Cartago, founded in 1563 by Juan Vásquez de
Coronado, was the capital of Costa Rica until
1823. The years following the regions secession
from the Spanish empire in 1821, were turbulent
times for all of Central America and it was
know different in Costa Rica. Following a
couple of years of struggle in which all four
of Costa Rica's major settlements, Cartago,
San Jose, Heredia and Alajuela vied for the right
to be the capital of the new country, Cartago
lost a brief but bloody civil war with San
José. Therefore relinquishing its political
leadership while at the same time remaining
the religious and spiritual center of the
country.The main reason for the city's fall from preeminent status is its location. Located at the base of the 11,000 foot high Irazú Volcano, the area has been nearly destroyed by irruption's and earthquakes three separate times. Because of this, even though the town is the oldest in the country, there are very few relics remaining from the colonial period. The town and the people are very resilient and the area surrounding Cartago is some of the most beautiful and agriculturally rich land in all of Latin America.
Cartago is the home of La Negrita, a small black statue of the Virgin Mary. As the story goes, a young girl, on August 2nd, 1635, was playing in a stream while her mother was washing clothes. On top of a rock she found the little statue and took it home. When her mother found out she was very angry and ordered her to take it back because the real owner was probably very upset. The little girl went to the box where she had hidden it and it was gone. The next day when they returned to the stream the statue was again on the same rock. The mother, upon finding it was very upset, thinking that her daughter had lied. Again they took the statue, this time with the intention of bringing it to the local priest. The next day when they went to get the statue to take it to the priest, it was gone again. They immediately ran down to the stream and there it was once more atop the rock. This was taken as a message from God and a shrine and church were built on the site. The original church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1920 and the current church, La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles (see photo) was built six years later. The Basílica is in the Byzantine tradition and is probably the most unique church in the country. The north side of the church is the shrine to the Virgin Mary, on the very site where the statue was first discovered. So, on August 2nd of every year, there is a pilgrimage of the faithful to the shrine. People from all over the country walk to Cartago in order to pray to the statue and to ask for miracles. The walls of the main room of the shrine are lined with gifts left by those that have been cured by the power of the Negrita. Most of the trinkets are miniature metal versions, some in gold, of the body parts that have been cured.
The town is a half hour drive from San José and there is good bus service to and from. Because the town sits at nearly 4,800 feet it is much cooler than the other central valley towns. So, take your sweater and umbrella and enjoy a very unique and picturesque town.
How to get there:
Head east along the principal road as it departs
San Jose towards the communities of San Pedro
and Curridabat. At the end of these communities
there is a rotunda, or circle intersection,
at which you take the middle exit titled Cartago.
This exit leads you to the auto pista, on
which you will be required to pay a 60 colones
fee. Continue on the pista as the road begins
to climb over the mountain range which separates
San Jose from Cartago. As you nearly complete
the steep decline entering the Cartago, approximately
5 miles (8 km) from the toll booth, stay to
the right at the fork; signs are visible pointing
to Cartago. Continue until you reach the next
intersection, where you will turn left at
the fork; just after a large Shell gasoline
station on the right side. Continue into the
heart of the city of Cartago, with the central
square on the right side as you passs through
town. At the end of Cartago you can visit
the Basislica (see photo) which offers countless
photographic opportunities, or visit Irazú
Volcano or the Lancaster Gardens (see below).
Lancaster Gardens
Founded in the 1950's by the british naturalist
Charles H. Lankaster, Lancaster Gardens are
internationally recognized for its collection
of epiphytes(plants which live on other plants),
of particular interest are the the orchids.
Approximately 11 hectares of land, countless
numbers of other species are also found on
the premesis, including insects and other
animals. Open seven days a week, the facility
includes 13 distinct gardens and more than
2 km of trails. Open seven days a week, from
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., the costs for foreigners
are as follows: 1000 colones for adults, 600
colones for students and 150 colones for children
under 11 years of age.
How to get to and from Lancaster Gardens:
Follow the directions above, and when you come alongside the right side of the Basilica there will be a sign for Lancaster Gardens, at which point you will turn right. After two blocks, turn left and continue straight until you see the sign for Lancaster Gardens on the right side. Make a right along this gravel road and then your first right, which leads you to the entrance of the gardens.When returning to San Jose, follow the same road back until you see a sign for San Jose, which leads to the right. Make your first left, following the signs, and continue until you reach the end of the road; there is a large Plaza clearly visible in front of you. Make a right and after two blocks a left. This road takes you along the auto pista back to San Jose.
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