The San Andres ruins

The San Andres ruins are located in the valley of Zapotitán about 5km southwest of Joya de Cerén. It is one of the largest pre-hispanic ruins in
El Salvador and was a regional capital during the late Classic Period.

These ruins are pretty amazing. This community covered about 200 hectares (about 2 sq km) and consisted of a monumental center surrounded by a large residential common area.

It is believed that San Andres became the elite class and exerted power over the valley of Zapotitán as well as other neighbouring areas such as the valley of Hammocks which is now San Salvador.

Interestingly, in 1995 when doing some work in the area, an indigo workshop that dates back to 1658 was found.

This workshop, from the colonial times, is the best one found so far apparently because it was “sealed” by volcanic matter during the eruption of the El Playón volcano.

I found this to be so interesting especially since indigo blue is my favourite colour! So here is a picture of what was found on the site! For many years too, El Salvador was one of the top producers on indigo in the world until coffee took over.

The archaeological park

Here is a picture of structure #1 on the acropolis.

The archaeological park of San Andres is very nice and well taken care of. It’s looked after by FUNDAR (National Foundation of Archaeology of El Salvador), and I must say that they are working very hard to protect and improve the park for the public to enjoy. It looks just beautiful!

How to get there

The ruins are located between the cities of Colón and Ciudad Arce. From San Salvador it only takes about 40 minutes to get there, the roads are in good condition.

The buses that service the departments of Santa Ana and Ahuachapán from
San Salvador also stop here, so they are an alternative to driving (just make sure to tell the driver or the “cobrador” – the person collecting the fare – that you want to get off at the San Andres ruins).

Hours of operation

• Monday to Sunday - 9am to 4pm
• Admission: $3.00 for tourists, $1.00 for locals, free for children under 8 and adults over 60
• Parking: $1.00

Amenities

• Picnic area
• Small concession stand
• On site museum

As is the case with the Cihuatán ruins the sun can get pretty strong here. There are several areas that have been cleared of trees to protect the ancient structures so I would recommend bringing a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun.

During the years, many artifacts have been unearthed on this site. On the picture below (from right to left) is a figurine that still has remains of indigo around the ears, ceramic bowls and what is believed to be an exotic offering, possibly coming from the Belize region. Pretty cool! They are showcased in the on-site museum.

The San Andres ruins are just a great place to visit and learn about how people used to live thousands of years ago. Many schools bring students here on field trips, I guess it gives them a chance to learn and have fun running around the area all at the same time.

So why not come and explore this and many other ancient sites in beautiful El Salvador!

Credits: FUNDAR - www.fundar.org.sv