This small town, with a population 20,000 people, is located on the lower edges of Volcán Izalco and Volcán Santa Ana. It is worth visiting, especially for the culture of the indigenous people here.

History and Culture
A long time ago this place was an important trading centre, before the Spanish arrived. The 20th century in this town saw lots of violence and bloodshed, including the 1932 massacre of the indigenous people. The killings was protested by one rebel leader, José Feliciano Ama, who was then also executed. This massacre changed the lifestyle of the indigenous people here today.

Sightseeing
The churches are good places to discover more on the country’s best-preserved collections of imageneria, or hand carved, painted wooden figures representing saints and religious idols. If you are lucky you may be here during one of the private festivals. A good time to visit is during Semana Santa and Dia de los Muertos. Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción is one of the oldest churches in the country, dating back to five centuries ago. It was almost destroyed 200 years later, but was rebuilt on the ruins. You can still see some traces of the original church here. Turicentro Atecozol is a swimming park, which is the best tourist spot in the country. It has some great pools and water-slides as well as other fun activities.

Getting there
You can easily get here by bus, which you can catch from nearby Sonsonate.