TOURISM IN EL SALVADOR 1 | Page 5

Archaeological Park San Andres

San Andrés is located on the banks of the Sucio River, towards the center of the Zapotitán Valley. Nowadays, this region is famous for its fertility, a factor also important for the agricultural communities that developed in pre-Hispanic times. This circumstance is reflected in the high density of archeological sites in the valley, with a total estimated number of about 350. One of them is Joya de Cerén, which is five kilometers in a straight line northeast of San Andrés.

San Andrés is one of the largest pre-Hispanic centers in El Salvador. It would have constituted a regional capital between the years 600 to 900 d.C. In the Late Classic period. This old community covered a total of 200 hectares or more and consisted of a monumental center surrounded by a wide common residential area. It is believed that San Andrés came to dominate the Zapotitán valley, and some neighboring areas, such as the valley of Hamacas where San Salvador is.