East of San José, the Autopista Florencio del Castillo freeway passes through the suburb of Curridabat, climbs over the ridge known as Cerros de la Carpintera, then drops steeply to Cartago (pop. 120,000), founded in 1563 by Juan Vásquez de Coronado.

Cartago—a Spanish word for Carthage, the ancient North African trading center—reigned as the colonial capital until losing its status to San José in the violent internecine squabbles of 1823. In 1841 and again in 1910 earthquakes toppled much of the city. Though the remains of the ruined cathedral testify to Mother Nature’s destructive powers, many old buildings still stand. Volcán Irazú looms over Cartago.

Cartago’s central landmark is the ruins of the Iglesia de la Parroquia (Avenida 2, Calle 2), colloquially called “Las Ruinas.” Completed in 1575 to honor Saint James the Apostle, the church was destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt a number of times before its final destruction in the earthquake of 1910. Today, only the walls remain.

Other sites of tourist interest are few but include Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral and the Elias Leiva Museum of Ethnography (Museo Etnográfico, Calle 3, Avenidas 3/5, tel. 506/551-0895), in the Colegio San Luis Gonsaga, which displays pre-Columbian and colonial artifacts (7 a.m.–2 p.m. Mon.–Fri.).

Accommodations and Food

Finally, Cartago has a budget hotel worth recommending (otherwise the city is devoid of places that can be recommended). The Hotel San Francisco Lodge (Calle 3, Avenida 6, tel. 506/574-2359, $18 s, $25 d) has eight spacious and spartan, albeit clean rooms with kitchenettes, TV, and private bathroom with hot water. The surrounding area is a bit dicey by night. It has secure parking.

The Restaurant Sunset (Calle 19, Avenida 2, tel. 506/551-0559) is the only modern restaurant in town and has pretensions toward elegance.

Restaurante Los Angeles (tel. 506/551-4546, 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m. daily), facing the south side of the basilica, serves comida típica.

Cartago Grill (Avenida 1, Calles 8/10, tel. 506/551-5342, 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. daily) specializes in meats and Argentinian-style grills and serves a casado (set lunch, $3), or almuerzo ejecutivo, as does Amadeus Café (Calle 10, Avenidas 2/4, tel. 506/552-6262, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $2–12), a small, pleasant conversion of a colonial home, now filled with contemporary art.

Getting There

Empresa Lumaca (tel. 506/537-2320) buses depart San José daily from Avenida 4, Calle 3, every 10 minutes, 5 a.m.–midnight, then hourly thereafter. Buses will drop you along Avenida 2, ending at the Basílica.

Taxis hang out on the north side of Las Ruinas. Otherwise, call Taxis El Carmen (tel. 506/551-4646).