Alajuela, Costa Rica

La Iglesia Central church in Alajuela, Costa Rica
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Iglesia_Central_de_Alajuela.jpg
Author: Richie D.


Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica. It is located in the Central Valley, 19 km to the northwest of the capital San José. The city limits cover only 8.88 sq km (3.4 sq mi), although the urban area today spills over the surrounding districts. Alajuela has a population of 52,000 people (2011 estimate).

The area around Alajuela has been inhabited since pre-Columbian times. The first Spanish to settle here arrived around 1650. A parish was set up in 1777 for the religious use of the growing population. Alajuela received its town hall in 1813. Later that same year the settlement, then known as La Lajuela, was given a town title. It was subsequently renamed Villa Hermosa, and finally San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela, from which is derived the present name. Alajuela received city status on 20 November, 1824.

Today the economy of Alajuela is supported by agriculture. Primary commodities include coffee, sugar cane, corn, beans and tobacco. The are also has other commercial enterprises including poultry farming, beekeeping and pig husbandry.

Police station in Alajuela
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Policia_Alajuela_Costa_Rica_2013.jpg
Author: Richie D.

Visiting Alajuela

Alajuela is just 3km from the Juan Santamaría International Airport. You can reach it by taxi for just US$5. If you are going there from San José, the taxi ride will cost you US$20.

The city is small enough for you to navigate on foot. There are a few historic buildings in the city center that you can visit.

Places of Interest in Alajuela

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.