Turrialba Area

Introducing Turrialba Area

At an elevation of 650m above sea level, the Río Turrialba flows into the Río Reventazón, and gouges a mountain pass through the Cordillera Central. In the 1880s this hydrogeological quirk allowed the ‘Jungle Train’ between San José and Puerto Limón to roll through, and the mountain village of Turrialba grew prosperous from the coffee trade. Later, the first highway linking the capital to the coast exploited this same quirk. Turrialba thrived.

However, things changed in 1991 when an earthquake shut down the nation’s rail system, and the smooth and straight (read as boring) Hwy 32 was completed. Suddenly, Turrialba (population 70, 000) found itself off the beaten path, though no one cared to move away – it’s too gorgeous here.

Today Turrialba is a low-key agricultural town that’s renowned for its mountain air, strong coffee and Central America’s best white water. It’s also situated in the wake of the undertouristed Volcán Turrialba and close to the country’s most important cultural site, Guayabo.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009