San Joaquin

Located just a few kilometers outside of downtown Heredia, San Joaquín, Santa Barbara, and San Antonio de Belén are three of western Heredia's most-loved towns. Close to everything, but small enough to offer quiet and privacy, these three sister towns are ideal for business, work, pleasure, and travel, combining the best of everything into one dynamite package.

San Joaquín is a tranquil, peaceful town that can look at once old and colonial, and new and hip. San Joaquín's mother county, Flores (Flowers) -- the smallest in Costa Rica at only 7 square kilometers -- was once called Quebrada Seca (Dry Stream), and was founded in 1777. Over the years, the town grew into a major coffee grower and exporter, allowing some of the city's occupants to become wealthy.

Today, San Joaquín offers wonderful temperatures, a lively weekly feria (farmers' market), a church with both archaeological and historical value, and restaurants that serve local and international fare. San Joaquín Day comes once a year on August 16, offering religious parades, a large fair with food and games, and live music that guarantees a good time to be had by all. In December, the annual crafts fair comes to town, and local artisans display their paintings, woodwork, jewelry, and handmade goods for all to see.

A bit north of San Joaquín lies Santa Barbara, a quiet town home to amazing scenery, quiet hospitality, and diverse agriculture. Believed to be named after an image once gifted by a Franciscan monk, the town is surrounded by rivers and home to colorful flowers, sweet-smelling fruits, and beautiful wilderness.

17% of Santa Barbara canton (county) is dedicated to the Central Volcanic Mountain Range Forest Reserve, a wide expanse of mountain and greenery that extends as far as the eye can see. On Saturdays, nature comes to town for the weekly feria, which is one of the region's most diverse and active farmers' markets. And every day of the week, the city's central park invites with its shaded areas, welcoming pavilion, and tranquil atmosphere, offering a place to rest before heading off into the region's mountains.

A neighbor of San Joaquín and Santa Barbara, San Antonio de Belén is equally heavy on history and culture. This small town is also coffee-producing, and Belén county's outskirts are painted with coffee fields, shaded by trees and fed with Costa Rican sun. Once home to the Huetar Indians and later Spanish settlers, the town itself is a wonderful reminder of what life was once like - many of the town's homes date back to the 1800's, their colonial glory preserved with pride.

Old meets with new in San Antonio de Belén, and the town's traditional architectures are easily complemented by the city's booming business, upscale restaurants, and luxury cars. Home to Intel, just moments from the international airport, and boasting upscale homes and beautiful communities, Belén is a beautiful location for both living and vacationing.