Called the Pompeii of America, Unesco World Heritage Site Joya de Cerén was a small Maya settlement buried under volcanic ash when the Laguna Caldera Volcano erupted in AD 595. The small museum offers a good collection of artifacts and models of the villages. One compelling piece is a small dish showing fingerprints smeared in the remains of an interrupted meal.
The site is 36km west of San Salvador – take bus 108 from Terminal de Occidente and get off after crossing the bridge over the Río Sucio.
Residents fleeing the eruption left behind a wealth of everyday items that provide clues about ancient planting, home building and food storage. The ruins were discovered in 1976.
Aside from chips and soft drinks, there's not much to eat around here.
