San Salvador is the capital city of El Salvador and the metropolitan area has a population of around 2.5 million.

It’s probably not best known as a destination in itself but there is enough to do to spend a couple of days here.

We often find it quite revealing to visit capital cities as they tend to have the national museums and also, even if a but edgy at times, can reveal more of a nation’s character than you will see at more tourist oriented locations.

These pictures are of the inside of the Church of the Rosary. It’s has a beautiful interior but its exterior has no indication of what lies inside. You enter from an unassuming and plain side entrance.

It’s contrary to the rather flamboyant external facades of most Christian places of worship but it works so well to produce a unique place of calm and unpretentious beauty once inside.

It’s a city full of contrasts, some wonderful buildings like the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the new National library set metres away from far more humble buildings…

And the more dilapidated buildings nearby provide greater context of the history and challenges within the city. Nevertheless, the city is bustling with life and felt really safe.

Signs of an illustrious past still exist if you look hard enough.

The Basilica Sagrado Corazon, quite extraordinary looking from the outside, inside the roof is a simple exposed wooden structure.

We chose two museums to visit whilst in the city, the first was the Museum of Art, it has a fairly small offering but actually quite impactful.

The pictures below are but a small, but impressive representation of what was available when we went. Certainly worth a visit.

Below is an impressive work at the Final Avenida la Revolución.

Our next stop was the David Guzman National History museum just a 10mins walk away.

It’s a fairly large building and one of those places that seems to keep on giving. The information is well presented in English and Spanish and provides a great social and economic insight into the country’s history, dating back 20,000 years.

There is some really interesting information about ancient burials and also sacrificial burials too.

The picture below if from a Mexican restaurant that was too good not to take a photo of!

Our last stop was the Devil’s Gate Lookout, known locally as Puerto Del Diablo.

It’s a short drive out from the City and is a popular spot with the locals as the views are impressive, although visibility wasn’t too great when we went.

There are two short treks here, the longer one takes you to a higher viewpoint and there is a zipline down available for an additional cost.

On a good day its possible to see the Pacific Ocean and also a glimpse of Lake Ilopango.

Next we pick up a hire car and head to Los Cobanos for a few days on the beach.