Best Lodging in Alajuela.

 

Here are the top 5 local hotels in the city of Alajuela to enjoy a comfortable lodging at a reasonable price.

Flor de Katty Hostel Airport

Located in Invu Las Cañas, Alajuela. Located within 30.6 km of Poas National Park and 2.3 km of Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium, Flor de Katty Hostel Airport provides rooms in Alajuela. Among the facilities at this property are a shared kitchen and a shared lounge, along with free WiFi throughout the property. Local points of interest like National Stadium of Costa Rica and La Sabana Metropolitan Park are reachable within 17.7 km and 11 miles, respectively.

Right now, a good deal at Flor de Katty Hostel Airport is between $15 and $26 per night.

 

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Hotel Pibi Boreal

Located in Desamparados, Alajuela, Hotel Pibi Boreal offers a garden. The property is set 1.9 mi from Plaza Real Alajuela and Alajuela Cathedral & central park 2.2 mi. The property is 6.2 mi from Zoo Ave.

At the hotel, each room has a wardrobe. Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, rooms at Hotel Pibi Boreal also boast free WiFi. The rooms are fitted with a seating area.

Guests at the accommodations can enjoy a continental breakfast.

Hotel Pibi Boreal offers a terrace.

Staff at the 24-hour front desk can provide tips on the area.

Volcan Poas National Park & La Paz river 12 mi. Juan Santamaría International Airport is 2.7 mi away.

 

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Pura Vida Hotel

Pura Vida Hotel is located in Punto Rojo, Alajuela and is surrounded by extensive tropical gardens. All the accommodations here feature garden or volcano views, plus it has a restaurant on site serving gourmet dinners with previous request.

The comfortable villas have furnished patios, seating and dining areas, plus private bathrooms. All rooms and villas come with a coffee maker, free Wi-Fi, room safes and a fridge. The extensive tropical gardens feature a large orchid collection as well as numerous plantings of coffee, herbs, heliconias, pineapple, citrus, exotic native trees.

The restaurant at Pura Vida Hotel is specializes in Asian fusion and international cuisine. Special diets can be accommodated upon previous request.

The Poas Volcano National Park is 19 mi from Pura Vida Hotel, and Zoo Ave is 4.3 mi away. La Paz waterfall gardens is located 1 hour's drive away. Juan Santamaría International Airport is a 12-minute drive away.

https://pura-vida.hotelsinalajuela.com/data/Photos/788x360/9583/958386/958386316.JPEG 

Hotel Vista Linda Montaña

Located in Tuetal North, Alajuela. Surrounded by gardens, Hotel Vista Linda Montaña offers wonderful mountain views, free Wi-Fi and bright, colorful rooms with private bathrooms. Juan Santamaria International Airport is just a 10-minute drive away.

The Vista Linda Montana now has a beautiful pool overlooking the mountains. You can enjoy breakfast on the terrace at the Vista Linda Montaña. You will be served a continental breakfast with fresh tropical fruit.

Hotel Vista Linda Montaña is located 12 mi from central San José. The Poas Volcano National Park is a 30-minute drive away. Free parking can be found nearby, and airport transfers can be arranged on request.

 

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Xandari Resort & Spa

Located in Calle Burgos, Alajuela. Xandari Resort features a spa village, yoga lessons, outdoor pools and hot tubs and 2.5 mi of natural trails. This eco-friendly hotel grows its own organic fruit and provides free WiFi access.

The villas at Xandari Resort & Spa are spacious with plenty of natural light. They are decorated in a rustic-style and colorful way, plus they include safety deposit boxes, mini-bar and coffee maker, and terraces with views of the gardens and mountain. The bathrooms provide toiletries.

The restaurant and bar at Xandari Resort & Spa serve local and international-style cuisine and has room services available.

The staff at the hotel can help the guests with the arrangements for outings to go visit the coffee plantations, or the orchid gardens, both reachable in a 25-minute drive. The animal rescue is 20 minutes’ drive away and the Poas Volcano area is 45 minutes’ drive from Xandari. 

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The Typical Traditions of Alajuela

  

The “polilla” dance: This is a dance that is made in the downtown, in a park named Juan Santa María. This dance is one of the biggest traditions of this province. This is part of the celebration of April 11^th. 

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11^th April Parades:  This parades bring to Alajuela people of all ages and places around the country. Bands for schools and other communities go to this place to play music and present different dances in order to commemorate the national hero, Juan Santa María. 

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The Mango Party: Because of the weather, this province is well know for the lot of mango trees you can find in here. All the years in July month of every year. In this party you can find parades, music, buy handcrafts and have a lot of food make with mango.  

 

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The History of Alajuela

 

Alajuela is the second largest province in Costa Rica and is located some 12 miles northeast of the capital along the General Cañas highway.

The city of Alajuela is also known as the “City of Mangos” because of its large number of mango trees, especially around Central Park.

As of 2011, the province had a population of 885,571. Its diversity of production is the driving force behind the local and national economy.

The area around the Juan Santamaria International Airport, the main entry point to Costa Rica, is developing into a large district of exporting businesses. Many of these businesses are manufacturing industries that work within the free trade zones.

Visitors will find many attractions to see, including the Juan Santamaria History Museum, the Alajuela Cultural Center and the Cathedral that was restored in 2010, whose interior displays dramatic works of art.

Its warm climate and friendly people, as well as many interesting points of interest that can be reached on foot makes the county of Alajuela a place definitely worth seeing.

Alajuela, city, northwestern Costa Rica. It lies in the Valle Central at an elevation of 3,141 feet (957 metres).

