Santa Ana (El Salvador)

Santa Ana is the second largest city of El Salvador and a very important one in terms of agriculture and coffee production (coffee plantations - called fincas - cover much of the land outside town and up the hills). Its historic center offers some of the best preserved architecture in El Salvador, including the Cathedral of Santa Ana, a marvel of neo-gothic architecture, the Teatro de Santa Ana, a beautifully decorated theatre of the early 1900s; and the Palacio Municipal in front of the main plaza with giant palm trees shooting out from its courtyard.

Get in
Santa Ana lies 64 km northwest of the capital San Salvador, just off the Panamerica (Highway 1), from where several exits lead into town. Being close to the border, it's also a convinient stop if coming from Guatemala.

By bus
Buses of the following companies pass by on their way from Guatemala City to San Salvador, but do not enter Santa Ana and might drop you at the intersection of Highway 1 (Panamericana) and Highway 12 a few kilometres south (locally known as La Ceiba). Catch a taxi for US$5 or one of the frequent urbanos (local bus) for $0.20-0.25 into town.
 * from Guatemala City's (aka Pezzarossi) at 3 Ave y 1 Calle in Zona 9 (one block south of the infamous Zona 4 terminal), buses leave at 05:30, 07:30, 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, and 15:30 towards San Salvador, passing through Santa Ana after 4-4½ hr, US$16/120 Quetzales (same fare as for San Salvador), Tel +502 2331 0874. Some buses go via the San Cristobal border where immigration procedures are straightforward and hassle-free, while others use the busy border at Valle Nuevo (aka Las Chinamas on the salvadorian side) where aggressive money changers await you. Be very careful here and don't hand out the immigration's paper slip to anyone. First stop is Guatemalan immigration where you get an exit stamp and a paper slip. After crossing the bridge over the Rio Paz you don't need to visit the Salvadorian immigration (the officer boards the bus to check your documents), and no entry stamp is provided as your still in the CA-4 area. When arriving Santa Ana, the only stop will be at the office's new location at . Take a taxi or local bus into downtown (Route R-A will drop you just behind the Teatro).












 * from San Salvador's Terminal de Occidente on Bulevar Venezuela Entre 49a y 59a Ave Sur, two bus companies operate the service to Santa Ana (departure times about every 15 min, see Destinos/Horarios at ):
 * from San Salvador's Terminal de Occidente on Bulevar Venezuela Entre 49a y 59a Ave Sur, two bus companies operate the service to Santa Ana (departure times about every 15 min, see Destinos/Horarios at ):





By plane
Transportation from the international airport at Comalapa   El_Salvador_International_Airport costs at least $65 for a minibus (no matter how many persons), 2 hr, organize the day before your flight (ask at your hotel). The small airstrip known as Pista Singuil about 18 km northwest of town (right off Panamericana Highway 1) is closed and now used for car racing.

By train
All train services were suspended in 1990, but parts of the station (a wooden shack) still exist 17a Ave Sur at the end of 7a Calle Oriente. Be careful here as locals consider this part of town as unsafe. Railway enthusiasts might check the web sites and

Get around
Most places within the historic center can be reached within a few minutes walk, there's no need to take a taxi or board local buses. The Tourist Office outside the (just across from the Theater) has city maps and other information.

Most touristic sights are located at the center of town around the. 4 blocks west of it is, and again roughly 6 blocks further south.

From central Parque Libertad Avenida Independencia runs north-south, while Calle Libertad runs east-west. Calles (streets) north of Libertad have even numbers (2-4-6), while Calles south of Libertad have odd numbers (1-3-5). So don't be confused! Avenidas west of Independencia have even numbers (2-4-6), the ones east of Independencia have odd numbers (1-3-5).

When asking for directions remember that house numbers are often out of sequence and might repeat in other blocks. Similar, street numbers are not well established (although well signed), and locals - including taxi and bus driver - usually navigate by these landmarks:



By bus
Local buses (called Urbanos) serve almost every part of Santa Ana and its colonias and operate roughly between 05:00 and 21:00. They can be very crowded especially during rush hour. Routes are complicated, difficulte to follow, and no route map is published. Flat fare is $0.20 for the bigger buses, $0.25 for micro buses, and $0.35 for a/c buses on selected routes; board in front and pay the driver. Some useful lines are:



By taxi
Unmetered yellow taxis charge $3 for short distances, but $4 (bargain hard) should bring you pretty much everywhere in town. Most drivers have difficultes to find specific streets, better use hotel names, landmarks (see above), or the name of the Colonia (town district) of your destination.

