Alajuela
General Information:
Travel
to Costa Rica
Climate: Many
associate Alajuela with the warm and sunny climate
that characterizes the city of the same name and the
various towns in the western end of the Central Valley
that also belong to this large and populous province.
However, the vast majority of the provincial territory
lies on the other side of the volcanic cordilleras,
extending north to the Nicaraguan border. This sprawling
area in the northern lowlands is under the influence
of weather conditions coming in off the Caribbean
Sea and was formerly covered in extensive tracts of
majestic rain forest. Recent agricultural colonization
of the northern frontier has severely altered the
natural landscape (witness the paucity of national
parks in the region), and very likely has affected
the climate to some degree, resulting in hotter and
slightly drier conditions, even though this is still
an area of high annual rainfall (local inhabitants
claim it rains 13 months out of the year). Even wetter,
and much cooler, conditions exist along the Caribbean-facing
slopes of the cordilleras, which reach a height of
2,704 meters above sea level on the summit of Poás
Volcano.
History: Following
the establishment of the city of Cartago in the latter
part of the 16th century, the incipient population
began expanding westward. By the beginning of the
18th century, the population of Heredia had grown
such that it became a second base of expansion, again
to the west.
To the Catholic colonists
one drawback to founding new settlements was the inherent
difficulty in attending mass when living far from
the established towns. For this reason, in 1782, a
new parish that included several small settlements
scattered to the west of Heredia was formed in a site
known as La Lajuela. Over
time this place name evolved into Alajuela, which
was also known as Villa Hermosa, "beautiful
village."
The settlement of the
northern portion of this province only began in earnest
in the later half of the 19th century, and even so
did not reach great proportions until the second half
of the 20th century owing largely to the difficult
access. In fact, much of the original colonization
(apart from that of the Botos tribes who had inhabited
the region for centuries prior to the coming of the
Spaniards) came not from Costa Rica, but from Nicaragua
since numerous navigable rivers flow north from their
origins in the cordilleras and empty into either Lake
Nicaragua or the San Juan River. This natural geographic
connection was used (and to some extent still is today)
by people coming from Nicaragua in search of new land
or for exploiting forest products (e.g., hunting,
rubber tapping, and extracting ipecac root).
In the last few decades,
with an extensive network of all-weather roads constructed
in this once isolated region, cattle and crop production
have come to dominate the countryside and a thriving
agricultural economy now exists which supplies much
of the nation's corn, beans, and fruit and vegetable
produce.
National Parks:
1) Caño
Negro National Wildlife Refuge
2) Arenal
National Park
3) Poás
Volcano National Park
4) Juan
Castro Blanco National Park
5) Guanacaste
National Park
6) Rincón
de la Vieja National Park
Other Points of Interest:
1) Topiary in town park
of Zarcero: This picturesque
mountain town lies 67 kilometers northwest of San
José. At an elevation of 1700 meters, the air
temperature is pleasantly refreshing. The principal
attraction is the town square in front of the church
with its amusing variety of forms and figures (elephants,
monkeys riding bicycles, helicopters, etc.) that have
been shaped out of ciprés, a common
type of conifer planted at higher elevations around
the country. For admirers of religious architecture,
the church is well worth taking a look at.
Taking the PanAmerican
highway (Rt. 1) west out of San José, take
the Naranjo exit and follow signs (or ask) for Ciudad
Quesada. Zarcero is perched on the rim of the Central
Valley (17 km. north of Naranjo) before you start
to drop down to the northern plains of the San Carlos
region.
2) Wood-working and
painting in Sarchí: Around the turn of
the 20th century, an artistic-minded person working
for the La Luisa coffee mill, near the village of
Sarchí, had the notion to paint colorful designs
on the sides and wooden wheels of an oxcart. The idea
caught on and eventually most Costa Rican oxcarts
sported gay geometric designs.
