Costa Rica's Guayabo National Monument is the largest and most important archaeological site discovered in Costa Rica. The appearance of human occupation appears to date back to 500 B.C.. Its main development took place between 800 and 1,400 A.D.,when the stone structures which are still standing today were built. A series of villages is thought to have existed around the central area, providing shelter for a rural population of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people.
The monuments main architectural features are: cobble-paved causeways and streets; terraced stairways, designed to overcome the differences in height between the causeways and mounds; retaining walls; bridges; mounds used as foundations for housing; open and walled-in aqueducts, many still in use today; and cisterns, rectangular structures where water from the aqueducts was stored.
There are petroglyphs everywhere, some representing animals such as birds and cats, and others which do not appear to have any significance. Ceremonial monolithic tables, petroglyphs, pottery shards, and other items are also found at the site. In addition, an example of the tall, evergreen forests typical of the region is found here. The predominant trees include the elm, bitter cedar, manni and magnolia.
Fauna is scarce because of the monument's small size. Birds are the most conspicuous, the most numerous being toucans and Montezuma oropendolas. Some species of insects, lizards, frogs, and toads are common to the area.
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