Last Updated on: 5th August 2024, 06:53 pm
Joya de Cerén may have never been the seat of a mighty king, nor did it contain a single pyramid. But today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is pivotal when it comes to our understanding of the pre-Hispanic Maya, as it’s the only place where an ancient rural village has been preserved in situ.
The reason for the village’s preservation is also what caused its sudden demise: a large volcanic eruption that buried the area in layers of ash.
Today, Joya de Cerén can be visited as a day trip from either San Salvador or Santa Ana, and you can also combine it with a trip to nearby San Andrés.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering the histories and visiting experiences of each site, while you can learn detailed information on transport down below.
San Andrés
If you’re coming to San Andrés by bus (more below), the official entrance can be rather tricky to find. Fortunately, a friendly local pointed it out to me. Otherwise, I would’ve wasted a lot of time walking to what appeared to be the entrance on Google Maps.
The only entrance is actually right on the Carratera Panamericana (see marked spot above). But it seems like officials presume everyone will be arriving by car.
Stepping inside the gated area, you’ll have to walk along a dirt road before reaching the ticket gate.
For those arriving via public transport, finding the ticket gate is also confusing. Reaching the end of the dirt road, I noticed a booth that cars were stopping at, but I thought it might just be for parking.
I then approached a security guard, intending to ask him where I was supposed to pay. But before I could say anything, he waved me over to the ruins. And the next thing I knew, I was inside without having bought a ticket.
I only later realized that the roadside booth is indeed the ticket gate. At the time of writing, entry for San Andrés, while the site is open from 9:00-16:00 (closed Mondays).
Also adding to the confusion was that on this random weekday morning, no less than a few hundred high school students arrived at the same time as me!
It was total chaos, but as they were starting with the on-site museum, I sped ahead of everyone and managed to rush through the ruins before the hordes of students caught up.
All in all, San Andrés is quite small, and the whole site can be viewed in about 20 minutes.
The accessible archaeological site is mainly just comprised of the Acropolis. But before reaching it, you’ll first pass Structure 7, which was constructed of tuff and adobe.
Within this structure, an offering was discovered containing flint carved in the shape of a ruler, a stingray spine and a piece of jade. The unique piece of flint is now on display at the on-site museum.
In ancient times, access to the Acropolis was restricted to noble and royal families. And incredibly, as many as 600,000 adobe bricks were likely needed to construct the artificial platform on which it stands.
As you walk up the Acropolis, you’ll first notice the main pyramid here, simply known as Structure 1. Standing at 15 m high, it’s a truncated pyramid that features a dual staircase.
If you’re already been to Tazumal, you’ll notice that San Andrés’ structures have also been covered in a mix of stucco and concrete. While rather controversial, this smooth appearance is actually closer to how Mayan pyramids would’ve originally looked.
And speaking of Tazumal, San Andrés shares a somewhat similar history. Occupied since the Early Classic Period (200-400 AD), the site had to be abandoned in the 5th century (or perhaps 6th) due to the eruption of the Ilopango Volcano.
But once it was eventually resettled, San Andrés would reach its peak in the Late Classic Period (600-900 AD). Though it experienced a decline, the city would remain inhabited through the Postclassic Period (900-1524 AD) as well.
In the colonial era, this land belonged to a hacienda for indigo production, and the presence of archaeological ruins here was first mentioned in writing in the late 19th century. But major excavations wouldn’t begin until the 1940s.
The side of the Acropolis is home to Structures 2-4. Structure 3 is unique because you can peak down into an excavated stairway that exists below the surface.
As the centuries passed, the ancient Mayans would repeatedly bury older structures and build new layers on top of them.
Over in the corner, meanwhile, is an area called Los Apesontos that may have been home to a residential and funerary space for the elite.
And surrounding the Acropolis is an open grassy area simply referred to as the Gran Plaza, which likely served as the city’s main commercial hub.
And that pretty much concludes all that there currently is to see at San Andrés. But notably, Structure 1 was not the city’s largest structure.
To the north of the Acropolis is an additional area known as La Campana which is unfortunately off-limits to visitors. While a path there exists, you’ll find a gate and sign telling you that access is restricted.
You can, at least, learn more about it from the informational placard. Standing at 20 m high, La Campana was made of adobe blocks and volcanic tuff, and it underwent four main construction phases from around 200-900 AD.
Later on, wondering if there was perhaps another way there that I’d missed, I asked a staff member in the museum. But they informed me that not only was La Campana inaccessible, but it’s been reburied for preservation, so there wasn’t much to see anyway.
