Parque Balboa and Puerta del Diablo

Parque Balboa in the hills south of San Salvador (about 12 km from the city centre) is the most popular day-out destination for residents. The park has walking trails, picnic areas, and an amusement park. The main attraction is the Puerta del Diablo — two massive rock formations at the edge of the Planes de Renderos ridge that frame a panoramic view across the coastal plain to the Pacific Ocean.

Take a taxi or bus from the city centre. The road up to the park passes through the village of Panchimalco, worth a stop for its colonial-era church and indigenous culture. On clear days the view from the Puerta del Diablo extends to the volcano of San Vicente in the east.

things to do sight
A story
The Puerta del Diablo — two enormous boulder formations that frame a view across the valley — takes its name from a colonial-era legend that the devil had opened a gate to hell here. During the civil war (1979-1992), the site had a grimmer significance: bodies of people killed by the security forces were thrown off the cliffs. The views are spectacular; the history is darker than the tourist signs suggest.