The Diquis Stone Spheres of Costa Rica: An Archeological Mystery

Costa Rica, the popular tropical vacation destination, is well known for its beautiful beaches, luxury vacation rentals and exotic hotel resorts. However, Costa Rica is rich in culture and history as well. For those visitors to Costa Rica looking for a little history and mystery, there are the mysterious Diquis Stone Spheres to explore and experience.

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Much like Stonehenge in the United Kingdom or the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the enigmatic Diquis Stones in Costa Rica are shrouded in uncertainty. Scattered across the Diquis Delta in Southern Costa Rica, these spherical pre Colombian artifacts have been found in varying degrees and sizes. From small sphere stones the size of a mango, to stones as tall as a man, the Disquis Stones are all almost perfectly spherical and have been painstakingly carved out of granite, andesite and other sedimentary stone.

Who carved these strange stone oddities in Costa Rica? How old are the Spheres and what are they for? Much speculation exists on these subjects. This much is certain: there is no nearby source for the type of stone the Spheres are made of, which means that these pre Colombian artifacts must have been moved great distances. Also, horses and cattle are not indigenous to Costa Rica, so it is likely that these Costa Rica stones  were pushed or rafted to the places where they were discovered. No stone carving tools have been discovered near the stones, so the Spheres must have been expertly carved in other locations in Costa Rica. Even stranger, more spheres made of the same materials have been unearthed on the Costa Rica island of Isla del Cano, an island some 20 kilometers west of the Southern Pacific coast.

For those visitors on a vacation in Costa Rica who want to see these strange Disquis Spheres, quite a few of these pre Colombian stone artifacts are on display at the Museo Nacional in San Jose, although many are on display nearer their home in the Diquis Delta on the Southern Pacific coast, such as Bahia Drake or the Palma Sur area. Some common, fanciful legends attached to the Disquis Stone Spheres of Costa Rica is that they are evidence of the sunken city of Atlantis, or that they are artifacts left behind from ancient space traveling aliens. More academic theories claim that they may have been used as road markers, been ammunition in catapults, or served to mark the pathway for spirits journeying to the afterlife.

In any event, these mysterious stone spheres are unique to Costa Rica and the indigenous people who lived in the Disquis Delta. Visiting the Disquis Stone Spheres may add a little magic and imagination to your vacation in Costa Rica. At least 300 Diquis Spheres have been reported discovered since the 1930’s, and it is safe to say that even more have been destroyed or remain unfound.