Cartago City

Imagine driving through some of Costa Rica's most diverse and scenic areas. Volcanoes, paramo, highland cloud forest, picturesque valleys, rainforest jungles, and verdant, green mountains await you.

Explore some of the most authentic Costa Rican villages like Paraiso, Orosi and Pacayas, which still conserve nearly all of the Costa Rican heritage.

Just miles away from Pacayas, you find the Turrialba Volcano, an area of great natural beauty and virtually unexplored.

Next to the volcano, you will be impressed with the majestic view of the Irazu Volcano, one of the most visited national parks in the country.

Another wonderful area to explore is the Turrialba Valley, un interesting, small farming town known as "Little Switzerland". Here, you can visit the Guayabo National Monument, un archaeological site built over 3,000 year ago.

White water rafting in the famous Pacuare river, hiking the Tapanti National Park, birdwatching at the Marta Wildlife Refuge, or just walking downtown Orosi and seeing Costa Rica's oldest church, are a few things you can do in the area.

Turrialba Volcano National Park

Located at the eastern-most point of the Central Volcanic Moutain Range, only an hour and a half from Paraiso de Cartago. At 10,958 feet, it is the second tallest volcano, after Irazu. Its activity dates back to 1864 and has increased in the past years. It has three craters within the "caldera" boiler area. The main ones spew sulphur-rich gases with temperatures of up to 482°F Surrounding vegetation seems yellowish-orange.

Located within the Turrialba County, visitors must first get to the village of La Pastora to start the 4.4 mile hike to the summit. On the way to the top, the impressive Talamanca Mountain Range ca be seen in the horizon. Approximate hiking time is two and a half hours.

Irazu Volcano National Park

Through one of the contry's most scenic, winding paved roads up the slopes of the Central Volcanic Mountain Range you will find the Volcan Irazu National Park an active volcano and the highest one in the country. A short walk from the parking lot will take visitors to the rim of the main crater. On the way you can see Diego de la Haya crater and the old "Caldera". This volcano is famous for its eruptive period during 1963 to 1965, when it spread thousands of tons of ashes all over the Central Valley. Its name means Thunder Mountain. Warm clothes are a must, since temperatures may reach 44.l°F during the day.

Lankester Botanical Gardens

The place for orchid lovers to have a blast with the different local and exotic varieties. This 26.4 acre farm, named after orchid pioneer, Charles Lankester, boasts a large array of plants, including a cactus garden, palms and a bamboo collection. The gardens are now part of the University of Costa Rica, that offers courses on how to grow and care for orchids. Here, you can stroll by yourself or take a guided tour. You'll see lots of epiphytes, such as bromeliads and mosses. Birds, butterflies and bees are among the list of pollinators who complement this beautiful experience.

The Gayabo National Monument

Costa Rica's largest native archaeological site, only 11.8 miles northeast of Turrialba. Declared a National Monument in 1973, it protects 538 acres of patches of evergreen, pre-mountainous, pluvial forest. Populated from 1000 BC to 1400 AC, archaeologists have demostrated the influence of indigenous cultures from North and South America.

Walk through a complex series of stone transit pathways that served as a drainage system, and observe the ancient settlement's amazing water tanks and purification aqueducts. View monoliths, carved volcanic rock, metal and ceramic objects, as well as sloths, coyotes, foxes, tyras, kinkajoos, squirrels, coati-mundis, toucans, trogons, robins, oropendolas and woodpeckers.

Tapanti National Park

One of Costa Rica's most stunning, protected and rainiest areas, receiving up to 280 inches of rain annualy. Located in Cerro de la Muerte (Death Mountain), the park is traversed by Rio Grande de Orosi, which is joined by creeks and other pristine small rivers. This is a real, rainforest experience, where life flourishes and renews itself constantly. The Pittier Ranger Station has hiking trails leading to scenic viewpoints and picnic areas. Oropendola Trail and Pantanoso Trail lead to a swimming area with picnic tables and grills.

La Pava Trail takes you to the Salto and Palmitas Waterfalls and the Arboles Caidos Trail is a heavy forested nature hike where you could spot the magnificent Quetzal.

La Basilica de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles

This church was built in 1912, in honor of the Virgin of Los Angeles, Costa Rica's National Patron Saint. On August 2nd, a walking pilgrimage is held to thank the Virgin for miracles granted. Inside, view an effigy of the virgin herself, encased in 24k gold. On the south side of the temple is the rock where, according to legend, an native girl found an effigy of the Virgin. Spring water believed to be holy, flows from this rock.

The Orosi Old Colonial Church

This church is located fifteen minutes from Paraiso de Cartago, in the Orosi Valley. Built in 1743 by a Spanish Franciscan Order, it has a beautiful artisanal wooden altar. It was declared National Patrimony in 1920 and National Architectonic Patrimony in 1996.

There is also a colonial museum with the complete history of the town's Catholic roots. Observe colonial paintings, sculptures of saints, a sepulcher and lots of other religious colonial items.

Santiago Apostol Ruins

A great starting point when in Cartago, east of the main plaza. Damaged in several occasions by earthquakes, local legend says that every time it was rebuilt, half the structure fell down with the following quake. Folks attribute this to a curse upon a young, handsome priest who desecrated his vows. In fear of God's wrath, the Cathedral was never finished. Stroll inside, through beautiful gardens and an ever present historical past.

CATIE Agronomical Tropical Research and Learning Cender

One of the country's most important universities, and Costa Rica's model research and education institution in the areas of agriculture, forestry and natural resources management. One of the most valuable attractions is the botanical garden, created as a laboratory for specialists, who use it as an important educational tool to build germ plasma collections with a wide genetic variety, in order to develop new materials, striving to improve the Region's agriculture.

Ruins of the Iglesia de la Purísima Concepción de Ujarrás

Construction of the church was ordered during the second half of the 16th century, by Miguel Gómez de Lara, Governor of Costa Rica at the time. The Franciscan missionaries carried out their labor in Ujarrás, around the church. Declared a National Monument in 1920, the church is a visitor attraction of great architectural and historical interest. Commonly known as the Ruins of Ujarras.

Turrialba

Turrialba is a modern city with a small, country town flavor. Known as the gate city to the Atlantic, this piece of paradise is sorrounded by volcanic mountain slopes, dairy farms, biological reserves, archaeological sites, pristine rivers and agricultural farm lands. It is known in Costa Rica for its delicious Turrialba cheese, macadamia nuts and it grade A sugar. The last two are fine export products.

Turrialba county has a population of approximately 80,000 and was founded in 1903. It allowed the people of the Reventazon and Turrialba valleys to create an axis of economic and agricultural activities. During pre-Colombian times, the area was populated by the Huetar natives, and in 1828, President Juan Mora motivated agricultural colonization by giving away free land.

Cartago City

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