Cerro de los Santos

Cerro de los Santos is an archaeological sanctuary near Montealegre del Castillo that holds the remains of an ancient temple built from stone. The site preserves thousands of carved figures that people left behind as offerings.

The sanctuary began in the 4th century BCE as a place where people left religious offerings and remained active for many centuries. It served as a pilgrimage site along an ancient trade route that connected communities.

The stone carvings show women in ceremonial dress that were left as votive offerings at the sanctuary. You can see how people expressed their connection to the sacred through these carved figures.

The site is relatively open and accessible, with a memorial marker from 1929 showing where it is. Plan to spend time walking around and examining the stone carvings scattered across the area.

The temple walls were built using stone blocks held together with lead clamps, a clever building method from ancient times. This construction technique shows the sophisticated knowledge builders had about making structures that would last.