Twin churches of San Miguel Arcangel

Salcoatitán is a small town in the mountainous highlands of Western El Salvador. The town is a quiet, scenic small town known for its slow pace and its weekly food festival in the town square. The town is one of the designated points of interest along the Ruta de las Flores, a tourism route through scenic colonial towns of El Salvador's western highlands.

Get in

Chicken buses are the easiest and cheapest way to get around in El Salvador. From the Terminal Occidente in San Salvador, take the Ruta 205 bus toward Sonsonate (usually painted a shade of dark aqua green). The trip will take over 2 hours and costs about US$2. In Sonsonate, take a Ruta 249 bus toward Ahuchapan (it passes through Salcoatitan). From Sonsonate to Salcoatitan is about 1 hour and will cost about US$1-2.

See

• 1 Germinal Museo de la Imprenta, Av. Francisco Salaveria y 1a. Calle Poniente, ☏ +503 2121 4100. Daily 08:00 - 17:00. Learn about the history of printing in El Salvador in this small historical museum. Several old printing presses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On-site cafe. 50 cents. 
• 2 Parque Central, Ruta de las Flores y 1a Calle Ote. This is the town square with carefully manicured landscaping, paved pathways, park benches, and a central walkway. On weekends, it is home to a regional gastronomic emporium with local vendors serving up pupusas and the town's specialty, yuca frita. 

• 3 Iglesia de San Miguel Arcangel (St Michael the Archangel Church), Ruta de las Flores y 1a Calle Ote. Two churches stand side-by-side, one white, one an off-yellow. The white one is the original church built in 1824 of limestone and slate. The church was damaged in an earthquake in 2001 so the yellow church was built as its backup. 

• 4 Parque La Ceiba. The 400-year old ceiba tree is not just a huge old tree, it's a symbol of the town and commemorates the town's history as a trading outpost. The story is that merchants traveling between Guatemala and Sonsonate would gather at this tree. Tradition says that the souls of enslaved Mexicas brought to the area in the early 16th century inhabit the tree and that visitors who embrace the tree and give thanks in Nahuatl will receive a gift from the souls. The mosaic murals in the park are pretty cool, but the park is not well maintained. 

Eat

Every weekend the town holds a regional food festival in Parque Central. Regional specialties, like yucca are available as are local takes on typical Salvadoran food like pupusas and sweet corn tamales. Fans of street food will definitely want to be in Salcoatitan on the weekends!

• 1 Tertulia Café, Ruta de las Flores y 2a Calle Ote, ☏ +503 2401 8727. Tu-Su 09:00 - 18:00, closed M. Known for their roasted hen soup (sopa de gallina), the restaurant serves a typical Salvadoran menu. Tortillas are hot off the comal and aguas frescas are available in a range of fruity flavors. (updated Mar 2024)
• 2 Pupuseria Cony, 3a Calle Pte, ☏ +503 76430722. Tu-Su 18:00 - 21:00, closed M. Small family-run eatery with handmade pupusas served with spicy salsa and curtido. US$5. (updated Mar 2024)
• 3 El Pan Nuestro, Ruta de las Flores y 4a Calle Pte, ☏ +503 2401 8667. Daily 08:00 - 18:00. Bakery and coffee shop serving a variety of sweet breads and cookies. M$5. (updated Mar 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Cien Fuegos, 2a Calle Ote (100 meters from Ruta de los Flores), ☏ +503 2401 8681. Small hostal known mostly for their cafe. (updated Mar 2024)

Go next

• Apaneca
• Concepción de Ataco
• Sonsonate