Last Updated on: 22nd August 2024, 11:16 pm
Not only was Cihuatán the largest ancient city in what’s now El Salvador, but its history is both unique and mysterious. The city wasn’t founded until 900 AD, at a time when many other cities throughout the Mayan world were collapsing. But many archaeologists believe that Cihuatán wasn’t even truly Mayan.
Despite being located within Mayan territory, Cihuatán was likely built by a group of immigrants from Central Mexico. This would be around the same time that Tazumal was repopulated by a similar – or perhaps the same – group. The modern descendants of these migrants are known in El Salvador as the Pipil people.
So rather than being a pure Mayan site, archaeologists categorize Cihuatán as part of the ‘Guazapa Phase.’ Named after the nearby Guazapa volcano, it’s used to describe the settlements founded in this region at around the same time.
In any case, Cihuatán was a thriving trading hub in its heyday, and its main export was indigo. At its peak, it likely housed up to 25,000 inhabitants.
The circumstances surrounding the city’s abandonment are also mysterious. After just a few hundred years of prosperity, Cihuatán suddenly fell in the 12th century at the hands of outside invaders, though their identities remain unknown.
Today, the archaeological zone covers 73 hectares (180 acres), but that’s still about a quarter of the city’s original size.
For more information on how to reach Cihuatán from San Salvador, be sure to check the end of the article.
Visiting Cihuatán
While the nearest city to Cihuatán is Aguilares, the bus from San Salvador to Aguilares (more below) will continue heading north, and you can ask the driver to let you off along the highway closer to the ruins.
If you’re hungry, there’s no need to stop in the city to grab something to eat, as there’s a pupusa restaurant right by the large sign for Cihuatán.
From the highway, it’s about a 15-20 minute walk past private farmland to reach the main site. During the walk, I happened to notice workers doing some digging well outside the main archaeological zone. But who knows if it was an archaeological dig or something unrelated.
In any case, as mentioned above, the original boundaries of Cihuatán extended well beyond the accessible portion of the ruins.
At the time of writing, entrance to the site costs $5, and Cihuatán is open from 9:00-16:00, Tuesday to Sunday. As is common in Latin America, don’t expect the staff to have any change, even if you hand them a $10 bill.
While Cihuatán was El Salvador’s largest pre-Hispanic settlement, the accessible portion of the site feels only slightly larger than somewhere like Tazumal.
Near the entrance is the on-site museum, and as you make your way to the ruins, one of the first structures you’ll encounter is the West Ball Court.
Notably, this ball court – one of two discovered at Cihuatán – was never fully completed. And archaeologists believe it was still a work in progress when the city was sacked and abandoned.
If you’ve visited other sites around El Salvador, you’ll notice that this one looks a bit different, as its structures were largely built of a soft stone of hardened volcanic ash.
Wandering around the western portion of the site, you’ll pass by various temple platforms. The circular ones were likely dedicated to the Wind God Ehécatl, a form of Quetzalcoatl. Notably, circular Ehecatl temples were common at both Mayan sites and those of Central Mexico.
During my visit, I saw a group of several people performing a ritual there, similar to some of the rituals I’d witnessed at sites in Guatemala. But here, in contrast, the participants were wearing a mix of traditional and modern casual clothing.
Other smaller temples around the area, meanwhile, may have been dedicated to Xipe Totec and Tlaloc.
One of the more interesting platforms around here is known as P-9, which is recognizable for its four staircases. Similar structures can be seen at Chichén Itzá, which peaked around the same time and was also strongly influenced by Central Mexico.
Before long, Cihuatán’s main pyramid will come into view. It’s quite impressive considering how obscure this archaeological site is. Reaching up to 13 m, the pyramid featured three main staircases.
But today, visitors ascend the pyramid via a modern metal staircase added in 2006.
The top of the pyramid offers excellent views of the entire site. A temple once stood here that was painted red, though archaeologists are unsure of which deity it was dedicated to.
Today, the top of the pyramid is covered in grass. And I arrived at a good time, as just as I was finished, some maintenance workers brought a lawn mower up to mow it.
Over to the east is a fascinating yet off-limits section of Cihuatán. Over in the distance, on the other side of a barbed wire fence, is what remains of the former Royal Palace.
It was discovered as recently as 2004, and excavation work is still ongoing. The palace area was built atop a massive manmade Acropolis, and just viewing it from a distance gives visitors a clearer impression of the city’s original size and scale.
To the north of the site is arguably Cihuatán’s most interesting building complex. While the structure in the distance is clearly a ball court, two noteworthy structures were built just to its side.
