Guayabo National Monument, strategically located near the base of Turrialba Volcano, protects Costa Rica's most important partially excavated archaeological site. The trails in the park give visitors the opportunity to walk through a charming piece of rainforest, in which the Guayabo ruins have been enveloped.
The ancient city was most likely built over the course of 100 years, about 1,000 to 1,100 years ago. Archaeologist believe it was occupied shortly before the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s.
The city, known as a chiefdom, was a key political, economic, and religious center. Power and influence extended to other smaller villages over hundreds of square miles.
Visitors to Guayabo will find circular mounds made from river cobblestones, connected by streets, passageways and terraces. Manmade underground aqueducts, fed by springs nearby, still flow to the city.
Cobble Stone Street
Guayabo Aqueducts 
Guayabo Entrance 
