• Home
    • About
      • About Brianna
      • Contact Me
      • Work With Me
    • Destinations
    • Travel
      • Budget Travel
      • Short Term Travel
      • Travel Gear & Tech
    • Stories From Abroad
      • Travel Fails
      • Stories
    • Travel Resources
  • Archives

    • November 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
  • Home
  • About
    • About Brianna
    • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
  • Destinations
  • Travel
    • Budget Travel
    • Short Term Travel
    • Travel Gear & Tech
  • Stories From Abroad
    • Travel Fails
    • Stories
  • Travel Resources

Snippets of Santa Ana

December 22, 2016

Santa Ana is the second-largest city in El Salvador, after the capital city. In all honesty, there is not a ton to do or see in Santa Ana. Because of that, it is often scheduled as more of a day-tour place on El Salvador travel itineraries. I spent two nights in Santa Ana and was content with what I was able to do and see.

Santa Ana 5


Practical Bits

→ You’d think that the second biggest city in El Salvador would be saturated with souvenir shops, right? Nope. I couldn’t find a single dang one! Get your El Sal trinkets elsewhere because Santa Ana will not help you in that department.

→ On the plus side, being the second biggest city means there are no shortages of ATMs, grocery stores, and other necessary establishments. Need a doctor? A dentist? A pizza from Pizza Hut? Santa Ana is your place.

→ Watch your step!! There are whole chunks of sidewalk missing. If you’re not watching where you’re going, you better kiss your un-broken ankle goodbye!

→ Santa Ana is the only place in El Salvador where we had an issue with men. Constant kissy noises and “Hello ladieeesss” were directed towards us. Keep that in mind when you’re roaming the streets.

→ The city is pretty easy to navigate. Still, I wouldn’t go out without having an idea of where you’re going. Only about a third of the streets are actually labelled, so it’s easier to use a map if you can.

Santa Ana 4


Where to Stay

Hostel Casa Verde

If anything, I’d go back to Santa Ana just to stay at Hostel Casa Verde again. Seriously this place is the example of a perfect hostel. It was impeccably clean and safe. There were amenities out the wahzoo, with a pool, kitchen, tv room, rooftop terrace, and plenty of hammocks and hang-out space. I have nothing negative to say about Casa Verde. It’s amazing.

Santa Ana 1


What to Eat

Simmer Down

Simmer Down is a highly suggested restaurant right in the middle of town. Not only is the menu diversified and delicious, but the atmosphere has an awesome jungley feel. Make sure to try the strawberry limonada and their homemade potato wedges! I hear their pizza is good too.

santa-ana-simmer-down

Street Food

Lining the city’s Parque Central are various street food vendors. They’ve got all sorts of snacks like hamburgers, hot dogs, and a Central American favorite: elote. I got a bowl of freshly made french fries, topped with a sweet ketchup and a dash of queso fresco. Sounds weird- but actually not too shabby.

Santa Ana 2

Pasteleria Ban Ban

This is the place to go if you need a little sweetness in your life. Pasteleria Ban Ban knows baked goods and does them well. Luckily there are several around the city and you’re bound to stumble across one eventually.

Santa Ana 3


What to Do

Cathedral of Santa Ana

When people visit Santa Ana, this is really what they come to see. Located right next to Parque Central, this cathedral has been around since 1913. It’s beautifully white color and its gothic architecture looms over the town. If you’re lost, just look up and head towards those tall white spires. The Cathedral does requre a fee for entry.

Santa Ana 6

National Theater

Another classic Santa Ana site, the National Theater is located just to the north of Parque Central. The array of color and attentive architecture make this a great place to visit, even when there’s nothing on stage. You can visit the theater Tuesday-Saturday from 9am-12pm and 1pm-5pm. If you want to see a performance, you check out their performance schedule right at the theater. Shows are constantly coming and going, so you never know what you’ll get!

Santa Ana 8

Take a Walk

Erm. Okay. Santa Ana is a city, so you’re going to find all sorts of interesting stuff when you take a walk. I found a cool pet store with tons of guinea pigs, and a gigantic market selling fruits and small household items. That being said, I highly recommend bringing a map and staying within a 5-10 block radius of the central park.

