Guayabo National Monument
Landmark · San José & Central Valley
Costa Rica's most important pre-Columbian site: stone causeways, mound foundations, aqueducts that still carry water and petroglyphs, all wrapped in rainforest.
- Cost
- about $5
- Time there
- 2 h
- Best time
- morning
- Kids
- 7 / 10
- View
- 6 / 10
- Crowds
- 2 / 10
- Swimming
- 0 / 10
- Effort
- 4 / 10
- Location
- 9.972254, -83.690049 — Google Maps
Tip
Hire one of the inexpensive guides at the ticket booth — without one the stones are hard to read.
Be careful
Trails are muddy and slippery after rain; wear closed shoes and bring repellent.
Getting there
National monument with a small entrance fee (about $5–10 for foreigners); open daily about 8:00–15:30. It can close temporarily during weather alerts, as in August 2026 — check SINAC.
Places nearby
- Aquiares Coffee & Community ExperienceParks & Wildlife · from $38A large historic coffee estate near Turrialba that offers a two-hour coffee tour, a full-day estate program, horseback rides through the plantation and bird-watching walks.
- Bocadito de CieloFood & CoffeeMountaintop restaurant on the road to Turrialba with panoramic views and old photographs of Cartago on the walls, serving Costa Rican plates with a coffee and crafts store at the back.
- Rios LodgeStays · from $2,524Off-grid eco-lodge on the Pacuare River that guests reach by raft or on foot, inside a 1,000-hectare private rainforest reserve.
- Pacuare LodgeStays · from $150Luxury eco-lodge of 20 thatched bungalows on the banks of the Pacuare River.
- Sueños del IrazúFood & CoffeeTraditional restaurant on the way up to Irazú volcano with views of nature and a nearby river, known for hearty homemade soups, beef soup and fried fish.
Sources: OpenStreetMap way/249848477 · Wikidata Q5614364 · https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/249848477 · https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayabo_National_Monument · https://visitcostarica.com/blog/find-out-about-admission-feesand-hours-operation-costa-ricas-national-parks · https://www.delfino.cr/2026/08/monumento-nacional-guayabo-y-el-parque-nacional-volcan-turrialba-reanudan-atencion-al-publico-tras-cierre-preventivo