See
Most visitors of course come to see the Cathedral and the Theatre, but Santa Ana has more to offer. According to La Secretaria de Cultura, its historic center (roughly within the limits of 4a Calle, 7a Ave, 9a Calle, Ave Jose Matias Delgado) counts 210 buildings in neoclassical style, 5 Gothic, 64 neocolonial and 102 in traditional style. The most intact ensemble of colonial houses can be found east of Parque Libertad, although most houses are privately owned and therefore inaccessible. For a self guided tour follow Calle Libertad eastbound and discover the north & south leading Avenidas (1a, 3a, 5a, 7a, 9a).



Santa Ana has a classical colonial town layout with 4 churches forming the Christian cross:



A fairly new addition is...



Do
Santa Ana makes an excellent base for discovering western El Salvador's archaeological and natural spots. FUNDAR (Fundación Nacional de Arqueología de El Salvador) maintains the excellent and highly recommended website with tons of information, although its participation ended in 2009.








 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8
 * 7 Waterfalls Tour (Las Siete Cascadas): a hike in waterfalls. Not easy. https://goo.gl/maps/1JKikvrRqnJe5YJm8

Events
Every year in July the 2-week Fiestas Julias (July festival) is celebrated. It's one of the biggest in El Salvador in honor of Señora Santa Ana, the city's patron. Activities end on the 26th with a large procession. Don't miss the amusement park 800 m (1/2 mile) south of Metrocentro (towards the Panamericana highway)!

At the end of the year, Christmas (Dec 24) and New Year's Eve (Dec 31) are celebrated with tons of firework and firecrackers, and Parque Colon turns into to a big firework selling spot. Be very careful as firecrackers are powerful and accidents happen frequently.

Buy
Smaller shops are usually closed between 12:00 and 14:00 (for lunch break) and after 18:00, and most shops are closed on Sundays (except Supermarkets and Metrocentro).

Commercial areas
Santa Ana has 3 main commercial areas:



Budget
Virtually hundreds of comedores (cantins) offer salvadorian standard meals (comida tipica) for as little as $2. Mostly self service (comida a la vista). Usually open for lunch between 11:00 and 14:00 (for dinner head out to pupuserias). Be early as food is often prepared in advance and may not stay fresh in the tropical heat. Also places sometimes run out of food after 13:00. Virtually all comedores are closed Sundays.



Drink
2a Calle Poniente is Santa Ana's small outgoing area. Turns into a pedestrian zone Friday and Saturday evenings, many bars and restaurants with street side tables, safe as guarded by police.

Warning: Under no circumstances visit the drinking holes along 11a Calle Poniente Entre 8a Ave Sur y Ave Fray Felipe Moraga Sur (Parque Colon area)!

Connect


Internet cafes a fairly common and charge roughly $0.50 per hour. If you have your own equipment, visiting one of the many cafes and restaurants offering free and unlimited WiFi might be the better option. The public WiFi network Alcaldia Municipal de Santa Ana is available around the town hall but usually overloaded, while the mesh network indiNET (password: stardust) is more reliable and found at many locations in town.



Stay safe
Most parts of the city are completely deserted after 7pm. The Metrocentro area, the Parque Libertad, and the pedestrian street Villa Morena (2a Calle Poniente) are considered safe at night as police and security guards are present. Avoid Parque Colon and surroundings after dark, as many homeless and drunken individuals hang around the area.

Be very careful when walking on sidewalks because many manhole covers are missing (stolen for their value as scrap metal) and openings can be several feet deep. Especially after dark it's recommended to walk on the street (if traffic permits).

Do not climb the hills surrounding the city without local security advice and/or police escort, as robberies have occurred.

Banks
Most banks have several branches in town, and ATMs are fairly common. Expect your bags checked by security staff when entering the bank. Try to avoid payment days (around 15th and 30th of each month) as long queues occur; the only ATM not affected by this phenomena is at Banco G&T Continental (opposite Banco Cuscatlan) which accepts Visa and Master/Maestro cards.



If you just arrived from Guatemala and want to get rid of your quetzales, ask around street vendors at 1a Calle Poniente y Ave Independenica Sur (1 block south from Parque Libertad). Current rate (Nov 2014) is $12 for 100 quetzales.

Photo
Entry level digital cameras and memory cards are sold in many shops, but for professional cameras check the following places. Prices for cameras are up to 50% higher than in the US and Europe. Both places also sell and develop photographic films.



Computer
Notebooks and tablets are sold in many electro domestic shops throughout town. For more specific needs check these shops.



Cell phones
Pushy street vendors at the intersection of Ave Independencia Sur y 1a Calle Poniente and along Ave. Jose Matias Delgado offer SIM cards for $3 including free talk time (sometimes as low as $1), and cell phones. If you don't trust them, better visit one of the many shops, or the carrier's customer center (bring identification document). All carriers have offices in Metrocentro, and at the following downtown locations:



If you buy a 2nd hand cell phone, ask for unlocked (liberado), and the battery's endurance. Replacement parts (keyboards, batteries, memory cards, etc) for cell phones are sold by numerous shops.



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