Cojutepeque

Cojutepeque stands in the pleasant highland setting of Cuscatlán department at about 850 metres above sea level. Its Nahuatl-derived name means “at the hill of the coyotes,” an association preserved in the town’s identity. The city later served as El Salvador’s capital for several years and received the title of city later. The Pan-American Highway connects it with San Salvador, about 33 kilometres away, while its position amid the surrounding municipality ties the urban centre to a productive rural district.

Cereals, sugarcane, fruit and panela are produced in the area. Palm-frond hats belong to the town’s local manufactures, and Cojutepeque sausages are known throughout El Salvador. Characteristically, those sausages are tied with corn husks between the links and shipped to markets elsewhere. The misty locality is also identified with Cerro de las Pavas, reached by a road and a zigzagging pedestrian path. From the height, the Ilopango lake, San Vicente volcano and Jiboa valley extend in different directions. A grotto and its May pilgrimage add seasonal religious movement to the town’s highland life.