Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are entering or leaving the country here. For travelers seeking to avoid San José, it offers a
good selection of local restaurants and accommodations.
Alajuela
Pop 43,000
Costa Rica's second city is also home to one of the country's most famous figures: Juan
SantamarÃa, the humble drummer boy who died putting an end to William Walker's cam-
paign to turn Central America into slaving territory in the Battle of Rivas in 1856. A busy
agricultural hub, it is here that farmers bring their products to market.
Alajuela is by no means a tourist 'destination.' Much of the architecture is unremark-
able, the streets are often jammed and there isn't a lot to see. But it's an inherently Costa
Rican city, and, in its more relaxed moments, it reveals itself as such, where families have
leisurely Sunday lunches and teenagers steal kisses in the park. It's also a good base for
exploring the countryside to the north.
