El Salvador - Lake Guija

Lake Guija is shared with neighboring Guatemala, and is one of the largest natural lakes in the region. The lake and its shores preserves an outstanding natural environment, including a large forest on the San Diego Volcano and an area of marshland and ponds extending north of the lake (the "Lagunas de Metapan"). A traditional fishery is still supported by the lake. Over 20 archaeological sites have been recorded in the lakes environs, including a Late Preclassic settlement (400 BC- 200 AD), several Postclassic mound groups (900-1550 AD), and an early Colonial church ruin. One of its Postclassic sites was mentioned early in the sixteenth century as a regional religious center. Some of these sites have very well preserved architecture; none have been professionally excavated.

El Salvador - Gulf of Fonseca

Gulf region forming part of the eastern border of El Salvador and composed of a wide variety of coastal environments, including islands, mangrove forests, sand beaches, and rock cliffs. This environment has been subject to relatively little modification and preserves a rich flora and fauna. In the prehispanic past, the Gulf of Fonseca provided the basis for dense human settlement on its islands and mainland fringes, with over 10 major sites presently known. shellmounds are a common type of site, formed over long periods of time by the discard of molluscs that accumulated layer by layer. Available dates for these mouncs range from 1850 BC (currently the oldest absolute date for El Salvador) to the colonial period. Architectural remains are found at some shellmounds and other types of sites, and include mound groups and ruins of early colonial churches. By the Protohistoric period, this area of the Gulf of Fonseca was host to the Lenca ethnic group. Facing the onslought of pirates, the Lenca communites situated on islands were abandoned by the late 17th century, their inhabitants opting to relocate on the mainland. The Gulf of Fonseca's natural resources still support traditional fishing and gathering of molluscs and crustaceans.

El Salvador - Ciudad Vieja / La Bermuda

Ciudad Vieja is a historic archaeological site, representing first location of the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador. San Salvador was established here in 1528, while the Conquest was still in progress. It was abandoned only 17 years later and never reoccupied. Its low ruins are presently used for traditional agricultural. A variety of features can be observed, some of which are mentioned in historical sources, as are house lots ("solares"), the plaza, a church foundation, remains of the town hall ("cabildo"), and portion of cobblestone streets. This site is one of the best preserved Conquest-period Spanish sites in the hemisphere. One kilometer from Ciudad Vieja are the ruins of La Bermuda, a later Colonial hacienda house dating from the 1600's. La Bermuda is considered an outstanding example its kind. Restoration was carried out here in the 1970's, but the site was burned circa 1980 at the beginning of the war. It still preserves walls, wooden lintels, and outlying features including ovens and indigo works.

El Salvador - Chalchuapa

Archaeological investigations have demostrated that the present town of Chalchuapa has at least 3200 years of continous human occupation. The record of this lengthly past includes a wide variety of archaeological features, including several groups of monumental architecture relating to different periods of the community's prehistory. Three of these groups are currently protected, including the two Late Preclassic (400 BC - 200 AD) of El Trapiche and Casa Blanca, and the Classic to Early Postclassic Tazumal group (200 - 1200 AD). Two monumental Olmec sculptures from Chalchuapa are the southernmost examples known in Mesoamerica. Chalchuapa is considered to have been an outstanding center of Late Preclassic times. Its Classic Period seems to have hosted the development of a local ethnic group that became important in much of central and western El Salvador by the end of this period. Chalchuapa also possesses important examples of architecture from the Colonial and Republican periods. There exists the potential to combine some natural features with this property, such as the small volcanic Lake Cuscachapa.

El Salvador - Cacaopera

The community of Cacaopera is the sole surviving representative of an otherwise vanished ethnic group, variously refered to as Ulua, Matagalpa, or Cacaopera. Linguistic evidence suggests that this group originated in lower Central America, and at some point in time (but shortly before the conquest) established an enclave within the territory of eastern El Salvador. Some of the traits which continue to identify members of the community with this ethnic group are architecture, subsistence patterns, religious practices, myths, legends, and clothing styles. The marked traditionalism of Cacaopera can be attributed, in part, to its isolation within the very mountainous terrain of northern Morazan department. This region was severely affected by the war. Many of the inhabitants of outlying hamlets relocated to Cacaopera. Cacaopera was alternatively occupied by Army and FMLN troops, and was the scene of firefights and bombardments. These circumstances has introduced considerable changes in traditional lifeways. Several archaeological sites have been recorded within the Cacaopera municipality. Tradition identifies some of these as former locations of Ulua communities. Other sites are definitely of much greater antiquity, probably reaching far back into the Archaic Period. A number of sites consist of rock shelters with petroglyphs, pictographs, and lithic flakes and debitage.