Santa Ana 9

Read on the Rooftop

If you’re out of things to do and are not feeling up to exploring, you can always head back to Hostel Casa Verde and spend some time on the rooftop terrace. You’ll get an awesome view over the city of Santa Ana, but you’ll be removed from the hubbub of it all. This is a great place to read, or plan the next portion of your travels.

img_5683


When traveling through El Salvador, you will probably end up in Santa Ana at some point or another. And while there isn’t a ton to do, there are still some key things that are worth seeing and experiencing.


Follow me on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on my adventures! Or check out my Instagram for pretty pictures!

Share
Tweet
Pin31
Share
31 Shares
Central AmericaEl SalvadorSanta Ana
Share

Central America  / El Salvador  / Guides

You might also like

13 Fun and Cheap Things To Do in Merida, Mexico
June 8, 2018
How to Deal With Chafing While Traveling: Or, The Time I Wanted To Saw Off My Own Legs
March 30, 2018
The Ridiculous Ride to Juayua
May 1, 2017

15 Comments


danik
January 1, 2017 at 11:21 am
Reply

Santa Ana looks like a truly amazing place. I never even heard of this so this has been a great post to read. Also happy new year 🙂



Paul
January 2, 2017 at 12:14 am
Reply

Sounds like a really cool place to visit with amazing sights to see! It’s great to read about a place I’ve never heard of before! Just the creepy men let the place down!



amanda
January 2, 2017 at 12:14 am
Reply

no souveniers and kissy men? good thing they have a nice looking church!



Nathan
January 2, 2017 at 2:37 am
Reply

This place looks interesting! The cathedral is so European looking and I would love to try the restaurant. The hostel looks really great also!



Laura @ Sometime Traveller
January 2, 2017 at 9:37 am
Reply

Some great tips here! That cathedral looks stunning, as does the beautiful mint-green National Theatre building.



Angela
January 2, 2017 at 10:07 am
Reply

Sounds like you chose the perfect amount of time to spend in Santa Ana. There are a few beautiful sights like the cathedral, but definitely should only be a stop or an overnight trip unless you are looking just to relax. The hostel does sound like the perfect place to do so!



Amy-Anne
January 2, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Reply

I have never been to Santa Ana El Salvador before but ohmygoodness it looks beautiful. I adore places like this, and definitely hope to visit at some point.

Amy;
Little Moon Elephant



Lily Travella
January 2, 2017 at 4:08 pm
Reply

Beautiful architecture! I’ve never heard of this place before! The food looked delicious too!



Diana - MVMT Blog
January 2, 2017 at 8:31 pm
Reply

Hostel Casa Verde looks lovely! I’d definitely consider staying there if I visit Santa Ana. The catcalls would be annoying but you get that in a lot of other cities as well. And I would definitely love to try the street food there! Thanks for sharing!



    Brianna
    January 3, 2017 at 9:22 am
    Reply

    I’ll be posting more about Hostel Casa Verde next week, if you’re interested!

Carol Colborn
January 3, 2017 at 9:24 am
Reply

Thanks for these snippets. Love the architecture and what looks like lazy days!



Hostel Takeover: A Review of Hostal Casa Verde - Archives of Adventure - Travel For The Average Person
January 11, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Reply

[…] hostel booking sites. There are several other options for hotels, hostels, and guest houses in Santa Ana, but I was intrigued by the great reviews that other travelers had written about Hostal Casa […]



Ric
June 28, 2017 at 9:25 pm
Reply

I spent the afternoon walking around this town. I really enjoyed the Plaza. Thanks for sharing!



Layer Culture
May 6, 2019 at 8:24 am
Reply

Really looks like you had a great time in Santa Ana and those pastries look lovely! I planned to go here after El Tunco!



    Brianna
    May 6, 2019 at 9:03 am
    Reply

    You should go!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • I’m Brianna and I’m possibly the funniest person I know. I’m a total goofball who loves to travel. I fell in love with the world in 2007, when my family and I moved to Sydney, Australia. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to see the world. I'm an ordinary adventurer here to show you how the average person can travel the world.

    Get To Know Me More

     
  • Aching For More Adventure?

    Sign up today for instant notifications of new posts and EXCLUSIVE travel tips!
    * = required field
  • Find Me On Instagram

    instagram
  • Sleep on the Cheap

  • Top 1000 Travel Blog

  • As Seen On…

  • Where I’ve Been




© Copyright 2017 Archives of Adventure // LetsBlog Theme - Theme by ThemeGoods // View this site's Privacy Policy / Disclosure Policy // We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

 

Loading Comments...
 

    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side.

    Click here for our full Privacy Policy

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.