Central America
El Salvador
Santa Ana Department
Chalchuapa
Chalchuapa Attractions
Tazumal
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Tazumal

See all things to do
See all things to do
Tazumal
4
#1 of 5 things to do in Chalchuapa
Ancient Ruins
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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  • LolaGo1
    Washington DC, District of Columbia6,407 contributions
    I was the only visitor!
    I took public bus 218 to reach this attraction. Fare is 30 cents per person and the ride took about 30-40 minutes. It was a 5-minute walk from the bus stop to the entrance of this attraction. Entrance fee is $5 for foreigners, cheaper for the locals. There is only 1 pyramid-like building that is cordoned off and climbing it is not allowed. One can go around this building and take its pictures from various angles. The museum is being renovated and is closed during my visit.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 December 2022
  • Jeff K
    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania1,897 contributions
    Good Tour Guides
    We stopped here while staying in nearby Concepcion de Ataco. Some parts are closed because they’re being renovated. Tours are provided by volunteer tour guides. The guide we had was very good and spoke great English. The tour lasted about 30 minutes and was very informative. It’s not a major site but it’s definitely worthwhile if you’re in the area.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 January 2023
  • Face_The_Elements
    Edmonton, Canada281 contributions
    Great to see if you’re in the area
    The site is surrounded by a small town of merchants, restaurants and shops. When you enter the fenced off area, you’re free to roam the grounds as long as you stay within the designated area and not climb the structure. This visit doesn’t take long as you walk counterclock wise to see all sides of the building before departing. We spent more time outside this area looking at the vendors and grabbing snacks.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 29 April 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Face_The_Elements
Edmonton, Canada281 contributions
Great to see if you’re in the area
Apr 2023 • Friends
The site is surrounded by a small town of merchants, restaurants and shops. When you enter the fenced off area, you’re free to roam the grounds as long as you stay within the designated area and not climb the structure. This visit doesn’t take long as you walk counterclock wise to see all sides of the building before departing. We spent more time outside this area looking at the vendors and grabbing snacks.
Written 29 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff K
Pittsburgh, PA1,897 contributions
Good Tour Guides
Jan 2023 • Couples
We stopped here while staying in nearby Concepcion de Ataco. Some parts are closed because they’re being renovated.

Tours are provided by volunteer tour guides. The guide we had was very good and spoke great English. The tour lasted about 30 minutes and was very informative.

It’s not a major site but it’s definitely worthwhile if you’re in the area.
Written 26 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alfredo F
New York City, NY43 contributions
A well-hidden jewel, not far from the capital - unmissable!
Nov 2022
We had a most instructed guide, Mr. Carlos Ernesto Guzmán, who not only presented the different components of the archaeological site but gave us a great contextual reference of the Mayan culture and related indigenous tribes that populated the place. It is an amazing structure populated more than 1,000 years BC, a religious and ceremonial site made of 12 different layers (one on top of the other) of platforms built over hundred of years, representing different leaders. Jewels and jade stones, ceramics, and a number of tombs have been discovered over the years (some of them taken to the museum in San Salvador, the capital city). There is a "Victory Stone" monolith stone with engravings of symbols and animals on its 4 sides. There are many expressions about the place in the indigenous Mayan/Nahuatl language. Currently there are diggings going down several stories (on the back left side) with new findings. The place is surrounded by trees and plants bearing medicinal substances used for centuries. The site is also adjoined by the old cemetery, for those interested in old crypts. Also, nearby there is the beautiful Cuscachapa lake where you can take your kids to watch birds and ducks. A total jewel!
Written 20 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LolaGo1
Washington DC, DC6,407 contributions
I was the only visitor!
Dec 2022 • Solo
I took public bus 218 to reach this attraction. Fare is 30 cents per person and the ride took about 30-40 minutes.

It was a 5-minute walk from the bus stop to the entrance of this attraction.
Entrance fee is $5 for foreigners, cheaper for the locals.

There is only 1 pyramid-like building that is cordoned off and climbing it is not allowed. One can go around this building and take its pictures from
various angles.

The museum is being renovated and is closed during my visit.
Written 16 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rowan H
Cairns, Australia1,353 contributions
An add on to the Ruta de las Flores
Sep 2022 • Couples
Tazumal is located inside the city of Chalchuapa which is a mere 15km (half an hour) from Santa Ana. If you base yourself in Santa Ana you pass it on the way to the Ruta De Las Flores (Ahuachapan entrance) and so it can be added on to the route.

Tazumal is the most impressive of the maya ruins located within El Salvador. However, it you compare it to any of the rich offerings elsewhere in mesoamerica the site is quite small and unremarkable. The original area was actually 10 square kilometres but most of it has since been buried under the town itself and not excavated. A stop includes a visit through the small museum and a viewing of the two pyramidal structures.

