San Salvador Sightseeing Including El Boquerón and Santa Tecla

After hotel pickup in San Salvador in the afternoon, set off with your private guide on a 4-hour tour, starting with the majestic El Boquerón, the imposing volcano that looks over this Central American metropolis. El Boquerón — ‘Big Mouth’ — is a symbol of the city. After driving into the national park that covers the top of the volcano, explore the area on foot with your guide. Walking up to the crater is a relatively easy stroll. Take about an hour to view the massive crater— it’s 3.1 miles (5 km) in diameter and 1,831 feet (558 m) deep. If you like, have dinner here (own expense), enjoying the views of San Salvador with traditional food like parrillada, or barbecue. Otherwise you can opt to get dinner in Santa Tecla.

On the way to Santa Tecla, briefly explore San Salvador. Travel through the streets of the historic downtown, passing El Rosario Church, the massive Metropolitan Cathedral, and the neoclassical National Theater, as well as Salvador del Mundo (‘Savior of the World’) Square. Discuss with your guide which spots you’d like to stop at to explore on foot and which you are content to drive by.

Afterward, take some time to explore the town of Santa Tecla, located at the base of the volcano. It was built in the 19th century to be the nation’s capital after San Salvador was badly damaged by an earthquake. San Salvador remained the capital, but Santa Tecla has impressive architecture in the city center. If you didn’t eat at the volcano, stroll the famous Paseo del Carmen and sit down for a traditional Salvadoran dinner, perhaps tapas, hearty empanadas or parrillada. Take in the beautiful El Carmen Church or the neoclassical municipal palace. At the end of the tour, enjoy the drive back to San Salvador, with drop-off at your hotel.