Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [106]
Finca Rosa Blanca(2269-9392; www.fincarosablanca.com; d US$295-520; ) Set in the midst of a hillside coffee plantation just outside of Santa Bárbara, this honeymoon-ready confection of suites and villas is cloaked in fruit trees that shade private trails. Fifteen sparkling white adobe rooms with wood-beam ceilings and private balconies are lavishly appointed; one tops a tower with a 360-degree view, reached by a winding staircase made from a tree trunk. Shower in an artificial waterfall, take a moonlit dip in the pool, have an organic citrus-coffee bath soak at the spa – or, better yet, dip into a very romantic dinner at the hotel’s recommended restaurant (mains US$18-26; ), which serves locally focused dishes, such as mountain trout with sweet-corn ragout. Credit cards accepted.
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Getting There & Around
Half-hourly buses travel between Heredia and Barva (₡400, 20 minutes), picking up and dropping off in front of the church.
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CARTAGO AREA
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The riverbank setting of the city of Cartago was handpicked by Spanish Governor Juan Vásquez de Coronado, who said that he had ‘never seen a more beautiful valley.’ Cartago was founded as Costa Rica’s first capital in 1563, and Coronado’s successors endowed the city with fine colonial architecture. However, as things tend to happen in Costa Rica, the city was destroyed during a 1723 eruption of the Volcán Irazú. Any remaining landmarks were toppled by the earthquakes in 1841 and 1910.
Although the city was relegated to backwater status when the seat of government moved to San José in 1823, the surrounding area, particularly the Orosi Valley, flourished during the days of the coffee trade. Today much of the region continues to be devoted to the production of coffee, among other agricultural products. And though Cartago no longer has the prestige of being a national capital, it nonetheless remains a vital commercial hub – not to mention the site of the most important religious monument in the country.
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CARTAGO
pop 24,100
After the rubble was cleared, in the early 20th century, nobody bothered to rebuild Cartago to its former quaint specifications. As in other commercial towns, expect plenty of functional concrete structures. One exception is the bright white Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, which is visible from many parts of the city, standing out like a snowcapped mountain above a plane of one-story edifices. It is considered to be the holiest religious shrine in Costa Rica and has been rebuilt several times, after each of the city’s natural disasters.
The city is thrown briefly into the spotlight every August, when pilgrims from every corner of the country descend on the basilica to say their most serious prayers. The remainder of the year, Cartago exists mainly as a commercial and residential center, though the beauty of the surrounding mountains helps take the edge off modern life.
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Orientation & Information
The city is based on a grid system with a public square at its heart. As always, street signs are infrequent. There is no tourist office.
Hospital Max Peralta (2550-1999; www.hmp.sa.cr; Av 5 btwn Calles 1 & 3) Offers emergency health care, among other services.
Internet Alta Velocidad (Calle 1 btwn Avs 1 & 3; per hr ₡300; 7:30am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8am-7pm Sat, 9am-6pm Sun) You can check email here, 50m south of the Parque Central.
Scotiabank (2591-9000; cnr Av 2 & Calle 2; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Changes money and has a 24-hour ATM that accepts foreign cards.
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Sights
The most important site in Cartago – and the most venerated religious site in the country – the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles (cnr Av 2 & Calle 16) channels any airy Byzantine grace, with fine stained-glass windows and ornate side chapels featuring carved wood altars. Though the structure has changed many times since 1635, when it was first built, the relic that it protects remains