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The most important archeological site in Costa Rica, the MONUMENTO NACIONAL GUAYABO (daily 8am-3.45pm; US$6) lies 19km northeast of Turrialba and 84km from San Jose - it was discovered by explorer Anastasio Alfaro at the end of the nineteenth century, but not excavated until the late 1960s. Guayabo belongs to the archeological-cultural area known as Intermedio , which begins roughly in the province of Alajuela and extends to Venezuela, Colombia and parts of Ecuador. Archeologists believe that Guayabo was inhabited from about 1000 BC to 1400 AD; most of the heaps of stones and basic structures now exposed were erected between 300 and 700 AD. The central mound is the tallest circular base unearthed so far, with two staircases and pottery remains on the very top. There are daily buses to Guayabo from Turrialba (Mon-Sat at 11am & 5.15pm, returning at 12.30 & 5.30; Sun at 9am, returning at 4pm), though the inconvenient timetable means you either have not enough or too much time at the site. Alternatively, you could walk back to the main road, a four-kilometre downhill hike, and then intercept the bus that goes from the hamlet of Santa Teresita to Turrialba. It currently passes by at about 1.30pm, but you should double-check the times with the guardaparques or you might be left standing at the crossroads for 24 hours. Driving from Turrialba takes about thirty minutes. The last 4km is on a bad gravel road - passable with a regular car, but watch your clearance. Taxis charge US$13 from Turrialba.
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