San Salvador Historic Center

The centre of San Salvador has been rebuilt repeatedly, since earthquakes have destroyed the city many times, and what stands is largely early twentieth century: the National Palace of 1911, a neoclassical building around courtyards now open as a museum; the Metropolitan Cathedral, finished in the 1990s with a facade of ceramic tiles designed by the artist Fernando Llort, which was controversially removed in 2012 and later replaced; the National Theatre of 1917 in French renaissance style; and Plaza Libertad and Plaza Gerardo Barrios between them. A large restoration and pedestrianisation programme from 2019 cleared the street vending and repaved the plazas, changing the character of the area considerably.

What you actually see

• The National Palace - the 1911 building and its courtyards.
• The Metropolitan Cathedral - the tiled facade and the crypt below.
• The National Theatre - the 1917 auditorium and its interior.
• The restored plazas - Libertad and Barrios after the 2019 works.

When to go

November to April in the dry season; the rains from May to October bring heavy afternoon downpours. Mornings are cooler and the buildings open. Weekends bring events on the plazas.

Honest expectations

The centre has been comprehensively made over and much of the older street life has gone. Building interiors keep limited hours and close on Mondays. Earthquakes mean little pre-twentieth-century fabric survives. Heat in the middle of the day is heavy.

Nearby

Iglesia El Rosario faces Plaza Libertad; Los Planes de Renderos lies south.