Archaeology buffs will appreciate the Ruinas de Quelepa, grassy mounds covering 40 terraced ceremonial platforms, largely unexcavated. Lenca inhabited the site between the 2nd and 7th centuries AD, trading with Copán in Honduras as well as with Mexico. To visit the site, you must first go to the mayor's office in Quelepa and request a police escort. The ruins are 2.5km outside town.
Many of the impressive finds here are currently in storage, but there are plans to open a museum.
Quelepa is 8km west of San Miguel; from the cathedral take the No 90 Moncagua bus (US$0.60, 30 minutes).
