Metapan

Metapan sits in the north of Santa Ana department in limestone country, a town of white walls and red tile whose church of San Pedro Apostol, completed in 1743, is among the few substantial colonial buildings to survive in a country where earthquakes have taken most of them: a baroque facade with twisted columns and, inside, gilded altarpieces and a painted ceiling. The town lives from a cement works and from agriculture, and it is the base for Montecristo national park, permits for which are arranged here. Lago de Guija lies west and the Guatemalan and Honduran borders are close, which has always made Metapan a trading town.

History

The name Metapán comes from the Nahuatl for "river of the maguey", and the area was first inhabited by the Ch'orti' people. After the Spanish conquest and independence the town belonged to the department of Sonsonate until the department of Santa Ana was created in 1855. Its colonial church, 60 yards long, was begun in 1736 and completed on 11 June 1743 through the efforts of the priest Francisco Javier Estrada, as an inscription in blue letters in the choir still records, and it holds a 17th-century crucifix known as El Señor Angue (Wikipedia, Metapán).

What you'll find

• San Pedro Apostol - the 1743 baroque church and its altarpieces.
• The white town - the whitewashed streets around the plaza.
• The park office - where Montecristo permits are arranged.
• The limestone country - the karst landscape around the town.

When to go

November to April in the dry season, which is also when Montecristo is accessible. The church keeps service hours. The town fiestas in June bring processions.

Good to know

The town is small and half a day covers it. The church may be closed outside service times. Facilities are basic. Metapan is chiefly useful as the base for Montecristo, which needs advance permits.

Nearby

Montecristo lies north; Lago de Guija is west.

Key facts