Alajuela

Some Facts about Alajuela

Size: 9,753 km2
Population : 590,000
Coordinates: 10¼, 27',46" north and 84¼, 48', 25" west
Borders: North: Nicaragua; south: San José; South West: Puntarenas; West: Guanacaste
Capital: Alajuela
Annextion: 1825
Weather: Alajuela

Cantóns in Alajuela

Cantón 1: Alajuela
Cantón 2: San Ramón
Cantón 3: Grecia
Cantón 4: San Mateo
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

In Alajuela you'll find the most important International airport of Costa Rica called Juan Santamaría. In this province you'll find a great variety of birds, fruit trees, lowers, 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 the most spectacular volacnoes hosts different habitats like the one for the beautiful bird called Quetzal.

During the precolumbian time Alajuela wa 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 of October of 1782 Monseñor 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, Púas, Targuás, Ciruelas and Río Grande bewteen the rivers Ciruelas and Alajuela. In 1790 it was declared a Parish Church. This oratorio was the base for the urban development of the citiy of Alajuela, capital of the province.

<<Back