Alajuela, 10.5 miles west of San Jose and just hop northwest of Juan Santamaria International Airport, is Costa Rica’s second largest city. Its history goes back to 1782 when a collection of villages in the area founded a church, the center of religious, political and social life in the colonial era. Originally the new town was called La Juela, but anyone going into town would say, “ Voy a La Juela,” or, “I’m going to La Juela.” The name suck.
Alajuela City
Known for its mango trees and its soccer team, “La Liga,” Alajuela maintains a rural look about it with saddle shops, agricultural implements and old Jeep-style Land Rovers and Land Cruisers on the roads. But the city of mangoes also offers convenience. The airport is just a mile away. Express buses leave the SWA and TUASA bus stations every eight minutes for a comfortable 25-minutes ride to San Jose.
Buses to the Pacific beaches, San Ramon and Nicaragua pick up passengers at the radial, just west of the Mall International on the road to the airport. The city has many comfortable small hotels, bed-and-breakfast inns and restaurants, and there are many places nearby to enjoy the outdoors with easy prices and access by bus or car. And they are for anyone to enjoy, from kids to active grandparents. With the exception lo Los Chorros, all attractions in this article are wheelchair accessible.
Los Chorros The world chorro means “spouting water,” which can be a spring bubbling up or trickles of water squeezing through rock walls. At Los Chorros, they range from water dribbling off overhead ledges to a –food high waterfall that crashes into surrounding pools and rushes over boulders as it heads downstream and sends a cooling spray over a city block wide area.
It’s Pura Vida! It’s Costa Rica at it’s best. It’s a park hidden away in gorge.
Los Chorros is in Tecares on the old highway between Alajuela and Grecia. These hills and valleys prelude the western mountain range, and so far, is unsuitable for big, development. It’s still nature’s domain. This park is used mostly by locals, but nature lovers, sports lovers, scientists and regular folk from around the world find a haven here.
The waterfall, river and walks along rock shelves under main attractions. In summer when water level is low and the heat high, it’s a great to sit on the rocks in the rushing water and let the spray shower you. Or cross the river balancing from rock to rock. On sunny Sunday afternoons every rock is occupied. But that’s okay. Here everyone shares, including their rocks. Leave your watch at home, or a least in the picnic basket and forget the time. This is total body and mid relaxation.
Along the river paths you may encounter an orgy of butterflies on a spree or a column of caterpillars; a huge tree topped over the river with an enormous circle of roots up in the air or a higueron tree with buttresses big enough to hide in. Walking along the rock ledges under the mist and dripping overhangs or crossing the river on swinging plank bridges provide a little “dare.”
Trails through the jungle are everywhere, and some are more vigorous that others. Take your pick! Picnic tables and shanties for changing clothes are spaced around the area.
To reach Los Chorros, head west from Alajuela, turn right jus after the church of Tacares and after the middle brach up the road three kilometers. The parking lot charges $2, and the entrance to the park is $4 for visitors, 1500 colons for residents. By bus, the Grecia-Alajuela line can leave you of in Tacares and you can walk or take a cab to the park.
Los Trapiches
Trapiches
This green, woodsy park along the River Prendas in Santa Gertrudis de Grecia is a double attraction. On Sunday, it’s an open air party when the trapiche, or old sugar mill, operates and music fills the air. During the week, it’s a quiet retreat.
This 17-acre park was once a sugar farm big enough to have its own mill. On Sundays the huge water wheel starts rotating early in the morning to squeeze out and cook up sugar for a demonstration later in the day. But Sunday activities star with dog training classes with an experienced trainer.
The pools may be crowded on Sundays. They measure only square feet, but are fine for a quick splash in or a brief excursion across. The shallow pool is for kids or for sitting on the underwater steps – a refreshing way to share family or friendship time.
There are picnic tables along the river in the shade of towering trees. Bring a picnic from home or stop in Poas or Grecia to stock up. Covered outlets scattered around are let you plug in your radio or coffee maker. You can also supplement your picnic with food, beer and other beverages from the restaurant, or enjoy traditional food on the open air porch.
1868, wich may be surprising until you realize that Great Britain had sugar-producing colonies in the Caribbean. For Sunday demonstrations, the mill is put to work squeezing the liquid out of the sugar cane, later to be boiled up in enormous pailas until it is ready to be dipped into molds to harden into dulce de tapa or ladled into wooden bins for candy that is shared by all visitors.
A guide explains the process step by step. Another batch of sugar candy containing peanuts is hung on hooks and twisted until it becomes taffy.
In the Afternoon, there is music for dancing or karaoke, if it’s not training, take another splash in the pool or a turn rowing on the duck pond.
From Tuesdays to Fridays, few people visit the park, so there is space for quiet walks, and uncrowned swim in the pool or a contemplative day of rest in the arms of nature. The restaurant and bar are open Tuesday through Sunday.
Entrance to Los Trapiches is a 1000 colons ($2), which includes parking, the pool, the rowboats and the Sunday demonstration. Los Trapiches is between San Pedro de Poas and Grecia, but by car or bus it is shorter to go through Poas, turn left at any intersection and right about six kilometers to San Rafael and look for signs. From Grecia, follow the road past Cooperativa Victoria about 3.75 miles.
