Exploring the Tazumal Archaeological Park – Chalchuapa – El Salvador

The Tazumal Archaeological Park (Parque Arqueológico Tazumal) is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador, about 12 km from Santa Ana.

I was staying at the Pool House in Santa Ana. Chalchuapa is just a short ride from Santa Ana.

After a breakfast of ayote (squash) con queso (cheese) pupusas, I took bus #214 from the “Francisco Lara Pineda” bus terminal in Santa Ana, to Atiquizaya and got off coming into Tazumal.

First, I toured the Casa Blanca Archaeological Site, then the Tazumal Archaeological Park.

Ernesto “Che” Guevara visited El Tazumal in April 1954. There is a statue near the entrance:

Visiting Tazumal:

These are the details taken from the official Tazumal Archaeological Park website, 2025:

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
• Guided tour: 35 to 45 minutes
• Capacity: 15 people per group
• Admission: Salvadorans $1.00, Central Americans and foreign residents $3.00, and non-residents $5.00. Local residents, students with a valid ID, people with disabilities, seniors, and children under 12 are admitted free.

The Tazumal Archaeological Park is pretty small, and there is a map with the points written English as well as Spanish:

The museum is well worth the effort. When I was there, all the texts was only in Spanish:

Tazumal is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site inhabited since the Preclassic period.

This is the main pyramid at Tazumal. Yes, I was there during Covid, so I had the place to myself:

Despite having been occupied since 1200 BC, it wasn’t formally investigated in 1940, when archaeologist Stanley Boggs identified 13 structures, ranging from small platforms to the large mound, 24 m high