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Some 136km from San Salvador is the bustling, hot and flat city of SAN MIGUEL . Sitting at the foot of the prodigious Volcan Chaparrastique , the city is the expanding commercial hub for the east of the country. More relaxed than San Salvador and with less claim to grandeur than Santa Ana, the city doesn't offer much by way of tourist attractions. It is, however, a pleasant enough place to spend a couple of days resting up between bus journeys, and makes a good base for exploring the nearby Lenca archeological site of Quelepa and the wetland reserve of Laguna el Jocotal . San Miguel is also a regional transport hub, and the starting point for buses to La Union and the port of Cutuco (bus #304), the stunning beaches of El Cuco (#320) and El Tamarindo (#385), and the bus to Perquin and the highland villages of the Ruta de la Paz . And no one should pass up the chance to eat at La Pema , El Salvador's most famous restaurant, just outside the city. San Miguel really comes alive in November for the Fiestas Novembrinas (November Fiestas), particularly during Carnival on the 29th, whose music, fireworks and street dancing represent the climax to two months of celebrations for the festival of Nuestra Senora de la Paz , the city's patroness. A relatively modern affair, the carnival was instituted only in 1958, but has quickly grown to be the largest carnival in Central America (or so they say). If you're around during the festival look out for people wandering around holding large plastic iguanas aloft - the locals are nicknamed garroberos (iguana eaters) due to their penchant for the lizards' meat.
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