Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Every March the town is home to the famous
Feria de la Mascarada
, a tradition with
roots in the colonial era, in which people don massive colorful masks (some of which
weigh up to 20kg), and gather to dance and parade around the town square. Demons and
devils are frequent subjects, but celebrities and politicians also figure in the mix (you
haven't lived until you've seen a 6m-tall Celia Cruz). The festival is usually held during
the last week of the month, but dates vary from one year to the next; inquire locally.
Sleeping
Finca Rosa Blanca
INN
( 2269-9392, in USA 305-395-3042;
www.fincarosablanca.com
;
Santa Bárbara; d incl breakfast
US$305-540; )
Set amid a stunning hillside coffee plantation 6km northwest of Barva, this honeymoon-
ready, Gaudí-esque confection of suites and villas is cloaked in fruit trees that shade
private trails. Thirteen sparkling white adobe rooms with wood-beam ceilings and private
balconies are lavishly appointed; one tops a tower with 360-degree views, reached by a
winding staircase made from a tree trunk.
Shower in an artificial waterfall, take a moonlit dip in the pool, have an organic citrus-
coffee bath soak at the spa - or, better yet, dip into a very romantic dinner at the hotel's re-
commended restaurant, which serves locally focused dishes, such as mountain trout with
sweet-corn ragout. Credit cards accepted.
Getting There & Away
Half-hourly buses travel between Heredia and Barva (US$0.55, 15 minutes), picking up
and dropping off in front of Barva's church.
CARTAGO AREA
The 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 fine colonial architecture. However, as things tend to happen in Costa Rica, the
