Geologic oddity Cascadas Los Tercios tumbles over a cliff of tightly packed hexagonal stone spires. The waterfall underwhelms when water is low (often), but the rock formation and the trip there are captivating enough. It’s 1.5km east of town toward Cinquera, but don’t hike solo as some robberies have been reported; book a trip through Gringo Tours.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
20.26 MILES
Designed by sculptor Ruben Martinez and completed in 1971, Iglesia El Rosario is radically beautiful. Arguably the finest church in Central America, its…
24.39 MILES
Known as the Pompeii of America, Unesco World Heritage Site Joya de Cerén was a small Maya settlement that was buried under volcanic ash when the Laguna…
20.29 MILES
Facing the revamped Plaza Barrios, the cathedral is the most significant landmark in the city and the resting place of Archbishop Óscar A Romero. In the…
0.97 MILES
Opened in 2000 as a charitable initiative to support victims of domestic violence, the Centro Arte para la Paz now organizes a range of cultural…
24.08 MILES
Moss-covered bridges, pebbled paths, small waterfalls and ponds home to croaking frogs, turtles and feeding fish provide the perfect antidote to city…
28.19 MILES
Local cooperative La Semilla de Dios, founded in 1977 by Fernando Llort, crafts quality products in workshops behind the store. If you ask permission you…
10.64 MILES
The modest ruins of Cihuatán were once an immense urban area alongside the Río Guazapa, possibly the largest pre-Columbian city between Guatemala and Peru…
23.16 MILES
At Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (La UCA), the Centro Monseñor Romero pays homage to the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero. Highly…
Nearby El Salvador attractions
1. Casa de los Recuerdos Alejandro Cotto
0.56 MILES
The former home of El Salvador's most successful film director, the late Alejandro Cotto, is now a museum. Many of Cotto's personal belongings, artwork,…
0.87 MILES
This center, founded to support women in rural communities, offers traditional indigo dyeing demonstrations and can show you how to dye your own T-shirt …
0.97 MILES
Opened in 2000 as a charitable initiative to support victims of domestic violence, the Centro Arte para la Paz now organizes a range of cultural…
9.04 MILES
The Iglesia de Chalatenango, with its squat bell tower and bright chalky facade, sits on the east side of the Parque Central, near the military garrison.
5. Parque Arqueológico Cihuatán
10.64 MILES
The modest ruins of Cihuatán were once an immense urban area alongside the Río Guazapa, possibly the largest pre-Columbian city between Guatemala and Peru…
6. Museo de la Palabra y La Imagen
20.24 MILES
This innovative museum examines the history of El Salvador's civil war (1981–1992), beginning with the long-term context of the 1920s struggle for…
20.25 MILES
This aging beauty still hosts major productions in the capital. Inaugurated in 1917, the theater was renovated in French classical style in the mid-20th…
20.26 MILES
Designed by sculptor Ruben Martinez and completed in 1971, Iglesia El Rosario is radically beautiful. Arguably the finest church in Central America, its…