One was a temazcal, or building in which ancient Mesoamericans would take steam baths. This is just one of five courts in all of Mesoamerica with an attached temazcal. But the reasoning makes sense, as it let players quickly nurse their injuries.
An adjacent structure, meanwhile, was dubbed the Temple of the Idols. Underneath it, archaeologists discovered no less than 20 seated feline statues.
For whatever reason, I was prohibited from getting close to the large I-shaped North Ball Court during my visit. Despite there being no signs or barriers, a guard told me that I couldn’t proceed, and that I should’ve been informed at the front desk. But nobody had mentioned a thing.
In any case, it didn’t seem like there was too much beyond it. Within the forest to the west, however, was another off-limits zone where excavations were clearly taking place.
The area appears to have been home to additional temples, and it will hopefully be open by the time of your visit.
Before you leave, be sure to check out the on-site museum. It doesn’t contain any artifacts – most of which were lost during the Salvadoran Civil War. It does, however, contain some excellent bilingual informational placards that are well worth the read.
For those who came to Cihuatán by bus, you’ll have to take the long walk back to the highway before flagging down a return bus to San Salvador. But that may be easier said than done (more below).
All in all, Cihuatán is a worthwhile site that should satisfy archaeology enthusiasts and even casual visitors. While the site is seldom mentioned in discussions about ancient El Salvador, Cihuatán far exceeded my expectations.
Additional Info
The ruins of Cihuatán are situated fairly close by the charming colonial town of Suchitoto. Accordingly, lots of tours include both destinations.
Out of all the options online, this tour seems to be the best value. In addition to Cihuatán, it will also take you to the landmarks of central Suchitoto and the Cascada Los Tercios.
Cihuatán can easily be visited as a day trip from San Salvador. First, take an Uber from your accommodation to the Terminal de Oriente. From there, multiple buses will be headed to Aguilares, the town closest to the ruins.
Upon my arrival at the station, someone asked me if I wanted ‘the faster bus or the cheaper bus.’ I chose the faster option, but looking back, I have doubts that it’s actually faster. The seats, at least, were quite comfortable. The bus I took cost $2.50 while the cheaper ones cost just $1.
Note that this information is valid as of 2024. What’s confusing is that San Salvador recently opened up a new terminal further east called Terminal Nuevo Amanecer. Apparently, many of the bus routes that used to depart from Terminal de Oriente have moved over to that station. But I can confirm that to get to Cihuatán, you’ll want to go to the older Terminal de Oriente which remains in operation.
While you could get off the bus in Aguilares and arrange a taxi directly to the runs, I’d recommend staying on for the bus for a bit, as it should be heading even further north. As mentioned above, you can ask the driver to drop you off near Cihuatán. While you’ll have to walk about 15 minutes to the site and then back again, this saves you the cost and hassle of dealing with a taxi driver. And there’s even a restaurant right near the path to the ruins.
In my case, getting back was a bit trickier. I couldn’t find any bus stops on the other side of the road, so I just decided to walk in the direction of Aguilares, repeatedly looking behind me to flag down a passing bus. For whatever reason, a few buses passed by without stopping. One driver even gave a little honk to acknowledge that he saw me, but couldn’t stop for whatever reason.
About 20 minutes of walking south down the highway, I was a bit closer to civilization. While I don’t think I ever found an official bus stand, a bus finally did stop for me here, taking me directly to the Terminal de Oriente.
Note that you can also take a bus to Aguilares from Suchitoto. If you’ll be staying a few nights in that town, Cihuatán would make for a nice half-day trip.
San Salvador is a large and sprawling city, but in terms of visiting its main tourist attractions, you should focus on a few particular neighborhoods. No matter where you stay, expect to rely on Uber a lot to get around the city.
The fanciest part of San Salvador is San Benito/Zona Rosa, which is home to numerous cafes, shopping malls and museums. If you’ve been to Guatemala City, it’s San Salvador’s equivalent to that city’s District 10.
One of the highest-rated hotels around here is the Il Buongustaio, though you could save money by staying at the Hotel Villa Florencia Zona Rosa.
Of course, you could also base yourself within the Centro Histórico, which would give you easy walking access to all the attractions there. Hotel Abrego has high ratings, while Hotel Villa Florencia Centro Histórico is one of the most affordable places in the area.
Another convenient place to stay would be somewhere near the Monument to the Divine Savior of the World, located right in the heart of the city. That’s where I stayed, and found it pretty convenient.
Lujoso Condo seems like a great higher-end option, while Hotel Luigi is much more affordable.