South of Siquinala 9.5 km. along the road to Puerto San Jose is La Democracia, a nondescript Pacific Slope town that is hot day and night, rainy season and dry, which is located in the midst of a region populated from early times with - according to some archaeologists - mysterious cultural connections to Mexico's Gulf Coast.

One of the oldest civilizations in Central America lived in this area, more than 2000 years ago. Huge basalt heads have been found at the archaeological site called Monte Alto, on the outskirts of the town, and today are arranged around La Democracia main plaza, although many of the pieces are still where they were found, and some half buried.

Facing the plaza, along with the church and the modest Palacio Municipal, is the small, modern Ruben Chavez Van Dorne Museum, with other fascinating archaeological finds, which shows an exquisite jade mask, small figures used in the ball game, relief carvings and other objects make up the rest of this important small collection.