Cartago Area

Introducing Cartago Area

The stunning 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 the country’s finest Spanish colonial architecture. However, as things tend to happen in Costa Rica, Cartago was destroyed during the 1723 eruption of Volcán Irazú, with remaining landmarks taken care of by earthquakes in 1841 and 1910.

Although the city was relegated to backwater status when the seat of government was moved to San José in 1823, the surrounding area, particularly the Orosi Valley, flourished during the days of the coffee trade. Today this tradition continues to leave its mark on the landscape, and although Cartago is merely a provincial capital, it is an important commercial hub and continues to retain the most important religious site in the country.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009