Santa Tecla, El Salvador

Santa Tecla Museum (MUTE)

The MUTE's neoclassical building was originally designed and built as a prison in 1902 by architect José Jeréz, who also designed most of Santa Tecla's landmarks. The highlight of the building is the main tower, which once served as an office for the mayor of the city. The building was made from various materials including clay brick of volcanic origin. The original prison had four major cells to house 15 inmates each; however, records show that up to 40 inmates were held in each of the cells. In addition, the prison had six small punishment cells and four additional rooms, two for the kitchen and two for special punishment prisoners, one of them named "the little one", where no sound or light could be heard or seen. Visitors today may experience the coldness of this room and other interesting attractions at MUTE.

Santa Tecla Municipal Palace

Santa Tecla has many examples of neoclassical architecture.^{[citation needed]} One of them is the Palace of Fine Arts (Santa Tecla Municipal Palace). It is estimated that this building was built in 1911 for residential purposes. Later the property was sold to the municipality as a way to cancel a debt, and the building became the offices of the municipal council. Considered a Santa Tecla landmark, this eclectic building with 17 rooms, imposing columns and a central courtyard reflects several architectural styles, among them neo-Gothic, neo-romantic, neo-Renaissance and neo-vicentine. It is assumed that much of the infrastructure in Santa Tecla's early years is the work of architect José Jeréz, who is responsible for this Municipal Palace and several other buildings like Hogar del Niño Adalberto Guirola, El Carmen Church, the Guirola House, and the former Santa Tecla Penitentiary (now the MUTE museum). Over the years, this building has deteriorated due to weather and natural disasters. In January 2001 a major earthquake struck El Salvador, seriously damaging the building. However, with the help of the Government of Andalucía in Spain, the municipality began restoration work to preserve this architectural masterpiece. In October 2008 the work was concluded and the building became the Municipal Palace of Fine Arts in order to establish an artistic home for children, youth and adults.

El Carmen Cathedral

Santa Tecla is home to the church Iglesia El Carmen, an architectural relic of the nineteenth century. This temple was erected between 1856 and 1914. It has a characteristic neo-Gothic style with structures carved in wood and walls made of brick and talpetate (material made from volcanic ash).

It houses three stunning historical bells that echoed throughout Santa Tecla, each with its own name (appointed on behalf of the contributors to the temple): Carmela, forged in 1908, "La Chaleca", made in 1918, and "Corazón", made in 1923.

The 2001 earthquakes seriously damaged the structure. The church was given an uninhabitable status by experts.^{[citation needed]}

Daniel Hernandez Town Square

Located along the Pan-American Highway in downtown Santa Tecla, Daniel Hernández is a place to relax and enjoy the city's history.

Some of the highlights to be found within the square include:

A monument to the memory of Daniel Hernández, a teacher who at the early age of fifteen was considered an expert on subjects as diverse as mathematics, geography, astronomy and chemistry. Hernández also contributed to the foundation and design of the streets of Villa Santa Tecla, which at the time was meant to be the new capital of El Salvador. Hernández promoted community development projects such as the installation of water services and the first illuminated plaza in the city; he was also one of the founders of San Rafael Hospital (located on the outskirts of Santa Tecla). On 16 July 1896, Hernández died in the city he helped to build.

José María San Martín Town Square

The city of Santa Tecla, formerly known as "Nueva San Salvador", was the temporary capital of El Salvador in the mid-nineteenth century. This left behind many historic buildings and landmarks, including two historic town squares within its historical center: José María San Martín and Daniel Hernández.

The first one is located on Calle Daniel Hernández, better known as the Pan-American Highway. This plaza is the scene of a monument in honor of former president José María San Martín, who issued a decree authorizing the establishment of the city under the name of Nueva San Salvador on 8 August 1854.

In April 1854 a devastating earthquake caused extensive damage to San Salvador, capital of the country. It was decided to move the government to the city of Cojutepeque, in the Cuscatlán Department, and later it was moved to a "new" city: "Nueva San Salvador", in a valley less vulnerable to earthquakes, on a farm known as Santa Tecla. San Martín was president of the country at the time; among his achievements was the creation of the Department of Chalatenango in 1855. He also instructed the lawyer Isidro Menéndez to issue several laws for the country. San Martín died in 1857.

