In the Central Valley in the Province of Cartago, no more than 20 kilometres from the town of Turrialba you find one of Costa Rica’s most impressive pre-Colombian archaeological sites: the National Monument of Guayabo. The 218 hectares of the site of Guayabo became a national protected area in 1973 and is one of the most important and largest site in Costa Rica where you can see historic remains of the once dominant Indigenous culture that inhabited the region from the Province of Alajuela in the North all the way to Colombia, Venezuela and parts of Ecuador. The site of Guayabo has been populated for more than 2,400 years during the period of 1,000 before Christ to 1,400 AD. During those 24 centuries a number of constructions has been built in Guayabo; roads, aqueducts, water basins, statues, monoliths and stairs. The area of the archaeological site measures around 20 hectares and only a small part of it has been excavated. You will be in for some amazing discoveries. There are stone hills, with a circular foundation with a diameter between 10 and 30 metres and a height up to four and a half metre. Roads were built out of stone and also containe drainage channels used to collect and redirect rainwater. The network of roads in Guayabo stretches out for miles in different directions. Covered aqueducts would carry the water where needed and storage was provided by building rectangular storage tanks. Stone terraces with steps were constructed to overcome the distances in height of the site. On various stones you can find beautiful engravings. All the archaeological findings in Guayabo point in the direction of a highly developed Indigenous society like the Maya’s, Inca’s and Aztecs. It’s a pity that there is little known of the people who lived in the ancient city of Guayabo, because the site was abandoned for unknown reasons before the arrival of the Spanish conquerors in the 16th century. Although the most attractive aspect of visiting the National Monument of Guayabo are the historic reminders of an ancient culture, there is more to explore. The area around the site is an evergreen pre-mountain rainforest with a dense lush vegetation. Not only a perfect spot for bird watching, but it also contains a multitude of special botanic marvels. The artefacts that were found in Guayabo are now on display in the National Museum of Costa Rica in San Jose, 85 kilometres from the place were they were found. The small town of Santa Cruz, just outside the protected area of the National Monument of Guayabo is a perfect place to make stop. Not only on the visit to Guayabo, but also the close by National Park of Turrialba with the impressive volcano.