San Andres Archaeological Site

San Andres was the principal centre of the Zapotitan valley between around 600 and 900 AD, governing the surrounding settlements including Joya de Ceren, and it was built on top of the thick ash layer left by the Ilopango eruption. The visible remains are the acropolis with its stepped platforms and pyramids around a raised plaza, and a large open plaza to the north, consolidated and grassed. The site was buried again by ash from the Loma Caldera eruption. Beside the ruins are the excavated remains of a seventeenth-century indigo processing works, obraje, from the colonial hacienda that later occupied the land, which is unusual to find alongside a pre-Columbian site.

What you actually see

• The acropolis - the raised platform complex with its pyramids.
• The north plaza - the large open ceremonial space.
• The indigo works - the seventeenth-century obraje beside the ruins.
• The site museum - the display on the valley and its eruptions.

When to go

November to April in the dry season. Mornings are cooler; the site is open with little shade. It closes on Mondays. It combines naturally with Joya de Ceren a short distance away.

Honest expectations

The structures are consolidated and partly reconstructed. Interpretation is limited and mostly in Spanish. There is almost no shade on the plazas. The site takes under two hours.

Nearby

Joya de Ceren lies close; Santa Ana is northwest.