Joya de Cerén
A World Heritage Site: a Maya farming village buried in volcanic ash around 600 AD. Called the Pompeii of the Americas, it preserves the everyday lives of ordinary people.
Joya de Cerén was a Maya village buried under several meters of volcanic ash when the Loma Caldera volcano erupted around 600 AD. It was discovered by accident during construction in 1976, and it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1993. Unlike grand pyramids, the site preserves the houses, storehouses, sauna baths, public buildings and fields of ordinary farmers. Even clay pots and food remains are still in place, making it a precious site for studying everyday Maya life. The ruins are viewed from behind railings under a protective roof, and a small museum is on site. Foreigner admission is about $3. It is closed on Mondays. It is about 35 km from the capital and can be visited on the same day as the nearby San Andrés site.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 09:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- San Andrés Archaeological Site
- El Boquerón National Park
- Museo de Arte de El Salvador (MARTE)
- Monument to the Divine Savior of the World
- National Museum of Anthropology David J. Guzmán
- Mercado Nacional de Artesanías
- Monseñor Romero Center, UCA
- Tin Marín Children's Museum