Alajuela
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By Air
Located only 3km from Juan Santamaria International Airport, Alajuela is cheaper and quicker to reach than San Jose. A cab ride into the center of town costs only around US$5, as opposed to US$20 to San Jose.
By Bus
There are lots of public busses that criss-cross the city or travel to nearby towns. There are two main bus companies, TUASA and Station Wagon, that provide service between Alajuela and the capital, San Jose. The busses are cheap, less than $1 US, and run every few minutes. There are also busses that depart to other nearby towns like Sarchi, San Ramon, Heredia, and Poas. Also, you can catch busses to farther destinations that regularly travel through Alajuela on the way to Pacific destinations.
By Taxi
Taxis are often the easiest and a cheap way to get around the town.Taxies are red and there are many taxi stands scattered around the city. While the orange airport taxies will accept US dollars, the red taxies will only accept Costa Rican colones.Tipping is not expected, but you can let a taxi driver keep the change.
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The Central Cathedral
Alajuela's Central Cathedral is the very center of the town as is traditional in colonial Spanish urban planning. The church is pretty, but not a spectacular piece of architecture. In front of the cathedral is the central park which is a nice spot for people watching and you may get a glimpse of wildlife such as parrots and a sloth that is an elusive resident.
Iglesia La Agonia
Located five blocks east of the Central Cathedral, this landmark church has an ornate Baroque style, even though it was built in 1941.
Juan Santamaria
Alajuela is the hometown to Juan Santamaria, the Costa Rican National Hero. Around the city you can see the location of his home, although now there is just a small palque and garden as the house in long gone. A block south of the Central Park is the Juan Santamaria park with a statue of the hero and a small collection of 1860s era cannons. A block north of the Central Park is the Juan Santamaria Museum, which shows some era pieces explaining the legacy of Juan Santamaria and the 1856 Campaign against the filibusters invaders, who wanted to take control of Central America.
Poas Volcano
Alajuela is the closest major city to the Poas Volcano National Park. The park is a popular desitnation for both foreign and Costa Rican tourists. Poas allows tourists to see into the crater of an active volcano. You can often smell sulfer from the crater while visting the peak. There are many guided tours offered to the volcano through private tour companies or you can catch a daily "tourist" bus provided by the TUASA bus company. The TUASA bus will take you to the top of the volcano and then return you to Alajuela after several hours.
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