Local Attractions

Local Attractions in Grecia, Costa Rica

Greciacr

The city of Grecia, located in the Alajuela province, is located 20 kilometers north of the city of Alajuela, home to the Juan Santa Maria International Airport.  Juan Santa Maria International Airport is one of only two international airports in the country, and many residents and tourists enjoy Grecia’s close proximity to international travel.  Costa Rica’s capital city, San Jose, is approximately 40 kilometers from Grecia, which amounts to an approximately 45-minute drive.

Even though Grecia is considered a small town, one huge advantage is the ability to quickly travel to different parts of the country from this city.  You can easily go to the northern region of the country, Guanacaste, located three hours away, or be in the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, within an hour.  Since it is a very central city, moving to any part of the country is easy and roads are accessible from all points of Grecia.

Downtown Grecia


One of the biggest attractions of downtown Grecia is the unique and metallic church (yes, we said metallic church), Catedral de las Mercedes.  The decision to build Catedral de las Mercedes with metal was made after two previous churches had been destroyed.  The first church, made our of brick, was destroyed by an earthquake.   The second church, made of wood, burned to the ground in a wild fire.  Finally,  the local parishioners decided that the third church would be built from materials not so easily destroyed, and imported metal pieces from Belgium in the 1890’s.  Catedral de las Mercedes features a gothic style and has been a city icon for more than 100 years. 

One will also find a Regional Museum and an Insect and Butterfly Museum, offering more than 50,000 different species of insects and butterflies. One of the hottest attractions is the snake house, Mundo de Culebras (or “World of Snakes”), with information and live specimens of the different snakes living within Costa Rica.

 

 

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