Spheres in place
Round stone on the grass.
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The stone spheres of the Diquís are a group of more than 300 carved balls in southern Costa Rica, the best-known sculptures of their region from before Europeans arrived. The Finca 6 site is the best place to see them where they were left, and it is among the settlements inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 2014. The spheres are usually attributed to the extinct Diquís culture, and Finca 6 dates from the Aguas Buenas period, 300 to 800, and the Chiriquí period, 800 to 1550. They were found in the 1930s when the United Fruit Company was clearing jungle for bananas. Workmen pushed them aside with machinery and blew some up with dynamite, hoping for hidden gold, until the authorities stepped in. Their meaning remains uncertain. They range from a few centimetres to over 2 metres across and weigh up to 15 tons, most of them gabbro. They appear to have been shaped by hammering, then polished with sand. Here you see them scattered on grass among the trees, near two mounds with walls of river cobbles. The small museum has exhibits on the site and its people, with some spheres indoors. The site is 39.9 km in a straight line south-east of Uvita and 5.8 km north of Sierpe, about 8 km from Palmar Sur. The ground is hot and exposed, so bring a hat and water. Do not sit on or climb the spheres. Most sources give Tuesday to Sunday opening with Mondays closed, so check before you go.
Round stone on the grass.
Walls of river cobbles.
Exhibits on the site and its people.
Finca 6 Museum Site, Sierpe road, Diquís Delta
They are usually attributed to the Diquís culture, and their meaning remains uncertain.
Yes, nearby Sierpe is a common departure point for it.