El Salvador 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
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El Salavador, named after the world's Divine Saviour, a small state covering an area of 21,000 km2. It is the only Central American country without a coastline on the Caribbean Sea. The country's dense and mostly rural population numbers about 6,700,000 inhabitants, most of them Roman Catholics of mixed origin (Amerindian and Spanish). The country's 300 km of coastline, located between the south of Guatemala and Honduras, is bathed by the Pacific Ocean. With its tropical climate and fertile volcanic plateau, El Salvador's arable lands are well suited for coffee and cotton plantations.
From the country of El Salvador to the city of San Salvador, the Saviour seems to be carrying the whole country on his shoulders. Recently, another saviour has been affecting the destiny of the country: the tourist, who can take the shape of the historian, the archaeologist or the volcano, flower or beach enthusiast. Not to mention those that are attracted by the countryside and its traditional way of life, or the bustling metropolis and its resolutely modern residents.
Overview
Any visitor familiar with basic Spanish, the country's official language, will be able to get a feel for the hustle and bustle of San Salvador, the country's metropolis. 1,5 million people live here at the foot of the eponymous volcano that shadows this earthquake-ravaged city. San Salvador attracts many rural Salvadorans in search of a better life, many of them ending up in the city's poor neighbourhoods.
San Salvador is nonetheless a welcoming, modern city with a well-developed network of hotels and tourist sectors. Its downtown area features several interesting attractions. The circa-1888 cathedral's architecture features Romanesque and Byzantine influences as well as naive frescoes. A few museums also await curious travellers, among which the Guzmán National Museum of Anthropology, the Museum of Art of Salvador, a sculpture museum, a popular art museum as well as the City museum and two superb botanical gardens. Also near the city is Balboa Park, a green space with playgrounds where families can escape the day-to-day city life.
El Salvador has more than its capital city to offer though. The wild relief of its Pacific coastline harbours some beautiful beaches. North of the coast, nature enthusiasts will love the Barra de Santiago region and its natural reserve bordered with mangroves. To the south stretches the famous Costa del Sol area, a well-developed region which attracts many surfers. Located a short 30 minutes from the international airport, it is home to three distinct beaches: San Marcelino, Los Blancos and the more touristy Costa del Sol.
The western part of El Salvador also offers many interesting attractions. Replete with volcanic landscapes, crystal-clear lakes and colonial villages, its hills are dotted with coffee plantations and its roads are lined with rows of flowers. Travellers can visit the pre-Columbian ruins found in Joya de Cerén and San Andrés. The country's second largest city, Santa Ana features a historic central area that reveals several Baroque and neoclassical buildings dating from the turn of the 20th century, as well as a Gothic cathedral, the national theatre house and the Museo de Occidente. The Lago de Coatepeque, one of the most beautiful lakes in El Salvador, can also be found in the western part of the country. Those who are interested in ancient civilizations will definitely want to visit the museums in Tazumal and Casa Blanca.
In addition to the exhuberant Ruta de las Flores (a flower-lined road) the area surrounding Ahuachapán, near Guatemala, also boasts two beautiful national parks: Volcano and El Imposible. The former features a welcoming countryside dotted with volcanoes teeming in lush vegetation, while the latter is home to the country's richest biodiversity. Along the Ruta de las Flores you'll find the colonial village of Apaneca and its surroundings, where visitors can stroll through beautiful lagoons and browse in artisan's hamlets.
The eastern part of El Salvador is where you'll find a more authentic rural atmosphere. This is also the country's hotbed of ecotourism. Alegría is the country's poetry capital, with texts painted on the city's walls for visitors to read while strolling. San Miguel, a city that has retained traces of its colonial past, nonetheless marches to a modern beat. It harbours the regional Museo del Oriente. Amateur archaeologists should visit Quelepa, the site of the ancient civilization of Lenca. History buffs interested in the country's 1980s civil war should take the Road of Peace, in the northeast, which is also sure to please nature lovers.
Finally, El Salvador's northern region boasts several hidden natural beauties which should be discovered before the area's tourism industry catches on. Suchitoto, for example, still presents a rather colonial facade, with its adobe buildings, paved alleys and artistic atmosphere. The surrounding mountains are perfect for hikers who wish to walk with their heads in the clouds. Lastly, San Ignacio and its surroundings offer visitors numerous natural and agricultural (indigo) sites, as well as hamlets where artisans sell their wood sculptures.
