Why you should visit Santa Tecla, right now!

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Why you should visit Santa Tecla, right now!

November 17th, 2011 | El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Family Friendly, El Salvador - Must See or Do | No Comments »

Walking around in downtown Santa Tecla you are immersed in Salvadorian history and culture.
Architecture from the early 1900 makes a regular appearance in the Santa Tecla landscape. Beautiful
neoclassical buildings line the streets and remind us of a simpler time in El Salvador.

A must see example of this architecture is the Palacio Municipal de las Bellas Artes. Here modern
art meets classical Salvadorian arts and crafts. Built in 1911 by Jose Jerez, as a family home and later
donated to the municipality this building became the municipal building in the late 1920’s. In 2001
the building suffered some major damage from an earthquake and was left to gather dust. In 2008 a
remodel was completed and this local Read more

El Salvador Culture: How to Adapt

March 2nd, 2011 | El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Places to Eat | 3 Comments »

Culture is what makes us who we are. The way we were raised and our surroundings all affect our personal identity and also the identity of our community. Often the source of disagreements is rooted in cultural differences. When relocating to a new country, adapting to their culture can be quite a challenge but ultimately key to adjusting to our new surroundings as well as to being accepted into our new community.

There are many cultural differences between Salvadorean, American and European culture. For example, the traditional roles in the family unit have survived the test of time here. Husbands work, wives stay home and raise the children. Families and their extended family remain very close. Some even live together Read more

Visit to a Coffee Museum and Farm Outside Juayua

June 19th, 2009 | El Salvador - Business, El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Family Friendly, El Salvador - Must See or Do, The Best of El Salvador | No Comments »

The most popular first stop on the Ruta de los Flores is Juayua. It is most famous for it’s food festival held every weekend, with tons of different dishes to choose from, most of them being carnivorous.

Make sure you plan a trip to Juayua on the weekend to make sure you get to take part in this fabulous event.

Another fun thing to do in Juayua is visit the Coffee Museum in the nearby town called San Jose La Majada. They have a little guided tour that takes you through the coffee mill and shows you the process of making coffee. The museum is across the street from the processing plant, where you might see a Starbucks truck Read more

Next stop – Salcoatitán!

June 17th, 2009 | El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Must See or Do, El Salvador - Places to Eat | No Comments »

After Nahuizalco the next stop of the Ruta de las Flores is Salcoatitán. It is famous for being the first home to coffee plantations back in the 1860s and coffee is still the village’s primary source of income.

Although Salcoatitán isn’t a particularly large town, it does draw a number of visitors since it is on the Ruta de las Flores. As with Nahuizalco one of the major attractions for tourists are the local arts and crafts.

Salcoatitán is home to some very talented artists that create works of art out of everything! (Even the homes… take a stroll down the streets to enjoy the brightly painted homes.) There are also a number of art galleries that feature local artists. Read more

San Juan Bautista and Crafts Festival in Nahuizalco

June 15th, 2009 | El Salvador - Best Shopping, El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Family Friendly, El Salvador - Must See or Do, El Salvador - Travel Tips | No Comments »

If you are headed to Nahuizalco within the next 5–10 days you are just in time to celebrate the patron saint festival in honor of San Juan Bautista, as well as the annual arts and crafts festival. The 5 day fesitval is held annually from June 20–25.

San Juan Bautista is the namesake for the Nahuizalco Chapel which was built in 1859. It is an interesting archaeological site, which is home to several graves. (In colonial times, before cemetaries, they buried people in the church!) Several tombs have already been discovered, and many people hold to the belief that another temple or grave might exist underneath the floor.

During the festival the whole town lights up! Local furniture, arts and Read more

Nahuizalco's Night Market

June 12th, 2009 | El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Family Friendly, El Salvador - Nightlife, El Salvador - Places to Eat | No Comments »

Once you’ve made it into town, you’ll want to peruse the little furniture shops in Nahuizalco and you should! You’ve got plenty of time to walk around town and wait for night fall when you can visit the night market, a true cultural treat!

At nightfall villagers turn on their lights and illuminate the produce, arts, crafts and food for sale on the many stands. My tip for the night market is this: come hungry! While the crafts and produce are good, the food is great! Not only is it all traditional Salvadoran fare, you are eating it at a nighttime market.

As far as the local cuisine goes some of the most common market choices are los ticucos, which are Read more

Museum of the Salvadoran Resistance in Perquin

June 1st, 2009 | El Salvador - Adventure, El Salvador - Culture | No Comments »

El Salvador is known for its war-torn past, and although that is not what describes the country today, learning its history can help you better understand and appreciate its people and their heritage.

The city of Perquin, located high in the Morazan was known unofficiallly as being the guerrilla capital during the conflict. Now it is a peaceful city, but you can still appreciate its colored past by visiting the Museum of the Salvadoran Revolution, located in the center of town.

The Museum was founded right after the Civil War ended by a group of ex-combatants. It tell the story of the 12 years the nation spent fighting first hand through hundreds of photos, documents and weapons. It pays homage to the Read more

The El Salvadoran Pledge of Allegiance

May 4th, 2009 | El Salvador - Culture | No Comments »

Dios te salve, Patria Sagrada,en tu seno hemos nacido y amado;eres el aire que respiramos,la tierra que nos sustenta,la familia que amamos,la libertad que nos defiende,la religión que nos consuela.

Tu tienes nuestros hogares queridos,fértiles campiñas,ríos majestuosos,Soberbios volcanes,apacibles lagos, cielos de púrpura y oro.

En tus campos ondulan doradas espigas,en tus talleres vibran los motores,chisporrotean los yunques,surgen las bellezas del arte.

Patria‚en tu lengua armoniosapedimos a la providencia que te ampare‚que abra nuestra alma al resplandor del cielo‚grabe en ella dulce afecto al Maestro y a la Escuelay nos infunda tu santo amor.

Patria, tu historia, blasón de héroes y mártires,reseña virtudes y anhelos;tú reverencias es el Acta que consagró lasoberanía nacional y marcas las senda floridaen que la Justicia Read more

El Salvador Music Web-Site

May 1st, 2009 | El Salvador - Best Shopping, El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Must See or Do, El Salvador - Nightlife | No Comments »

There are all different kinds of music played and enjoyed in El Salvador, and the web-site that brings them all together is musica.com.sv.

Musica.com.sv features typical Latina music, including the more traditional Andina, Cumbia, Folklor and Salsa, right down to the modern-day reggeton (of which I am not a fan… at all.) They also highlight Electronic, Rock (including Latino), Metal, Clasico, Alternativo, Funk, Hip-hop, Jazz, Pop, Punk, and Reggae.

First you search by what style music you are looking for, next you are given groups to choose from, and finallly you can pick the song you want to download.

Musica.com.sv also features a number of albums for download in MP3 format.

There is also a calander of events Read more

Cultural Center and Popular Art Museum in Santa Ana

April 29th, 2009 | El Salvador - Culture, El Salvador - Must See or Do, El Salvador - Travel Tips | No Comments »

The Museo ¡Ajá! Centro de Culturas y Artes Populares is a great way to spend an afternoon discovering arts and culture in Santa Ana. The Museum is open from 3 pm to 7 pm Wednesday to Sunday and admission is free! Visitors wishing to tour around the museum Wednesday to Friday need to set an appointment.

El Museo ¡Ajá! is a different kind of space: it offers workshops, film screenings, and conferences about current global and national issues and an opportunity to actively participate.

The objectives of this hippie-style museum are as follows:

1. To divulge the current situation of the planet in terms of peace, human development, the environment, and democracy.

2. To promote the proposals and agendas Read more