Sonsonate

Sonsonate is a city of 73,000 people (2013) in southwestern El Salvador, near Acajutla. Holy week (semana santa) is celebrated throughout Latin America, but the celebrations are particularly fervent in Sonsonate.

Understand

The economy of Sonsonate is mainly based on coffee, dairy products, and the largest sugar plant in the country.

Get in

Chicken buses are the easiest and cheapest way to get around in El Salvador. From the Terminal Occidente in San Salvador, take the Ruta 205 bus toward Sonsonate (usually painted a shade of dark aqua green). The trip will take over 2 hours and costs about US$2.

• 1 Terminal de Sonsonate, Calle a Nahuilingo. Large central bus terminal where you can get a chicken bus to almost anywhere in El Salvador. Route numbers are displayed on signs suspended from the ceiling. Simply line up at the appropriate spot and get on the bus when it pulls in. Rest rooms are available (50 cents). Vendors sell food and drinks. (updated Jul 2024)

See

Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

• 1 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (Sonsonate Cathedral). The church of the parish of the Holy Trinity was blessed on April 1, 1887. 
• El Pilar Parish. This temple began to be built in 1732 in the El Pilar neighborhood, until it was completed in 1840. It is in the Baroque style and the façade is divided into three sections. On both sides there are two towers with their respective bell towers. 
• El Angel Parish. The current building was blessed in 1966. 
• El Pilar neighborhood. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Sonsonate, and the one that best conserves its architectural complex. The buildings are built for the most part of adobe, with a gabled tile roof. It contains two temples of historical importance: the Virgen del Pilar and Santo Domingo. 
• Rafael Campo Park. It is considered the nucleus where the city developed since colonial times, and the center of the oldest buildings. It is surrounded by the cathedral, town hall and other buildings of commercial importance. 
• 2 Monument in honor of the railway workers. A distinctive symbol of the city is a locomotive located on the eastern side of the city, at the access of the San Salvador-Sonsonate highway. The machine symbolizes the history of the railway in El Salvador, in which Sonsonate played an important role. 
• 3 Museo del Ferrocarril, Blvd Oscar Osario, ☏ +503 7496 0678. More trains and railroad history on display. 

Do

Festivals

• The Patron Saint Festivities of Sonsonate. The festivities are celebrated from January 25 to February 2 of each year, in honor of the Virgen de la Candelaria. The patron saint festivities include the Mail parade, handicraft fair, cattle fair, and the musical festivals known as "Artistic Parade" and "Verbena Sonsonateca". The festivities culminate on February 2 with a procession and mass in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria. 
• Lent and Easter. In El Salvador, the towns in which Holy Week is most solemnly celebrated are Sonsonate and Izalco. Lent opens with its traditional processions on Fridays of Lent. And on Palm Sunday with the procession of Jesús de las Palmas. 

Buy

• 1 Mercado Central de Sonsonate, 1a Avenida Sur y 4o Calle Oriente. Daily 07:00 - 14:00, Sa until 16:00. The town's traditional marketplace has dozens of vendors selling fruits, vegetables and other farm-fresh produce as well as vendors selling prepared regional dishes. (updated Jul 2024)

Eat

• 1 El Tepeyac, CA 12-S, ☏ +503 2451 7393. Daily 09:30 - 20:00. Family friendly casual Mexican restaurant with outstanding tacos. Try the conejo. Kids play area. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Hao Chi, Plaza Larista, CA 12-S, ☏ +503 2421 0974. Chinese restaurant serving ample portions. Good flavor and service. Clean, modern dining room. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Parillada El Uruguayo, C. Acaxual 2, ☏ +503 2416 6837. South American steakhouse serving grilled meats and a selection of veggie sides. Locals recommend the barbecued pork ribs. Friendly service. US$30. (updated Jul 2024)
• 4 Panna y Pomodoro, Los Arcos, ☏ +503 2451 1000. Th-Tu 07:30 - 21:30, W 11:00 - 21:30. Small restaurant serving fresh-made pizzas, garlic bread, and deli sandwiches. US$10. (updated Jul 2024)
• 5 Tipicos Christian, CA 12-S, ☏ +503 2445 4796. Daily 06:30 - 15:00. Casual Salvadoran restaurant serving breakfast and lunch. Pupusas, beens and rice, fried plantains and more. US$10. (updated Jul 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Marsella, col. Angelica, 22 Avenida Sur 1-6, ☏ +503 7522 1703. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Moderate hotel with clean air-conditioned rooms. Flat-screen TVs in rooms. US$30. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Hotel Plaza Sonsonate, 9 Calle Ote, ☏ +503 2451 6626. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Moderate hotel with clean rooms that are spacious though minimally equipped (no fridge etc.) Friendly service. Affordable restaurants nearby. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Las Palmeras, Blvr. las Palmeras, ☏ +503 2486 5600. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with clean, spacious, well-equipped rooms. Swimming pool available. Casino area with slot machines. Off-street parking available. High-rise building with elevators. (updated Jul 2024)
• 4 Hotel Agape, CA 12-S, ☏ +503 2451 7677. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with small but clean air-conditioned rooms. Gated property with 24-hour security. Off-street parking. Landscaped grounds with peaceful sitting areas. On-site restaurant. On-site clinic and store. (updated Jul 2024)

Go next

• Ruta de las Flores
• San Salvador
• Acajutla