The volcano capital — pupusas, surf breaks and the most densely populated country on the mainland
San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador, the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America — a volcanic, coffee-growing nation that has transformed from one of Central America's most dangerous countries into an increasingly visited destination since 2020. The capital sits in a valley ringed by volcanoes (Volcán de Santa Ana, Volcán Izalco known as the 'Lighthouse of the Pacific') at 682m. The historic centre around Plaza Barrios and the Metropolitan Cathedral has seen major renovation; the Zona Rosa and Colonia Escalón are the cafe and restaurant districts. El Salvador's c…
San Salvador was founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1525 and moved to its current location in 1545, surviving multiple devastating earthquakes throughout its colonial history — the city has been largely destroyed and rebuilt more than once, which is why the historic architecture is patchwork rather than uniformly colonial. El Salvador's history in the 20th century is defined by the civil war (1979–1992) between the US-backed military government and the FMLN guerrillas — a conflict that killed 75,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands, leaving the country's infrastructure and politica…