|
|
|
Overview
Plenty of breathtaking sightseeing opportunities await the
traveller coming into this most lush of Central American nations.
It is one of the most volcanic places on Earth, which has ensured
fertile soil and a thriving wilderness in its small 8,124 square
miles (21,040km²).
Interspersed between the forest, mountains and 21 volcanoes are
the best preserved remains of the Mayan civilisation. A highlight
is Joya de Cerén, all that remains of a Mayan site buried
under volcanic ash 1,400 years ago and today a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The San Andrés region and the ruins of
Tazumal are other vestiges of this ancient civilisation.
Getting around the small country is easily achieved by bus or
taxi. The longest journey is between San Salvador to La Palma and
lasts a meagre four hours, making internal flights redundant. San
Salvador and San Sebastian are the main attractions. The latter is
a popular picturesque beachside resort village, a town of quaint
Romanesque sights and simple beauty. San Salvador, by contrast, is
the hub of a rapidly industrialising country, it is densely
populated and crime-ridden. Still, visitors can enjoy a wide range
of sights in the city; colonial cathedrals and buildings including
the Catedral Metropolitana, St Ignatius Loyola and the Spanish
façade. Atop San Jacinto Mountain one can enjoy a panoramic
vista of the city as well as an amusement park and cable car
rides.