Iglesia El Rosario's interior is a colorful celebration.

© Luis Siguenza/Lonely Planet

Iglesia El Rosario

Top choice in San Salvador


Designed by sculptor Ruben Martinez and completed in 1971, Iglesia El Rosario is radically beautiful. Arguably the finest church in Central America, its nondescript concrete exterior conceals an arched roof and a rainbow of natural light rushing across the altar and bouncing off the metal and rock. The father of Central American independence, Padre Delgado, is buried here – quite happily, we imagine.

Try to visit early in the morning or in the late afternoon when the light has the most dramatic effect.