your photos of Vulvan Santa Ana, especially the green crater lake and smoke rising :-)
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deecat Dec 17, 2009 at 8:46 PM

I find your tips so rich with the culture and so descriptive and filled with marvelous insights about people and places. A joy to read and to view. Great travelogues also.
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BillNJ Dec 5, 2009 at 4:58 AM

Another great page! I especially like the story of your hitchhiking adventure. Cheers, Bill
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mircaskirca Nov 15, 2009 at 11:37 AM

Hike to the volcano was well worth doing it for the fantastic views. The green colour of the lake is really impressive! I had to laugh about hitchhiking. I recently did it La Guajira. It was an idea of my Colombian friend and it went very well :)
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yumyum Oct 23, 2009 at 11:53 PM

Malena, such beautiful photos in the travelogues! Love the green of the volcano lake and the forest in the mist. Just awesome!
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Bwana_Brown Oct 10, 2009 at 7:40 AM

Beautiful views of your hike up to the lip of the volcano in your Travelogues! Those local pupusas sound quite delicious - got me thinking about empanadas!