Poas Volcano National Park
Sarchi
The trip to Poas Volcano is popular but underrated, and is usually combined with other attractions leaving little time to explore this extensive park with its rugged trails and hauntingly beautiful forest, scarred and blackened by the sulfur and acid fumes from the crater. The volcano is often shoulder in clouds that can shift and blow at any moment, creating excitement among visitors as the immensity of the volcano comes into view from its filmy nest. Here is one of nature’s mysteries.
Yellow plumes of gas spout skyward from the side of the crater, though the gray-green water in the volcanic center looks as placid as a backyard pool. The scene fascinates, and tourists exclaim in different languages as it changes by the minute between sunshine and drifting clouds. The lookout are has platform for photos and better viewing.
With the park packed in clouds and light drizzle in the air, we wondered if this trip was a good idea as we followed the walk to the lookout at the crater. About 40 tourists stood at the guard rail trying to see a volcano through a solid white cloud. We wandered around trying to find spot of our own. It seemed crazy, starting at a solid bank of fog, but that’s what we came for. Then slowly, the mist began to drift and, as if a current had passed through the crowd, we all knew something was going to happen! As the mist moved to the right, the tourists moved to the left to watch the volcano emerge into view.
he clear area continued to expand until we could see the immensity of the volcano. Spectacular!
The visitors Center provides information on the volcano, the park and plants and animals within, plus some historical pictures of early excursions to the volcano for “medicinal” purposes. Sign the visitors’ book and peek at the names and countries of previous visitors. By now it’s time for a snack or lunch and a place to sit for a well-earned rest. The coffee shop on the upper level has hot coffee and pastries, table’s benches, and is a welcome sight. After eating and resting, there was still time to browse the souvenir shop for presents for friends and ourselves. By then the bus doors were open and gratefully climbed aboard to warm up and have a nap during the hour-15-minute ride back to Alalajuela.
Sarchi
Best known for oxcarts and furniture, Sarchi is a popular stop for tourists, but is more than just souvenir shops. Sarchi history, culture, and art, and can also be a great walking tour of this gently hilly town.
Poas Volcano
Sarchí, the capital of Valverde Vega country, is divided into Sarchí Norteand Sarchí Sur stretched along the highway. But stops, bridges and buildings are all adorned with traditional designs, the curlicues suggesting tropical flowers and leaves.
Sarchí is about four miles west of Grecia on a well marked road – a comfortable ride by car or bus through verdant coffee and sugar cane farms. The first stop along the route is the same family. Here visitors will find an unbelievable selection of typical Costa Rican and Sarchiseńo artistry, with oxcarts from miniature to furniture-sized, plus wooden ware, trays, desk accessories, wall hangings, animal carvings, clothing and paper products made from banana leaves and more showing the range of tipico crafts.
The plaza behind the store is an outdoor museum on cart lore and workshop where artists are busy crafting and painting. The displays of oxcart wheels show the emerging patterns over a century. Original wheels made from one round piece of wood soon wore down to “almost square.” Later ones have 16 triangles bound together in an iron rim. The restaurant next door, La Carreta, will serve your tipico entrees in a rustic indoor setting, or bring your food out the plaza for an outdoor lunch. During the summer season, you can ride around the plaza in an oxcart or have your picture taken with a boyero and his team of oxen.
The route from north to south is about a mile and sidewalks cover most of that. Traffic is not heavy. But remember, it’s hilly. Cabs and local buses can make the trip easier.
Continuing along the highway are two more interesting shops. Cooparsa is an artists’ cooperative with wooden, ceramic and woven souvenirs and gifts galore that include Café Rica, Salicsa and other products from the nearby national liquor factory in Grecia. Next door is La Ocarina where artist Ulises Pérez makes pre-Columbian reproductions and ceramic art. The restaurant La Finca in the Valley behind these two stores the tremendous views of the mountains and coffee plantations and lots of traditional style décor and food. For comfortable light lunching La Cajuela across the road from the shops has an ample menu and sells locally grown coffee.
Else Kientzler Botanical Garden
Else Kientzler Botanical Garden
Sarchí is also the home of the Else Kientzler Botanical Garden, just eight blocks north of the stadium. An offshoot of the company Innovaplant or Costa Rica which propagates tropical and other ornamental plants for export, the 17.3 acres open to the public let you walk through a jungle without fear of bugs and bites and people eating pests.
Attractive walkways, bridges and viewing platforms bring the sections together. Slightly more than a mile of paths take you around the gardens and loop back to the visitors center so that you can stop anywhere along the way. Visitors receive maps and can walk through the whole garden or just part of it. There are swinging benches if you want to stay in one area to observe or to rest. Signs identify all plants. Although 40% of the walks are considered handicapped accessible, there are some steep inclines.
For those who live here year-round, many plants may seem familiar, but there are also some truly exotic species from places as far-reaching as Indonesia, Australia and India. A sensory garden planted for the blind, and a fantastic children’s play area add to the garden’s offerings. The reception center has some plants on sale as well as books on Costa Rican biology, plus displays of butterflies and bugs that populate the area. Delicious coffee, cappuccino and bakery are available and there are tables and benches to refresh after the garden walk.
Geographical Division 
