Santa Ana, Historical district and second largest city in El Salvador
Santa Ana is a large city in El Salvador situated along the Inter-American Highway between mountain ranges and surrounded by coffee plantations. The city center contains historic buildings including a cathedral and theater that date back more than a century.
Spanish colonists founded this settlement in 1569 on the site of a previous Maya town called Sihuatehuacán. Bishop Bernardino Villalpando led the formal reorganization, establishing it as a religious and administrative center for the surrounding region.
The theater from the early 1900s shows how the city developed as a cultural hub for the region. The Cathedral with its neo-gothic details remains a central meeting place where religious and community gatherings still happen today.
The city can be reached by bus from surrounding areas, with regular services connecting different neighborhoods throughout the day. Visitors should allow time to explore the hilly streets, particularly in the center where the main attractions are located.
A coffee processing facility called El Molino operates here and handles raw coffee from local plantations for export worldwide. This facility ranks among the largest of its kind globally and significantly contributes to the region's economy.
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