Alajuela is a Central Valley city just northwest of San José, with around 43,000 residents in the central Alajuela district (2011) and about 322,000 across Alajuela canton (2022). Founded in 1782 and granted city status in 1824, it’s best known as the hometown of Costa Rica’s national hero Juan Santamaría and as the immediate neighbour of the country’s main airport, Juan Santamaría International (SJO), which sits in the same province. The city’s compact historic core centres on Parque Central, with the cathedral, the Juan Santamaría Historical Cultural Museum and local cultural venues clustered within a short walk, giving it an easy, pedestrian-friendly feel for a half-day wander before heading onward in Costa Rica.
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