Cartago and the Orosi Valley are Getting Necessary Help with Tourism Infrastructure.

The Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT), in conjunction with other local efforts, has begun efforts to increase and encourage tourism to the country’s Cartago province, just east of San José. The province is home to several important cultural and historical sites, such as Turrialba’s Guayabo National Park, Irazu volcano and the famous Basílica de Los Angeles. Plans to improve roads and clean up tourist attractions are already underway to facilitate visitation to the area.

To begin, the National Road Commission (Conavi) will repair the road between Turrialba Volcano and Irazu Volcano, which, at present, is barely navigable by off-road quads. The road has just been declared a national route, which allows the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) to oversee its care. Before, the road belonged to the Alvarado municipality, one of the poorest in the country, and received very little maintenance. Now, Conavi will repair the road under its national gravel roads program, facilitating transportation between the two volcanoes, and thus making it more attractive to Costa Rica tourists.

In downtown Cartago, the Foundation for Nuestra Señora de los Angeles has begun a small crafts market, called La Puebla de los Pardos. The artisan center received a blessing from Cartago’s bishop, monsignor José Francisco Ulloa, and its name pays homage to what the area was once called, at the time when the famous La Negrita (Black Virgin) statue appeared to a local child. When tourists visit the beautiful church, they will also be directed to the market, where local handicrafts and religious relics are available for sale.

The ICT will also do its part to help revitalize Cartago, and has committed to a $300,000 project. The institute’s main focus will be on the Ujarrás lookout point, the Orosí lookout point, and the Ujarrás ruins. In brief, the Orosí lookout point will undergo renovations to its restrooms and entrance, including new lighting and playground areas for visiting children. The Ujarrás lookout point will undergo similar upgrades. The Ujarrás ruins, on the other hand, will receive the most thorough renovations, with new restrooms, lighting and other improvements, aided by the Center for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

“It’s great that the ICT has taken an interest in revitalizing Costa Rican heritage so that it can be enjoyed by future generations; it encourages Costa Ricans as well as foreign tourists to learn about tourist sites that represent the culture and scenic beauty of our country, particularly in Cartago,” Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, said.

In addition, eight Cartago cantons — Alvarado, Cervantes, Jiménez, La Unión, Oreamuno, Paraíso, Tucurrique and Turrialba — have signed an agreement with ICT, committing funds and energy to attract local tourism. “This is a very important endeavor because, thanks to these agreements, we can promote the allocation of tourist areas in each district, with the goal of establishing a course of action by planning and identifying what these communities have to offer and creating new tourist routes and destinations, as well as establishing sales and marketing strategies more in line with existing conditions,” Benavides added.

Cartago has long flown under the tourist radar, though it is home to some of the country’s most active volcanoes, oldest ruins, and most important religious sites. Not to mention the town of Cartago was the original capital of Costa Rica! Combining ICT’s funds and plans with local efforts, the region promises to attract more tourism dollars, while caring for its precious Costa Rica history and culture.

Photo courtesy of La Nacion.

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Filed under: Travel on July 16th, 2008