Situated 680m (2240ft) above sea level, the capital, San Salvador, is the second-largest city in Central America, with a population of over 600,000. Founded by the Spaniard Pedro De Alvarado in 1525, the city is a blend of modern buildings and colonial architecture, broad plazas and monuments, amusement parks and shopping centers. The most important public buildings are downtown. Standing within a short distance of each other are the Catedral Metropolitana (metropolitan cathedral), the Palacio Nacional (national palace), the National Treasury and the Teatro Nacional (national theater). Among the many beautiful colonial churches to be seen are St Ignatius Loyola (once the shrine of the ‘Virgin of Guadalupe’) with a traditional Spanish colonial facade, the Juayua and the Suchitoto. The amusement park on San Jacinto Mountain can be reached by cable car and gives a panoramic view of the city.
Balboa Park, 11km (7 miles) from the capital, and the 1200m (3900ft) rock formation, the Puerta del Diablo (devil’s doorway), just south of Balboa Park, also give a bird’s-eye view of San Salvador.