Skip to content
The church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores in Izalco

Colonial towns

Izalco, a Colonial Town in El Salvador

Izalco is a town of colonial houses and churches in Sonsonate, with 77,529 inhabitants in its district. It holds some of the most solemn Holy Week ceremonies in El Salvador. Next to the municipal mayor, the Indigenous communities elect an alcalde del común, and daily life turns around the traditional cofradías.

Updated November 2026 · Figures checked 9 November 2026

Photo: Lexdjelectronic2013, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Inhabitants of the district, 2024 census
77,5293
Inhabitants of the district, 2024 census

Izalco, a Colonial Town in El Salvador

At a glance

At a glance
Izalco
Municipality Sonsonate Este
Population 77,529 (2024 census)
Known for Holy Week, the cofradías and the alcalde del común
Nearby The Izalco volcano and the Atecozol water park

Source: BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish); El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): Izalco3,1

Map

Izalco and the other colonial towns 1 Izalco 2 Juayúa 3 Concepción de Ataco 4 Apaneca 5 Nahuizalco 6 Salcoatitán 7 Suchitoto 8 Panchimalco
Town Places are approximate, from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap. Boundaries: geoBoundaries SLV ADM1 (OpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA 2.0)1
  1. 1 Izalco Sonsonate Este; Holy Week and cofradías
  2. 2 Juayúa Sonsonate Norte; food fair and Siete Cascadas
  3. 3 Concepción de Ataco Ahuachapán Centro; murals and coffee at 1,260 m
  4. 4 Apaneca Ahuachapán Centro; 1,477 m, Laguna Verde
  5. 5 Nahuizalco Sonsonate Norte; crafts and night market
  6. 6 Salcoatitán Sonsonate Norte; murals and the Printing Museum
  7. 7 Suchitoto Cuscatlán Norte; site of the capital founded in 1528
  8. 8 Panchimalco San Salvador Sur; church of Santa Cruz de Roma

The town

  • Holy Week: Izalco holds some of the most solemn Holy Week ceremonies in El Salvador, among its churches, old houses and colourful streets.
  • Two mayors: next to the municipal mayor there is an alcalde del común, a "people's mayor" elected by the Indigenous communities of Izalco.
  • Cofradías: religious and cultural life is organised by traditional brotherhoods, the cofradías.
  • Nearby: the view from the Izalco volcano, and the Atecozol water park.

Source: El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): Izalco; El Salvador.com: five destinations to visit in Holy Week, 17 March 20261,2

Visiting

Opening hours of museums, markets and food fairs change. Check with the town hall or the Ministry of Tourism before you travel.

For investors

Small hotels, cafés, restaurants and coffee tours serve the visitors of these towns, and tourism projects can apply for the incentives of the Tourism Law. In historic centres, building work on old houses can need permits from the Ministry of Culture; ask your lawyer and the town hall before you buy.

Sources

  1. El Salvador Travel (Ministry of Tourism): Izalco
  2. El Salvador.com: five destinations to visit in Holy Week, 17 March 2026 (in Spanish)
  3. BCR and ONEC: VII Population Census 2024, population by department, municipality and district, urban and rural (Excel, in Spanish)

Figures checked 9 November 2026. Prepared by InvestSalvador.com for general information. Figures come from the sources listed.

Next step

Meet the Companies in Your Department

Lawyers, accountants, office landlords and recruiters, listed in the InvestSalvador.com directory by department and city.

Browse the Directory Add Your Company