Stop in at Fernando Llort's...
by SESM
Stop in at Fernando Llort's gallery and studio; tour the peaceful and beautiful Botanical Gardens, check out the Rosario Church (modern and interesting), and go to the National Museum (and nearby crafts market). Watching my husband and son join 80+ other people at a weekly free Salsa-cize class -- gyrating to loud music and working up a good sweat!
Some of the most interesting...
by SESM
Some of the most interesting art can be found in galleries in San Salvador rather than museums. Fernando Llort's gallery is a good example. He's the artist who did the mosaic mural on the front of the famous San Salvador Cathedral. There's a great gallery of his wonderful art in various media, a gift shop, and his studio. If you are lucky, you'll meet this gifted artist.
Two interesting sites to visit...
by MarcG
Two interesting sites to visit are Los Planes de Renderos / Puerta del Diablo, a rock formation with spectacular views of San Salvador on one side and the Volcanoes and Pacific Ocean on the other side. There are also several pupusa stands where you can taste this traditional salvadorean dish. The second one is located on the other side of the city: the San Salvador volcano, where one can almost drive up to the crater, there's a lookout into the crater, hiking into the crater and a fantastic view of the city below
Museo de Arte
by mikey_e
The Museo de Arte, or MARTE, is the second impressive museum in San Salvador. It is devoted largely to modern art, although it does include a fairly good but brief collection of the art of the country from the first installation of Spanish colonists to the present. The MARTE has two special exhibit rooms (one at the entrance, the other in the basement). When I visited, they had a great collection of Picasso sketches and a couple of sketches inspired by Picasso. The basement also had a collection of local artists' work depicting dreams and nightmares - a great little horror show. The main collection of the museum is small, but still provides a good idea of the development of the arts in El Salvador. In particular, it allows visitors to understand the general evolution of Salvadorean artists, first from the total reliance on Spanish form and canon and then the gradual schism and development of a unique American style, followed by the effects of the civil war on the country's artistic persona. Perhaps the most impressive part of the museum, however, is the entrance, dominated by the massive Alegoría a la Constitución, a piece that is in fact inspired by the Mexican Constitution and sculpted by a Mexican artist. This is complemented by the large naked man, el Chulón or Monumento a la Revolución. This piece was allegedly inspired by a massive general strike that brought an end to military dictatorship, known as brazos caídos (fallen arms). El Chulón's arms are raised up, representing the triumph of a liberated people over tyranny.
Puerta del Diablo
by CLillard
Through rocky paths and stairs, you can climb to the highest viewpoint (1,170 meters above sealevel) where you can see a great panaramoc view of the city and mountains. Don't worry, we only had to climb for 5-10 minutes, it wasn't strenous.