Known in colonial days as Villahermosa, the town was active in support of independence from Spain in 1821; five years later it suffered from a plot to restore Spanish control over Costa Rica. For a brief period in the 1830s Alajuela served as the nation’s capital. It was the home of Juan Santamaría, a Costa Rican soldier and hero of the defense against the invasion by the American filibuster (military adventurer) William Walker in 1856. The local Cultural Historical Museum is named in Santamaría’s honour, as is the country’s principal airport, which is located 2 miles (3 km) from Alajuela city.

A slightly lower elevation and a warmer climate, as compared with San José 12.5 miles (20 km) to the southeast, give Alajuela the air of a resort. Called the City of Mangoes, it is also known for its flowers and markets. 

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Founding Alajuela

Because land holdings in Cartago, the colonial capital of the region, were already controlled by large encomiendas, many settlers began moving west beginning in the mid-1600s. In 1657, Alajuela was mentioned for the first time in the writings of Juana de Vera y Sotomayor, a traveler who described an encomienda "on La Lajuela river." Before taking on the name of Alajuela, the area was known as Villahermosa.

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Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán, Bishop of Nicaragua, Nicoya, and Costa Rica, tried organizing Catholic communities west of Heredia. In doing so, he inaugurated a small oratory to unite the scattered settlers. The oratory was centered in the village of "La Lajuela," between the Ciruelas and Alajuela rivers. Because of its creation, the city of Alajuela was officially founded on 12 October 1782. In 1790, the first official parish of Alajuela was established, led by the priest Manuel López del Corral. The creation of a parish brought more settlers to the region. Soon, they began moving further and further toward the edges of the Central Valley, founding Atenas in 1836, San Ramón in 1854, and Grecia in 1856. Soon, the cities of Naranjo, Zarcero, and Quesada were founded as well.         

National independence

In 1823, during the First Costa Rican Civil War, Costa Rica was divided into two groups: The Imperialists, who were loyal to the First Mexican Empire, and the Republicans, who wanted independence. For the most part, Alajuela and San José fought against the coup staged by the Republicans in Heredia and Cartago. The Alajuelan side won, and Costa Rica left the Mexican Empire shortly before it dissolved. While Costa Rica was a member of the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s, the city of Alajuela was the nation's capital.[8]

In 1831, Alajuelan folk hero Juan Santamaría was born. Santamaría was a peasant boy who volunteered as a drummer during the Campaign of 1856-1857. On 11 April 1856, Santamaría sacrificed himself to burn filibuster William Walker's stronghold at Santa Rosa, asking only that his mother be taken care of.

Settlement of the northern portion of Alajuela only began in earnest in the later half of the 19th century, and even so did not reach great proportions until the second half of the 20th century, owing largely to the difficult access. Much of the original colonization came from Nicaragua since numerous navigable rivers flow north from their origins in the cordilleras and empty into either Lake Nicaragua or the San Juan River. By 1850, the province had a population of approximately 15,540.

A seminal event in Alajuela's history was the 1968 eruption of Volcán Arenal. Residents previously referred to it as Mount Arenal. In the years before the eruption, residents reported rises in the temperature of ground water and small tremors. Beginning on 28 July 1969, residents of surrounding towns reported constant tremors. The eruptions began on 29 July, spewing ash into the neighboring provinces and launching boulders into the sky. The initial explosions were so strong that three craters were instantaneously created. The cities of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís were buried, killing 87 people. Crops were destroyed and livestock were killed.

In 1979, Lake Arenal was created as the result of the construction of a hydroelectric dam by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, Costa Rica's national electric company. The old cities of Tabacón and Tonadora were submerged, and residents moved to the new city of Tabacón at its current location, although the steeple of the church can still be seen.[13] The dam produces 17% of the country's electricity.

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The Most Popular Food in Alajuela

 The food of the province of Alajuela includes a really varied menu, however there are dishes that make this province stand out. 

Rice pudding. "Arroz con leche"

This dessert is made with milk, rice, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Many people add raisins to it. It is very famous in town festivals. 

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Stews are also characteristic of the area. The most famous are pork, beef, and gallina achiotada. 

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The picadillos are the sensation. The potato and chayote are the most requested. Perfect to have with coffee!

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Pozol is a dish made with corn, pork and vegetables. 

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The drinks are not far behind! The rompope of this place is very well known; it is a drink made of milk, egg, cinnamon, and the secret ingredient... rum. 

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And the most important thing about Alajuela; its mangos and other fruits. In this province stands out the production of fruits. Orotina is well known for its fruit and seed stalls. 

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The Best Touristic Places in Alajuela.

 

Hacienda Alsacia.

Located in San Isidro, Alajuela. A tour of the facilities in which an explanation is provided about the origins of coffee, the main producing areas worldwide and nationally, its historical and current implications, as well as the role it has played in the Costa Rica we know today.

During this explanation there is also a tour of the whole process of our golden grain, going from the planting of a seed to its proper management in the field, harvesting, processing, roasting and disposal until it reaches our homes through a delicious cup of coffee; In this tour they are led through a seedbed, plantation, micro benefit, greenhouse, and coffee roaster.

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Kalambu Hot Springs.

Located in La Fortuna, Alajuela. These thermal pools offer relaxation for you and your family, includes a water park and restaurant so you can taste the delicious food. 

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Laguna de Hule.

It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge "Bosque Alegre", and is in Los Angeles Sur de Río Cuarto de Grecia, in the Province of Alajuela. 

What to bring?

-Waterproof jacket or layer in case it rains.

-Comfortable tennis shoes for walking or running.

-Repellent.

-Extra clothes and shoes in case it gets wet.

-Inflatables/Floats (tire or boat) to make more use of the lagoon.

Food?

For picnic, there is a plot in front of the lagoon perfect for this. 

Water or Moisturizing. 

https://www.booking.com/hotel/cr/laguna-hule-crater.es.html#