San Miguel

Luis de Moscoso Alvarado established the village of San Miguel de la Frontera (Saint Michael of the Frontier) on May 8, 1530, as a bastion for the conquest of the Lenca kingdom of Chaparrastique (Place of Beautiful Orchids). By 1586 the village had obtained the title of city. In 1655, a volcanic eruption almost destroyed the entire city. According to legend, the devastation was so severe that only an image of Mary in the parish church was spared.

The city is located 138 km east of the capital, San Salvador. The San Miguel Volcano or known as Volcán Chaparrastique is a stratovolcano, approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the city. The volcano last erupted on November 16,2022.

In November, San Miguel celebrates its municipal festivities in honor of "Nuestra Señora De La Paz" (Our Lady of Peace), the San Miguel Carnival being the final and main event that takes place on the last Saturday of the month. With an estimate of 1,000,000 people attending it for its 50th anniversary (as reported by the local media), it is considered the biggest entertainment, music and food festival in El Salvador and one of the largest in Central America. The beginnings of the Carnival itself date from 1959. Currently, this tradition continues to reflect the growth of the city and one of the motors for its economy. San Miguel is famous for its night life along Roosevelt Avenue, the main thoroughfare that slices the city in half. …

The city has been an important center of the agriculture, textile and chemical industries of El Salvador. Since the early 21st century, the services sector, especially health care and commerce, have increased considerably, resulting in significant private investments in hospitals and shopping malls within the city. This has usually been attributed partly to the high inflow of remittances (at least 35% of the total, which represents around 18% of the national GDP ) that Salvadorans living abroad send to families in the eastern zone of the country. The incomes and wealth of the eastern half of the country are expected to increase following new jobs and businesses associated with the development of the Puerto La Unión; it started operations in 2012.