Nowadays, this veritable
national symbol is becoming a vanishing species due
to the greater speed and versatility of pick-up trucks
and 4X4 vehicles. However, the production of hand-painted
oxcarts is as prolific as ever--only now they come
in miniaturized versions destined for the souvenir
trade. The village of Sarchí has evolved into
the center of this production and numerous shops dot
the main road through town. Several of these souvenir
outlets have back rooms where the visitor is welcome
to enter and watch the local craftspeople at work
as they paint the decorative patterns.
The church in the center
of town is also noteworthy. Painted in pastel shades
of green and pink, it somehow looks more like a wedding
cake than a church.
The town is located 53
km. northwest of San José. Driving westbound
on the PanAmerican highway (Rt. 1), take either the
Grecia or Naranjo exits and follow signs (or ask)
for Sarchí. The distance from the highway is
less if you take the Naranjo exit, although this means
driving a bit farther west and doubling back.
3) La Virgen del Socorro:
This is an area at about 700 meters in elevation
along the forested canyon of the Sarapiquí
River that has been a favorite with birdwatchers
and butterfly enthusiasts for many years. Prior to
the opening of the road through Braulio
Carrillo National Park, this was one of the most
accessible mid-elevation Caribbean slope sites for
those coming from the Central Valley. Many of the
butterfly species found in this altitudinal belt have
very limited geographic distributions. Among the birds,
hummingbirds and tanagers are particularly plentiful
and include the Black-crested Coquette, Green Thorntail,
Coppery-headed Emerald (known only from Costa Rica),
Crimson-collared Tanager, Emerald Tanager, and Silver-throated
Tanager.
The place name actually
refers to an agricultural community that a gravel
road and an old rusting iron bridge over the rushing
Sarapiquí River link with the rest of the world.
For the purposes of a natural history outing, all
that you need do is park your car just off the paved
road and stroll down the gravel road until you feel
like turning around and hiking back up. The bridge
makes a good goal if you need one, and in addition
to being just an incredibly pleasant place to sit
and watch the mountain stream, it's also a good place
to find American Dippers and Torrent Tyrannulets,
two bird species that favor this habitat.
To get there, drive to
Vara Blanca -- in the saddle between Poás
Volcano and Barva
Volcano --
and follow Rt. 9 north. About two kilometers beyond
Isla Bonita, look for a sign welcoming you to La Virgen
del Socorro and a sharp right-hand turn onto the gravel
road (if you come to Cariblanco, you've gone too far).
On the way down from
Vara Blanca there are two magnificent waterfalls.
The first comes thundering down right beside the road
and can't be missed. This is known as Catarata
de La Paz, since it is on the Río La
Paz (Peace River), which originates near the summit
of Poás Volcano. The second falls is farther
from the road, but unless it is very cloudy, is not
easily missed. Be looking down across the river gorge
on your right as you come into the village of Cinchona,
and you'll see this impressively high waterfall as
it spills into the Sarapiquí River. A small
roadside (former) restaurant nearby has a great view
of the falls and also has put out several hummingbird
feeders, so you can get some terrific close-up views
of these swift creatures.
4) Fraijanes Recreational
Park: This 18-hectare recreational park, located
en route to Poás Volcano, was created
by the Tourism Board (I.C.T.) in the early 1980's.
It is a popular picnic area among the local populace,
especially when the weather is less than ideal at
the summit of the volcano.
A small man-made lake
forms the centerpiece of the park and a series of
trails wind through the partly forested grounds. If
the park is not too crowded, the birdwatching here
can be productive with such species as White-eared
Ground-Sparrow, Yellow-throated Brush-Finch, White-throated
Spadebill, Steely-vented Hummingbird, and Greyish
Saltator in residence.
The park is located 15
km. north of Alajuela, on the road to Poás
Volcano National Park, and is open from 9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. There is a small
entrance fee and charge for using the parking lot.
5) Juan Santamaria
Museum:
Located one block north
of Alajuela's Central Park (across the street from
the Credomatic office), this museum is dedicated to
the historic events that occurred in the mid-1850's
when William Walker attempted to gain control of much
of Central America. Hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Phone:
441-4775.
