Grecia, on Highway 141, some 18 kilometers northwest of Alajuela, is an important market town famous for its rust-red, twin-spired metal church made of steel plates imported from Belgium in 1897. An all-marble altar rises fancifully like one of Emperor Ludwig’s fairy-tale castles. The church is fronted by a pretty park with tall palms, an obelisk erected to commemorate the foundation of Grecia in July 1864, fountains, and a domed music temple.

The Centro de la Museo de Cultura (tel. 506/444-6767), on the park’s northwest corner, houses a regional museum.

The World of Snakes, just outside town, makes a great stop.

Getting There

Buses (tel. 506/258-2004 or 506/494-2139) depart San José every 30 minutes from Avenida 3, Calles 18/20. The bus station in Grecia is at Avenida 2, Calles 4/6, two blocks west of the plaza, where taxis congregate on the north side.