Turrialba Surroundings - Guayabo National Monument Monumento Nacional Guayabo
This is Costa Rica's most important archaeological site. Excavations at Guayabo have uncovered stone aqueducts, cobbled roads, mounds, walls and petroglyphs, although the majority of the ruins have yet to be excavated. Guayabo became a national monument in 1973, and the latest excavations began in 1989 and are still underway.
The monument covers 218ha/513ac, and the archaeological site covers 10% of the monument while the remainder is premontane forest.
The monument covers 218ha/513ac, and the archaeological site covers 10% of the monument while the remainder is premontane forest.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The protected forest is some of the last of its kind in the Cartago province, and a few species of birds and small mammals can be seen. There are picnic and camping areas as well as trails within the monument.
The pre-history and significance of the site are still unclear, however it seems to have been inhabited since 1000 BC. Guayabo's development peaked c800 AD with approximately 10,000 people living there. Abandoned by 1400 AD, Guayabo is believed to be an important cultural, political and religious center but specific details have yet to be discovered.
The Spanish conquistadors and settlers did not leave any record as to whether they found the ruins, and local naturalist and explorer Anastasio Alfaro rediscovered Guayabo in the late 19th C. Some pieces discovered by Alfaro are displayed in the National Museum. Systematic excavations began in 1968 with archaeologist Carlos Aguilar Piedra of the University of Costa Rica.
The pre-history and significance of the site are still unclear, however it seems to have been inhabited since 1000 BC. Guayabo's development peaked c800 AD with approximately 10,000 people living there. Abandoned by 1400 AD, Guayabo is believed to be an important cultural, political and religious center but specific details have yet to be discovered.
The Spanish conquistadors and settlers did not leave any record as to whether they found the ruins, and local naturalist and explorer Anastasio Alfaro rediscovered Guayabo in the late 19th C. Some pieces discovered by Alfaro are displayed in the National Museum. Systematic excavations began in 1968 with archaeologist Carlos Aguilar Piedra of the University of Costa Rica.
