Finca 6 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second archaeological site in Costa Rica open to the public. The museum tells the story of the mysterious Diquís spheres of the Diquís delta, where they were created and unearthed. Visitors can walk throughout this ancient land to observe the spheres and other artifacts in their original size and site.
Getting There
Drive 1½ hours south along Ruta 223 from Térraba through Palmar Norte and follow the signs. Turn carefully onto the dirt path leading to the visitors center. Cross a narrow, one-way bridge before arriving at the parking lot.
Visitors Center
Not only is this the place where you get your tickets and can use the restroom, but it also helps visitors get to grips with the site's unique history. As you enter, an animated movie tells stories of indigenous legends, and there are cases full of artifacts and information about the relevance of the spheres (in English and Spanish). There are ancient vessels and small replicas of what indigenous homes looked like. Exhibits explain how the environment affected all aspects of their lives. It sets visitors up to imagine pre-Columbian life and understand what they see on the grounds.
Punto 5/Point 5
It's worth spending the time to take the Settlements Trail (1150m) to see the full site. The first stop, Punto 5, was formerly a funeral and burial ground, but because of years of looting and farming, it's no longer recognizable as such. There are gatherings of relatively small stones halfway submerged in the earth, scattered fragments of artifacts and a sign explaining the effect of looting on the land and the culture.
Mounds
After walking past a cable railway connecting to an adjacent banana farm, this section houses two spheres used as base structures for pre-Columbian homes. Although the homes no longer exist, a diagram on the site explains how cone-shaped structures were created as a way of showing community rank and power, and also to prevent flooding.
Alignments
The largest part of the section is the "in-situ" spheres, which means they are half-buried and were never moved. You only see a portion of the sphere sticking out of the ground – a piece known as the "crown" – not the full spheres as on display in the Mounds section or in Museo Comunitario Indígena de Boruca.
The spheres were aligned and arranged intentionally by the land's original inhabitants, particularly to mark where celebrations took place and also to show hierarchy. The signage notes how these massive stone spheres were made and mobilized and hints at the community's collective effort. From April through August, the group of three spheres aligns with the sun at its peak.
Collection of Spheres
The section contains over a dozen various-sized spheres that you can touch and inspect. The Museo Nacional de Costa Rica recovered them from various looters through numerous court proceedings, seizures and returns.
