News

The Embassy of Costa Rica in Washington, D.C. is proud to display a unique piece of our

cultural heritage: a pre-Columbian stone sphere, a national symbol of Costa Rica. We invite

everyone to visit our Embassy to experience this remarkable symbol of Costa Rican history

and tradition and to learn more about the art and culture of our country.

The Pre-Columbian Stone Spheres were declared a National Symbol of Costa Rica in April

2014, complementing UNESCO's declaration in the same year of four archaeological sites

with spheres in southern Costa Rica as World Heritage Sites. These spheres are primarily

located in the southern part of our country, in the alluvial plain of the Diquís River Delta (at

the confluence of the Sierpe and Grande de Térraba rivers), on the Osa Peninsula, and on

Caño Island.

It is believed that these spheres were crafted by the Diquís culture, a pre-Columbian

civilization that developed in Costa Rica, in the valley of the Grande de Térraba River,

known by the indigenous people as Diquís (Dí´Crí, meaning "great water"), in what is now

the canton of Osa, in the province of Puntarenas, in the southeast of the country.

We invite you to schedule a visit to the Embassy by making an appointment through our

email at embcr-us@rree.go.cr or by phone at (202) 758-8140.