Monumento Nacional Guayabo

On our way to limon we stopped at Guayabo National Monument, on the sides of the smoking Turrialba Volcano. The monument is home to the most imporant archeological site in Costa Rica. It contains the remains of numerous towns and their artifacts and also protects a large portion of temporate rain forest that is home to many tropical creatures. The towns located here were already abandoned when the Spanish arrived in the sixteenth century, but evidence suggests that their cities were once an extremely important religous sites for tribes of peoples ranging from Colombia to Guatemala. Satelite photos have revealed markers and networks of roads that lead to this quiet mountain side from all over Costa Rica.

The sight has also been decalred a World Heritage Engineering site due to its complex system of aqueducts (Seen to the right is one of the source fountains). The aqueducts are still working today, which is sort of ironic in a country where there are still days where parts of the city go without water or electricity for entire mornings and afternoons. The complex system of source fountains, filtration, and holding containers that brought water to various points and homes throughout the towns.

The short hikes there provide some spectacular views of the sites in its entirety and reveal diffent graves and monoliths that dot the hill sides. Sadly a large portion of the artifacts have been removed from there resting places and a few can be found in the National Museum in San Jose. Depsite its being picked over what remains is impressive and bas been compared to sites such as the famous Machu Picho of Peru making it well worth the while despite its being a little off the beaten path.

Model of how the town used to be

Tombs