San Vicente travel guide

Founded in 1635, San Vicente is 61 km from the capital and lies a little southeast of the Highway on the Río Alcahuapa, at the foot of the double-peaked Volcán San Vicente (or Chinchontepec), with very fine views of the Jiboa valley to the west. The town enjoys a lovely setting and is a peaceful place to spend a night or two. Its pride and joy is El Pilar (1762-69), the most original church in the country. It was here that the local chief, Anastasio Aquino, took the crown from the statue of San José and crowned himself King of the Nonualcos during the rebellion of 1832.

El Pilar stands on a small square 1½ blocks south of the Parque Central. On the latter is the cathedral, whose nave is draped with golden curtains. In the middle of the main plaza is a tall, open-work clock tower, quite a landmark when descending the hill into the city. Three blocks east of the main plaza is the tempisque tree under which the city’s foundation charter was drawn up. The tree was decreed a national monument on 26 April 1984. An extensive market area can be found a few blocks west of the centre and hammock sellers are on nearby streets. An army barracks takes up an entire block in the centre. There’s a small war museum; ask the FMLN office here or in San Salvador. Carnival day is 1 November.