Santa Ana, El Salvador

This will be a short one, but I figured it was worth calling out Santa Ana for its own merits among a very crowded El Salvador itinerary – it’s typically lumped in with the archeological sites (which is why we visited), but would also make a great stop on the Ruta de Flores (“Flower Route”) since it’s close to several of the sites on the “western” side of the route. In particular, I loved it because of the gorgeous Gothic Cathedral – in fact, loved it so much that the Cathedral closed with me still in it and for the first time ever on an international tour, I was left behind (momentarily!). However, I get ahead of myself…

Gothic Cathedral in Santa Ana, illuminated at night, showcasing intricate architectural details and a grand entrance.
Gothic Cathedral in Santa Ana illuminated at night, with people gathered outside and cloudy skies above.

The Cathedral itself is huge, with several chapels and various shrines throughout. These all appear to be regularly used – and, El Salvador is one of the few countries I’ve visited where I’ve seen people in active Confession no matter what the hour or day. A few of the shrines were especially compelling, including one to the Virgin of Guadalupe surrounded by Mexican flags (more details are available in my Archeology blog, but essentially the Virgin of Guadalupe seems to have as much significance for Salvadoreños as she does for Mexicans!).

There was also a shrine for San Roque, who apparently assists with granting miracles (seemed similar to what I’ve seen in the Episcopal tradition “Prayers of the People” where individuals request prayer for people or situations in their lives). You can see below someone was requesting prayers for their dog, Candy, who appeared to have a broken leg – I hope sweet Candy gets the help they need!

Interior view of a shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, adorned with colorful flowers and Mexican flags in a cathedral.
Statue of a saint in a marble shrine, with a cross and a dog, surrounded by religious plaques and a gratitude message.
A marble wall featuring a framed text about San Roque, a small photo of a dog, and a sign expressing gratitude to San Roque for favors received, along with additional papers below.

The interior of the church is grand, although not as ornate as the outer facade.

Interior view of a grand Gothic Cathedral, featuring tall arches, a chandelier, and wooden benches, with a person walking towards the altar at the far end.
Interior view of a grand church featuring tall arched ceilings and a vibrant altar adorned with flowers and religious statues. A small child stands in the foreground, observing the altar.
The interior altar of a grand Gothic Cathedral, featuring religious statues and floral decorations, illuminated by warm lighting.

So, how did I get stuck in this beautiful church?

It turns out you’re able to ascend the bell towers, which I opted to do for $2. It was an extremely dizzying task – more so on the way down than on the way up (I literally had to steady myself on a pew once I’d descended!). Essentially, you’re on a multi-flight Stairmaster, but with no windows and a very tight turn radius.

Once on the rooftop level, the views are great – you can look across the length of the church, at the bells, and into the plaza below. And, you can see a large cross erected on the hill overlooking Santa Ana as well.

A panoramic view of a plaza in Santa Ana at dusk, featuring a large pink Christmas tree adorned with lights, with mountains in the background and a cloudy sky.
View from the rooftop of a church, showing a reddish-orange roof, ornate architectural details, and dramatic cloudy sky over a mountainous landscape.
View from the rooftop of the Cathedral in Santa Ana, showcasing its intricate Gothic architecture with illuminated spires against a cloudy sunset sky.
Close-up view of a bell inside the bell tower of a cathedral, showcasing the weathered surface of the bell and the surrounding architecture.

Apparently, as I was descending, they closed the church doors, locking me and several other folks inside (thankfully including my husband, who hadn’t gone on the roof). We were ultimately told to leave via the back entrance, and in the ~10 minutes that elapsed between the church closing and making our way to the front of the building, the tour group had moved to the next stop. However, being a good Girl Scout, we stay put, sent a quick WhatsApp to tour guide extraordinaire Julio, and the group immediately returned (apparently they had already realized we weren’t with them and were heading back to us – the Mexican grandmother on the tour was EXTREMELY concerned and very sweet despite the [nonexistent, but she didn’t seem to realize we speak passable Spanish] language barrier).

After that, we did a quick sweep of the plaza, which has a variety of the classic buildings in every town: a theater, administrative / government building, and a variety of shops / restaurants.

A historic building in Santa Ana, El Salvador, featuring ornate architectural details, illuminated by decorative lights at dusk with pedestrians and a food cart in view.
Exterior view of the green Teatro de Santa Ana, adorned with Christmas decorations and banners for upcoming performances, with people gathered in front and traffic on the street.
Exterior view of the Pollo Campestre restaurant with its illuminated sign and a large Christmas tree nearby, under a cloudy sky.

Of course, it also had a giant Christmas tree sponsored by Pollo Campestre, the fried chicken chain of El Salvador (many more details on this in the Centro Histórico blog!). We had time to walk through this one, and were very amused by the light show, Christmas pop music playlist, and cartoon versions of different Salvadoreño cities (all with Pollo Campestre touches, like cowboy hats). I also love that the outside of the Christmas trees change colors – the Salvadoreño flag was especially beautiful!

A large Christmas tree adorned with colorful lights, sponsored by Pollo Campestre, is prominently displayed in a lively plaza filled with people. In the foreground, a giant inflatable Santa Claus greets visitors.
A large Christmas tree decorated with blue and white lights, resembling the Salvadoran flag, stands in a plaza with people gathered around. A sign for 'Pollo Campestre' is visible in the foreground.
A colorful indoor view of a large Christmas tree structure adorned with lights, showcasing an illuminating ceiling and festive decorations.

After that, we headed back to the bus with a stop for ice cream at “Sin Rival” (Ice Cream Without Rival) – Santa Ana’s famed ice cream parlor since ~1950. Sadly, I didn’t get a picture, so the below is from Matthew Lee per Google. The ice cream was delicious – I got the coconut flavor, which was wonderful, and they also feature a variety of Salvadoreño fruits, including arrayan, zapote, and jocote.

Exterior view of 'El Sin Rival', a popular ice cream parlor in Santa Ana, El Salvador, featuring colorful signage and seating.

Amusingly, we didn’t realize until we looked back at photos, but the ice cream trucks in the square all say “El Rival” (aka The Rival), which is pretty amusing.

A vibrant Christmas tree lights up the plaza in Santa Ana, El Salvador, alongside a man pushing a sorbet cart labeled 'El Rival' and a large inflatable Santa Claus in the background.

We were also amused by a variety of the bumper stickers / advertisements / other signs throughout the city. In particular, by the fact that you can apparently buy a car, stove, and TV from the sample superstore – all at great value prices!

Interior of an appliance store showcasing various products, including a white car, electronics, and promotional signs. Two employees in green shirts are engaged in conversation.
A colorful display featuring cartoon food characters labeled as 'Mini Buddies' in Spanish, promoting a kids' meal option at a fast-food restaurant.
Close-up of the rear of a beige car with a humorous bumper sticker asking 'got wings?' and another sticker with a cartoon figure and text.
A sign on a dark storefront reads, 'Este negocio esta protegido por Jesucristo,' indicating that the business is under the protection of Jesus Christ.

Overall, a great place to visit for a few hours in between other stops throughout the country!

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