Vacation Destinations | Travel Guide
Alajuela
Alajuela is a city in Costa Rica and capital of the province of Alajuela. Alajuela is famous as the home of the national Costa Rican hero Juan Santamaría. Santa Maria (nicknamed El Erizo (The Hedgehog) was a peasant boy who became the national hero during the Campaign of 1856 to 1857 when Costa Rica defeated the army of the North American filibuster William Walker.
During the pre-Columbian time, Alajuela was occupied by at indigenous group called ‘Huetar’ 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.
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.”
Alajuela Attractions
* Juan Santa Maria Museum
* Fraijanes Recreational Park
* Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge
* Sarchi
* Poas Volcano National Park
* Carara Biological Reserve
* Panoramic views of the lush and fertile plains of San Carlos
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