Cartago is a province in the highlands of central Costa Rica, and it was once the country's colonial capital. That history is still visible in its streets and churches, and the province sits in the shadow of active volcanoes, which gives its landscape a dramatic character.
What to see
- Basilica de Los Ángeles, a church revered across the country and a focal point for many visitors to the province.
- Irazú Volcano National Park, where you can look down into craters that look strikingly lunar.
- Rolling green valleys and traditional coffee farms, which give the countryside a quiet, working feel.
What kind of visit it makes
Cartago suits a slower, more reflective trip. The mountain air is cool compared with the lowlands, and the pace of the valleys and farms invites walking and looking rather than rushing from one attraction to the next. Many visitors combine a day here with the volcano park, returning to the city in the evening.
If you are interested in the layers of history in Costa Rica, or in the country's volcanic landscapes and highland farming, Cartago offers both within a short distance of one another. It is a place that rewards time spent looking around, whether at a church, a crater rim, or a valley from a farm road.
