File:My Landscape symbols 3 Guayabo National Monument.jpg

Guayabo National Monument was an ancient indigenous city populated from 1000 before Christ to 1400 after Christ. According to the latest research the city was abandoned before the arrival of the Spaniards. It was composed of mounds, conical houses, causeways, tombs and an incredible hydraulic system. The city was strategically located in a Valley, between two rivers with a visual finish to another very important natural symbol, the Turrialba volcano. The city was buried for a long time, until several archaeologists rediscovered it. In 1973 it began with the recovery of the site that was declared, at that time, National Monument, becoming the largest archaeological site in the country. In 2009 it was declared a World Heritage Site due to the complexity of its aqueducts. In addition, nowadays a remnant of evergreen pre-montane rainforest is protected. This site is still part of the identity of the Costa Rican and although it is no longer used as a city but as a place to visit, it can help us understand how a pre-Columbian city worked in our territory. The image is taken from “the Encounter” Viewpoint that shows a mound landscape surrounded by the forest. Although today conical houses cannot be seen because of their biodegradable condition, it is possible to imagine them and go back in time to visualize the city in its splendor.