Guayabo

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Guayabo is an archeological site located in Turrialba, Costa Rica. The site is of great archeological and cultural importance even though a very small portion of the city has actually been uncovered and studied. The monument covers 540 acres (218 ha) and is located on the forested southern slope of Volcán Turrialba. The settlement was occupied between 1000 B.C. and A.D. 1400 after which it was mysteriously abandoned. The reason is still unclear and the Spanish Conquistadors and settlers did not leave any record as to whether they found the ruins.

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.

You will find a wide array of stone paved streets, round platforms which were the base for wooden structures, aqueducts, ponds, carved stone designs and drawings of animals.