Alajuela

HistoryIn Alajuela you'll find the most important International airport of Costa Rica called Juan Santamaría. Also in this province you'll find a great variety of birds, fruit trees, flowers, mountains, volcanoes, rivers and forests. Many of these treasures are guarded in different National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and Protected Areas. For instance, the Poás Volcano National Park, with one of themost spectacular volcanoes hosts different habitats like the one for the beautiful bird called Quetzal. |
During the pre-Columbian time, Alajuela was occupied by an indigenous group called 'Huetares' in the south and 'Votos', 'Guatusos', 'Tices' and 'Catapas' in the north. In 1574 the indigenous reservation of Santa Catalina was founded which today is the Canton of Mateo. |
The 12th ofOctober of 1782 Monseñ or Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán, Obispo of Nicaragua and Costa Rica baptized a public oratory that was built in a neighborhood called 'La Lajuela', which was located at equal distances of all of the neighbors of the barrios called La Lajuela, Pú as, Targuás, Ciruelas and Río Grande between the rivers Ciruelas and Alajuela. In 1790 it was declared a Parish Church. This oratorio wasthe base for the urban development of the city of Alajuela, capital of the province. |
General InformationThe provincial capital of Alajuela lies about 18km (as the crow fiies) northwest of San José. The city is on a gently sloping hill that has an altitude of 920m on the southwestern side of town, rising to 970m on the northeastern side. It is about 200m lower than San José and has a slightlywarmer cIimate, thus attracting josefinos on summer outings. Alajuela's town center is a slightly scaleddown version of the busy market areas in San José, but it generally enjoys a more unhurried pace of than the nearby capital. Several nearby villages and other attractions (the Butterfiy Farm and Zoo Ave) are popular places.The city is the second-Iargest city in Costa Rica. It was founded in 1782.The original name was Villa Hermosa, but no 18th-century architecture survives. The Juan Santamaría International Airport, serving San José, is only 2.5km southeast of Alajuela. This makes Alajuela a convenient alternative to more bustling and smoggy San José for those using the airport. |
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The Cantones of Alajuela
Cantón 1:  Alajuela
Cantón 2:  San Ramón
Cantón 3:  Grecia
Cantón 4:  SanMateo
Cantón 5:  Atenas
Cantón 6:  Naranjo
Cantón 7:  Palmares
Cantón 8:  Poás
Cantón 9:  Orotina
Cantón 10:  San Carlos
Cantón 11:  Alfaro Ruíz
Cantón 12:  Valverde Vega
Cantón 13:  Upala
Cantón 14:  Los Chiles
Cantón 15:  Guatuso

Some Facts
Size:  9,753 km2
Population :  590,000
Coordinates:  10º, 27',46" north and 84º, 48', 25" west
Borders:  North: Nicaragua; south: San José;South West: Puntarenas; West: Guanacaste
Capital:  Alajuela
Annextion:  1825

* Avellanas
* Azul
* Bahía Ballena
* Barco
* Barrigona
* Bejuco
* Black
* Blanca
* Bonita
* Boca Barranca
* Boca Damas
* Brasilito
* Buena Vista
* Cabuya
* Cacao
* Camaronal
* Carbón
* Caribbean North
* Carmen
* Carrillo
* Chiquita* Cocalito
* Cocles
* Conchal
* Corozalito
* Coyote
* Cuajiniquil
* Danta
* Del Coco
* Dominical
* Doña Ana
* Drake Bay
* El Rey
* Escondida
* Espadilla
* Esterillos Este
* Esterillos Oeste
* Flamingo
* Garza
* Grande
* Hermosa (Guanacaste)
* Hermosa (Jacó)
* Herradura
* Iguanita
* Isla Uvita
* Islita* Jacó
* Junquillal
* Langosta
* Mal País
* Manuel Antonio
* Manzanillo
* Matapalo
* Montezuma
* Nacazcolo
* Naranjo
* Negra
* Nosara
* Ocotal
* Organos
* Ostional
* Panamá
* Pan de Azúcar
* Pavones
* Pelada
* Penca
* Piñuela
* Playas Del Coco
* Playita Manuel Antonio
* Pochote
* Portete
*...