The big negatives are the $5USD entry fee (given it only takes 15 minutes to explore), the fact you cannot climb on the structures and the museum (which is small and only provides information in Spanish).

Overall it could be a welcome addition to your Ruta De Las Flores trip, but it wouldn’t be a big deal if you missed it.
Written 30 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GeneralShamu
New York City, NY1,058 contributions
A true gem
Jun 2021
WOW - this place was remarkable. There is so much to history here that one isn't even aware of. Definitely hire one of the onsite local guides (associated w/ the Tourism Ministry of Gov't) to have them give you a guided tour. It will be worth every penny!

Among the ruins in/around San Salvador, Tazumal was by far the largest and most astounding.
Written 4 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maritimeexplorer
Nova Scotia, Canada3,964 contributions
Very Good, but not Great Mayan Ruins
Feb 2020
Not far from Santa Ana are the ruins of the Mayan city of Tazumal which are literally surrounded by the present day city of Chalchuapa, a Nahuatl word meaning 'river of jade'. Our bus drives down a narrow street with vendors on one side and open air restaurants on the other until it can go no further. How he is going to turn around I have no idea, but we get out and walk the short distance to the entrance.

Tazumal, like San Andres which we visited yesterday, had two distinct growth periods. One before the eruption of Ilopango and one after with a significant gap in between. The earliest settlement here dates as far back as 1000 B.C. and apparently had a definite Olmec influence, based upon a carving found on a boulder at the site. The period immediately preceding the Ilopango eruption was the city's heyday and there were structures much larger and over an area much greater than what you see today. Although construction resumed in the 5th century and what you see today dates from that time, the city never regained its former prominence. By 1200 Tazumal was abandoned.

The visit to Tazumal starts with a walk through a small museum where the most interesting item is this recreation of a Mayan cacique complete with jade and feather ornamentation.

Tazumal is essentially one large plaza dominated by a pyramid that is much larger than that at Santa Ana and although you can't climb it, there is a path to follow around its base. From the back it looks amazingly like a Babylonian ziggurat.

There is also a small ball court. One of the most fascinating things about pre-Columbian Mayan culture was the obsession with 'the ball game'. A Mayan wife would never say to her husband, "Honey, it's only a game.", because to the Mayans it was much, much more. The playing of the game was not a sport as we know it, but a ritual which could actually see the losers executed. Talk about 'sudden death overtime'! Every major Mayan city had at least one of these ball courts and they always had a viewing area which in the case of Tazumal would have been on the tiers of the pyramid beside the court.

If you've been to Chichen Itza, Copan or Tikal then Tazumal is not going to make much of an impression, but if you are in this area of El Salvador it's definitely worth a visit.
Written 9 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
murali8121
Kochi (Cochin), India790 contributions
Archeological Park and museum Tazumal, El Salvador
Jan 2020 • Couples
Open 9.00 AM to 4.00 PM all days except Mondays. Tazumal is about one and half hour drive from San Salvador. This can be clubbed with the much sought after tour of the flowers route which is a full day tour from San Salvador. It’s a small but well maintained site and a very nice museum. Guides are available there. Entry tickets are 3.00 USD. Expect to spend about an hour. Plenty of artefacts and souvenirs available for purchase outside.
Written 4 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David B
Delray Beach, FL1,142 contributions
Among the lesser Mayan ruins
Dec 2019
If you enjoy history and Mayan sites this is worth a visit. The ruins cover a rather small area within a town that has covered the rest of the original settlement. Suggest that you visit in conjunction with the nearby Casa Blanca ruins.
Written 14 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Panamajoe2017
Sechelt, Canada319 contributions
Okay
Nov 2019 • Friends
This is an easy day trip on local transport. Catch a 218 bus heading west on 9th avenue?? Cost is 35 cents each way. Tell the driver where you want to go and he or the conductor will make sure you arrive at the right spot. A couple of blocks walk and you are there. Cost is three dollars, which seems to be standard for tourists in El Salvador. Only one pyramid to see, and it is small, but the museum has some interesting stuff, only in Spanish. The site is well maintained but there is not much to see, and the concrete put on the pyramid to preserve it makes it look, like my friend said, like a German bunker from some bad movie. They may tell you here the other site across town is included in the price, but it is not. Don’t waste your time or money. There is nothing to see at the other site except outlines of what was there. Totally not worth another three bucks. There are some souvenir shops and restaurants on the blocks leading to Tazumal. Good place to eat or look for some Jade.
Written 28 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Tazumal, Chalchuapa

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