t Surveying the sweep of the Guayabo’s mysterious causeway from a viewing point
On the southern slope of Volcán Turrialba, Guayabo is the nation’s most important pre-Columbian site, comprising the remains of a city that is thought to have had a population of 20,000 at its peak. It became a designated national monument in 1973.
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t Getting to know the site with a guide
Although minor in scale compared to the Mayan remains of Mexico or Machu Picchu in Peru, the site is shrouded in just as much mystery. Most of the site is yet to be thoroughly excavated, but there is much to convince archaeologists that the site is of great cultural and religious significance. Believed to have been inhabited between 1500 BC and AD 1400, Guayabo is said to have supported a population as high as 20,000, before being abandoned for reasons unknown. The jungle quickly reclaimed the town, which was discovered in the late 18th century by naturalist Don Anastasio Alfaro. The peaceful site features residential mounds, the remains of petroglyphs, and a system of paved roads. Most impressive are walled aqueducts and still-funcitonal cisterns. Pottery, flint tools, gold ornaments, and other finds unearthed at the site are displayed in San José’s Museo Nacional.
Insider Tip
Mystic Nights
Join a local guide for a magical Mystic Night Tour and discover the site after dark. Atmospherically lit tours are given by certified guides (www.usurecr.org), who unravel – at least some – of the site’s secrets.
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PETROGLYPHS
Excavations around Guayabo have revealed a wealth of petroglyphs, the prehistoric artform achieved by incising, picking, carving, or abrading a rock surface. The most noteworthy of the petroglyphs scattered around the site are along the Sendero de los Montículos. The Monolitho Jaguar y Lagarto has a lizard lounging on one side and, on the other, a spindly bodied jaguar with a round head.