The Museum
As mentioned, San Andrés features an on-site museum, which is surprisingly large and detailed considering how small the actual site is.
Here you’ll find a thorough overview of the history of the site and its excavations, along with a collection of artifacts uncovered here. Most of them are ceramics.
While far from the most exciting Mayan site, San Andrés provides some added context to where you’ll likely be heading next, as it was the main administrative center during the relatively brief existence of Joya de Cerén.
Joya de Cerén
Joya de Cerén is often regarded as El Salvador’s premier archaeological site. At least the government seems to think so, as foreigners are charged $10 while locals only pay $1. But does it really live up to the hype?
Joya de Cerén is indeed unique in the Mayan world. While at most Mayan sites, all that remains are the former ceremonial centers and palaces of the elite, Joya de Cerén offers a glimpse into the daily lives of rural commoners. But how?
As mentioned above, in the 5th or 6th century AD (the date is still disputed), the eruption of the Ilopango Volcano caused the temporary abandonment of Tazumal and San Andrés.
The eruption left behind layers of volcanic ash, which is of course very fertile. And the village of Joya de Cerén sprung up directly atop this ash. But it wouldn’t last very long.
Around 150 years later, the Loma Caldera erupted, suddenly covering Joya de Cerén in fourteen layers of new ash (apparently, the other cities were spared).
As such, Joya de Cerén is often likened to Pompeii, the ancient Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash in the 1st century AD. Though unlike Pompeii, you won’t find any bodies of victims here!
Visitors to Joya de Cerén walk along a predetermined pathway that overlooks various sections of the archaeological findings. The different sections are roofed over to help better protect them, but this unfortunately makes much of the site dark and difficult to see.
The first main area features remains of what was likely a community building. It was here that community disputes were resolved, with the benches being reserved for those in power.
Another building, meanwhile, served as a storage area for local farmers. Built using the wattle and daub method, it was originally used for housing before being converted to a storage unit.
It was also here that farmers processed agave plants to produce rope, and archaeologists have discovered numerous tools, vessels and seeds within.
As mentioned, Joya de Cerén was merely a small village inhabited by a handful of families, and by no means important in regards to Mayan history.
While not as thrilling as viewing grand pyramids or intricately carved reliefs, these types of structures are nevertheless something you won’t find at any other Mayan site.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that in contrast to most Mayan sites that were largely built of limestone, Joya de Cerén was built using earthen materials. This was simply due to a lack of available hard stone in this region.
The next group is home to a structure that was very important in nearly all ancient Mesoamerican communities: the temazcal. It was here that people would take steam baths as a means of purification – both in the physical and spiritual sense.
During the process, stones placed on the floor would be heated, on top of which a mix of water and herbs would be poured to create steam. Of course, temazcals can widely be found throughout Mexico to this day.
While the domed roof of the structure is missing, the base has survived intact.
Other structures in the area, meanwhile, served as residences. Family homes in the area typically consisted of sleeping areas, storage areas and kitchens – often built as separate structures rather than one large unit. Here vessels used for serving food were discovered within.
Corn was the main crop grown at Joya de Cerén, while agave and various medicinal plants grew in abundance here as well.
The climate is still pretty much the same today, and when walking between the different structures, visitors will be greeted with views of lush greenery.
Joya de Cerén was also situated alongside the Sucio River, which provided both abundant water and fish. You can catch views of the river from the walking trail.
Despite the village having been buried under ash, the river flows just as it did centuries ago.
The next and final group of Joya de Cerén largely served as a residential area. Interestingly, the inhabitants here were likely artisans who produced pottery.
Outside the house, archaeologists even discovered the remains of a duck tied to a wooden rod. And nearby are the remains of ancient crop furrows.
Also in this area was a house that belonged to a shaman, as well as another structure designated for shamanic ceremonies. The shaman here was surely female, as evidenced by the presence of spindle whorls and grinding instruments – objects that were strictly limited for female use.
Other objects found here include marine shells for necklaces, deer ornaments and various figurines that likely played a role in divination rituals.
Outside, near the end of your tour, you’ll pass by a modern replica of one of the ancient temazcals mentioned above. And after that, the only thing left to see is the museum.
The Museum
Joya de Cerén’s museum is easily the best on-site museum in El Salvador. It features a very comprehensive (and bilingual) overview of the site’s known history, as well as a summary of its excavations.
