All of the best things to do in Santa Ana, El Salvador!
There are lots of fun things to do in Santa Ana, El Salvador which makes it a great place to spend a few days or use as a base to explore surrounding areas.
If you’re looking for the best things to do in and around this colourful Salvadorian town, here is a list of 11 best things to do in Santa Ana to keep you busy.
1. Visit the Catedral de Santa Ana
The Catedral de Nuestro Señora Santa Ana is located just off the main square in Santa Ana. Its neo-Gothic makes it stand out from most other cathedrals throughout Central America. Named for the patron saint of the city, Saint Anne, the original church that stood at the site was struck by lightning and destroyed. In 1904, construction began for the cathedral to take its place.
For just $2USD you can go up to the roof of the cathedral for a view of the bell towers and the city. It is not sign-posted, but if you ask the lady at the small shop on the left as you enter the cathedral, she will let you up. The view from the top is one of the best in Santa Ana!
2. Take a free walking tour
Taking a free walking tour in Santa Ana is a great way to learn about the city. I always try to do one in the first few days that I arrive in a new place. The recent history of El Salvador is fascinating to learn about and a walking tour can give a great insight into some of the big changes and challenges the country faces.
I’ve linked the Santa Ana free walking tour that we took here. Alex was our guide and he was amazing. He was full of information and happy to answer everyone’s questions during the tour. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. It really was the most useful thing we did in Santa Ana, El Salvador.
Remember, with these tours the tour is technically free, but tip what you can.
3. Explore the Ruta de Flores
The Ruta de Flores is a road joining some beautiful, hillside towns not too far from Santa Ana. It gets its name from the flowers that grow along the roads linking the towns, so the best time to visit is definitely spring time. However, if you’re not there in May, you will still have a great time wandering the streets of these colourful little towns, sipping coffee and looking at the beautiful murals.
This can be a day trip from Santa Ana, but you would be in for a long day. Consider spending night in Juayua along the way.
4. Take a day trip to Lake Coatepeque
Lake Coatepeque is an easy day trip from Santa Ana. Lake Coatepeque is a crater lake surrounded by lush, green scenery and it really is a sight to behold.
You can rent jetskis (or spend a night) at Captain Morgan’s hostel or organise a boat trip around the lake. The lake is best admired from above, and there are a number of restaurants on the road down to the lake that boast incredible views. Our favourite was Los Asaditos de Coatapeque. They do an amazing BBQ platter and the prices are really reasonable.
To get to Lake Coatepeque from Santa Ana take the 242 chicken bus from Francisco Lara Pineda bus station. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to arrive at the lake.
5. Visit the Malacatiupan hot spring waterfalls
Salto de Malacatiupan are naturally heated waterfalls and one of the best things to do in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The water is heated from the tectonic activity in the area and can reach temperatures up to 37C. Bathing in a hot waterfall is a unique and fun experience so definitely check it out if you’re in Santa Ana.
To get there, take the 210 or 214 bus from Francisco Lara Pineda bus station to the town of Atiquizaya. It takes about 40 minutes. Get off near Parque San Juan and jump in a tuk tuk to the falls. We paid $2 per person for the tuk tuk and it takes about 15 minutes down a bumpy road.
6. Do the 7 waterfalls hike
The 7 waterfalls hike is considered to be one of the best hikes in El Salvador. It is a moderately challenging hike that takes 4-6 hours and involves abseiling down one of the 7 waterfalls. You can’t do the hike independently therefore will need to book with a tour company or find a local guide. This is easy to do if you are visiting the Ruta de Flores, but you can also do it as a day tour from Santa Ana.
I didn’t get a chance to do the hike but I was told by many people that it was one of their favourite things to do in the Santa Ana region.
7. Climb the Santa Ana volcano
Although I’ve put this at number 7, climbing the Santa Ana volcano is one of the best things to do in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The Santa Ana volcano hike is probably the most popular activity for people travelling in Santa Ana.
The Santa Ana volcano is located in Cerro Verde National Park, about 40km south of Santa Ana. To get there, you can take a tour which includes transport and a guide like this one.
Alternatively, you can take the 248 chicken bus at 7:30am from the bus terminal in Santa Ana.
Unfortunately, there have been robberies on the trail in the past. Consequently, even if you have travelled to the National Park independently, you will have to pay to go with the guided group that departs at 10am. The guide costs $3 and includes armed security. You will also need to pay $3 entry fee to the National Park, and $6 entry to the volcano hike. All in cash.
8. See a performance at the Santa Ana Theatre
This was actually one of my favourite things that we did in Santa Ana. The theatre itself is a gorgeous building with some really interesting history (which you’ll learn about on your walking tour). If you just want to have a look inside, there are guided tours that run every hour or so. I think the price was $7USD.
Posted out the front of the Santa Ana Theatre will be the upcoming events. It is worth checking out if there is anything to see during your time there. Tickets are really affordable. We paid $10USD to see a tribute concert which turned out to be excellent. There was a nine piece brass band and everyone was up dancing by the end of the night. There were other shows available for $4 or $5.
9. Eat pupusas
If you’ve been in El Salvador for a while, you will be familiar with the national dish. If Santa Ana is your first stop, you are in for a treat! Pupusas are delicious, cheesy flatbreads, similar to an arepa (but I think they’re way better!). They come with all sorts of fillings, they’re super cheap and you can find them on just about every block in the city.
My personal favourite pupuseria in Santa Ana is La Ceiba. It was recommended to us by a local, and we could have eaten there every night. Their pupusas are super cheesy and they have lots of fun fillings to choose from.
10. Take a walk around the ruins of the old Art School
If you’re after a relaxed afternoon activity, head to the ruins of the Mariano Mendez Art School near the bus station. The school was built in 1855, but today all that stands are it’s crumbling yet grand ruins. It’s recommended to go in the late afternoon around golden hour for the best photos.
Technically, you should first go to the tourist office to get a permit. It is located next to the library at Parque Libertad and is only open on weekdays. I didn’t know that I needed to get a permit, so I just showed up and asked the guard and she let me in to walk around with no problems.
11. Take a chicken bus
You could take chicken buses to get to a lot of the places listed above. I thought I would list it as its own activity, because it really is an experience in and of itself. No other experience on this list will give you as much insight in El Salvador as a ride on one of these colourful buses.
If you catch the chicken bus from the main bus station, Francisco Lara Pineda, you will really get the full experience. As the bus leaves the market area there will be countless vendors get onboard and attempt to sell all kinds of things. It is really entertaining. I recommend having a bit of small change so you can buy yourself some snacks from one of the vendors.
Where to stay in Santa Ana, El Salvador
El Salvador is still an emerging destination and therefore accommodation options are not what they are in other Central American countries. There are so many wonderful things to do in Santa Ana that this is changing very quickly. New accommodation options are popping up all the time. Here are some favourites.
Altea Hostel Santa Ana is where we stayed and we really enjoyed it. It is very quiet but close enough to everything. The rooms are really comfortable and come with their own bathroom, and the staff make up a nice breakfast in the morning. This hostel is owned by sisters that also own Casa Blanca Tu Casa. If you’re looking for more of a homestay, Casa Blanca Tu Casa has amazing reviews, mostly about how friendly the host is. We went with Altea Hostel because it is a little closer to town.
Hostal Casa Verde Santa Ana is consistently one of the best rated accommodation options in Santa Ana. They’ve won best hostel in El Salvador a few times and it is easy to see why. They are in a great location, have a pool, free bike rental and breakfast included in the price. If you’re looking for a more social stay, Hostal Casa Verde is a great choice.
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