Costa Rica’s second largest city in terms of size, Alajuela lies 20 km northwest of the capital San Jose in the beautiful Central Valley.

This city has an important place in Costa Rica’s history, as it was an active supporter of independence from Spain. Known as Villahermosa and La Lajuela, Alajuela was even capital of Costa Rica for a brief period. However, this city’s biggest claim to fame is that it is the hometown of the country’s national hero Juan Santa Maria, a drummer boy, who sacrificed his life to save his country during the battle of the Hacienda Santa Rosa, in 1856, against the forces of William Walker.

Alajuela is the capital city of the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the district that includes the city. In the pre-Columbian epoch, the territory that is nowadays Alajuela was inhabited to the south by the Indians of the Cacicazgo Garabito, and to the north by that of the Votos. The province of Alajuela is one of the most extensive in the country. It borders to the north with Nicaragua, to the south with the province of San Jose, to the east with the province of Heredia and to the west with the provinces of Guanacaste and Puntarenas.

The main exports are coffee, sugar-cane, corn, beans, tobacco, citrus fruits such as the strawberries; the tubers, like yucca, flowers and ornamental plants. Also the poultry farming is practiced (it breeds and taken care of the birds), the beekeeping (breeds and taken care of the bees) the “porcicultura” (breeds and taken care of pigs), and the milk industry.

Alajuela was also known as Villa Hermosa or “beautiful village”. Alajuela is definitely worth a visit.