Plaza Merliot

Located at 17th Avenue North and Chiltiupan Street, Plaza Merliot was built by the Salvadoran construction company Grupo Agrisal in 1994. It became the first mall ever to be built in the city of Santa Tecla, and the third one to be built in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador. Although many people in Santa Tecla go to the Antiguo Cuscatlán shopping district, which is the current shopping hotspot of the metropolitan area, consisting of three shopping malls and eight shopping centers, restaurants, communications, hotels, and business parks, Plaza Merliot continues to be preferred by the people of Santa Tecla. Plaza Merliot is made up of three levels, and a central plaza where the food court is at.^{[citation needed]}

Ecoparque El Espino

Ecoparque El Espino is located in the villa of the same name in the foothills of Boqueron (San Salvador) Volcano, just 5.1 km north of Santa Tecla's downtown area. Visitors enjoy the natural environment of pine trees, coffee trees, cypresses and flowers of various colors that adorn this 35-hectare park, which is constantly monitored by rangers of the cooperative that administers the site. There are many activities to do in Ecoparque El Espino. One of them is mountain biking. You can purchase a membership for US$20 a month with unlimited access to the Eco Park and all of its trails. The park has three hiking trails that you can travel in an average of 45 minutes each. They pass through a forest made up of massive 200-year-old trees and luscious forest. There is also a hanging 24-meter-long bridge. Many local birds like clarineros, toucans, chachas (wild chickens), tinamous and magpies inhabit the area. There are also wild animals like kinkajous, armadillos (locally known as cuzucos), rabbits, Central American agoutis, and many others. Another attraction is the site called El Infiernillo ("the little hell"), a small area of land where steam emanates deep from the depths of the earth. The park monitors this volcanic activity with the help of high-tech equipment donated by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI) in 2004 for purposes of education and scientific research. At the end of the 45-minute walk there is an outlook, whose height is 1,233 meters above sea level. There you will find a spectacular panoramic view of the capital city metropolitan area that contrasts with the green of the Cordillera del Balsamo.^{[citation needed]}

Los Chorros

Just 5.7 kilometers west of Santa Tecla lies a natural oasis, a tourist icon visited by many national and international tourists. It is made up of 12 acres of land: four of them are entitled for public use, the other acres are part of a nature preservation area. This park has a large number of water springs coming down from San Salvador volcano. There are four pools: one for children, one with slides and the other two designed to integrate them with the natural uniqueness of the location. This tourist center opened in 1952, thanks to the vision of Salvadoran poet Raul Contreras, who wanted his remains buried at the park. The land where the park is located belonged to the Soundy family, who sold the property to the Salvadoran Institute of Tourism in 1956. This park has held important international events, including the Miss Universe pageant in 1975, due to the impressive landscape. In 2001 the facilities were severely damaged by the earthquakes. But its reconstruction was done shortly after the natural disaster. In this park you will find children's play areas, an amphitheater for educational and cultural events, picnic areas, a footbridge, access ramps for people with disabilities and trails into the forest.^{[citation needed]}

Boqueron (San Salvador) Volcano

Located on top of San Salvador Volcano at 1,800 m and just 13.6 kilometers from Downtown Santa Tecla, this park's main attraction is a large crater 5 kilometers in diameter and 558 meters deep. El Boquerón enjoys a cool climate year-round. The park offers many walking trails through pine trees and other plants cultivated at the site. Among the plant species identified are ornamentals such as "cartuchos", hydrangeas, begonias and wild "sultanas". There is wildlife such as armadillos, raccoons, deer, and foxes, among others. Guide companies such as the Tourism Police (POLITUR) offer guided hikes down to "El Boqueroncito" inside the large crater, with views of the "Picacho", the highest point of the volcano, which is an excellent place for mountain biking. El Boquerón's last eruption took place in 1917, causing extensive damage to San Salvador and other towns such as Nejapa and Quezaltepeque, where large amounts of lava can still be seen at El Playón, outside the city. Recently the road to the Volcano has been developed in an effort to expand tourism in the surrounding areas. Several restaurants, coffee shops and other recreational activities have opened in recent years.