The Diquís Delta Stone Spheres and the former Chiefdom settlements of the pre-Columbian era consist of four archaeological sites, located in the southern part of Costa Rica’s Diquís Delta. They are considered a unique example of social, economic, and political development from 500 to 1500 AD, and were inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2014.

This cultural heritage site is made up of man-made mounds, paved areas, burial sites, and the incredible stone spheres of Costa Rica. The stone spheres of Costa Rica, found in the Diquís Delta and on the Isla del Caño, number over three hundred. They are stone carvings created by Costa Rica’s indigenous people from around 200 BC to 1500 AD, mostly made of granodiorite. These spheres vary in size, with the largest ones having a diameter of 6.6 feet (approximately 2.57 meters) and the smallest ones just a few centimeters in diameter. The surface of the spheres is exceptionally smooth and polished, displaying intricate and mysterious patterns such as straight lines, diagonal lines, triangles, and interwoven shapes. Their production and purpose remain a mystery.

Precolumbian chiefdom settlements with stone spheres of the Diquís

Reasons to visit: Inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2014

Continent: North America

Country: Costa Rica

Province: Puntarenas Province