Cartago, Costa Rica

Ruins of Santiago Apóstol Parish in Cartago, Costa Rica
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Ruins_in_Cartago,_Costa_Rica_by_Daniel_Vargas_-_27.jpg
Author: Daniel32708


Cartago is a city in central Costa Rica, about 25 km (16 mi) to the east of the capital San José. The city is 1,435 m (4,707 ft) above sea level, at the base of the Irazú Volcano. The city limits cover 152 sq km (59 sq mi). It has a population of 157,000 people (2011 estimate).

Due to its location in the highlands, Cartago enjoys a pleasant climate that is much cooler than the lowlands. Temperatures hover between a low of 11.1°C (52°F) in January to a high of 25.9°C (78.6°F) in September. Cartago gets the most rain in December, at 177 mm (6.97 in).

Cartago has been established since the 16th century. Founded in 1563, it received its coat of arms from King Philip II of Spain in 1565. It served as the capital of Costa Rica until 1823, when Republican leader Gregorio Jose Ramirez relocated the capital to San José.

Natural disasters have hit Cartago a number of times, with earthquakes in 1822, 1841 and 1910, and the eruption of Irazú Volcano in 1963.

River in Pejivalle, Cartago
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pejivalle,_Cartago,_Costa_Rica_4.jpg
Author: MongeNajera


Cartago is the site of the most important church in Costa Rica, the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, which becames a major pilgrimage site during the feast day of the Virgin of the Angels, which falls on 2 August every year.

Another site worth visiting are the ruins of the Santiago Apóstol Parish, just five blocks from the Basilica. The ruins here are not buildings that have fallen to disrepair, but rather buildings that were never actually completed.

Visiting Cartago

You can reach Cartago by taking a bus from San José.

Places of Interest in Cartago

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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.

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