The first structure was discovered in 1976, though serious excavations were prevented due to civil war. Digging finally resumed in the 1980s and 90s, and it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
As mentioned, Joya de Cerén may not be the most interesting site from a visual perspective, but it’s been invaluable to researchers hoping to learn more about pre-Hispanic Mayan life in general.
Some of the notable artifacts on display in the museum include ancient rope used in construction, sticks used for fences, wood used for beams and roofs, fragments of an ancient corn cob, and a ‘volcanic bomb’ ejected during the eruption of the Loma Caldera.
As unique as the site was, I still found the $10 entry fee for foreigners a bit steep – especially considering the poor lighting. With all that said, those traveling to El Salvador should definitely set a half a day aside to see Joya de Cerén.
Additional Info
As we’ll cover shortly, while certainly possible, Joya de Cerén & San Andrés are a bit tricky to reach by public transport, requiring at least four buses and a couple of Ubers.
The most hassle-free way to see both sites would be a tour like this one, which also includes a stop at Tazumal. Tours only seem to depart from San Salvador, so those coming from Santa Ana will need to use public transport.
While most people seem to visit these two sites from San Salvador, they can indeed be visited from Santa Ana as well, with the distance being just slightly further.
Given the amount of transfers involved, the journey can be rather tricky. Furthermore, many locals don’t really seem to know how to get there, and I was given some inaccurate information before my departure. But luckily, everything worked out in the end, and here’s a recap of how I did it.
First, you’ll want to hop on a San Salvador-bound 201 bus. From Santa Ana, these depart near the Metrocenter shopping mall in the south of the city. If you’re staying in the city center, it would be easiest just to take an Uber to the bus stop for a few dollars.
The 201 buses run down Avenida Independencia Sur, and you’ll find a bus stop in front of Galerias de casa Sandoval. The 201 buses are very frequent, passing by every several minutes.
The 201 bus will take you directly past the San Andrés ruins. As mentioned above, the official entrance can be tricky to find, as it’s not clearly labeled on Google Maps. See the map at the top of the article for reference.
Finished with San Andrés, you have two options to get to Joya de Cerén. The easiest option would be to just hail an Uber, which is what I did, and it cost me around $4.
When finished with Joya de Cerén, you will need to take two buses to return to Santa Ana. First, wait for a San Salvador-bound 108 bus, and get off at some point on Carratera Panamericana after the large roundabout. Then, cross the large highway and wait for a Santa Ana-bound 201 bus.
You will want to have some basic Spanish skills to pull this off.
I only have experience reaching San Andrés and Joya de Cerén from Santa Ana. However, I imagine that coming from the capital would largely work the same way and with the same buses.
A lot depends on which site you want to start with. If you want to start with San Andrés, take a Santa Ana-bound 201 bus which departs from the Terminal de Buses de Occidente.
Finished with San Andrés, you have two options to get to Joya de Cerén. The easiest option would be to just hail an Uber, which should just cost around $4.
If you want to proceed by bus, you would need to hop on a San Salvador-bound 201 bus, and then get out somewhere south of the large roundabout on the Carratera Panamericana. You would then need to cross the road, and wait for a 108 bus which will ultimately take you past Joya de Cerén.
When finished with Joya de Cerén, the 108 bus that runs past it should take you all the way back to San Salvador.
And if you’re starting with Joya de Cerén, take the 108 bus directly there. These should also depart from the Terminal de Buses de Occidente, though it would be best to confirm with a local.
To proceed to San Andrés, you’d take a combination of the 108 and 201 buses. Finally, you could return to San Salvador with another 201 bus.
Ideally, the closer you are to the historical center, the better. Not only is this where the city’s landmarks are concentrated, but it’s also where you’ll find the most restaurants and coffee shops.
Some highly-rated midrange options near the center include Hostal Las Puertas and Casa Vieja Guest House, while those looking for something a bit more upscale should consider the Remfort Hotel.
Of course, Santa Ana is home to plenty of budget options. But if you’re hoping for a private room, you might have to stay outside the city center.
Altea Hostal looks like a good option to the north of the center, while I stayed at Casa Blanca Tu Casa to the east.
I had an overall good experience at Casa Blanca. The owners were friendly and helpful, and breakfast each morning was included in the price. While bathrooms were shared, I rarely found them full, and the internet also worked great.
The only downside was the location. While walkable from the historical center, it took about twenty minutes. And there were not many restaurants or coffee shops in the area.