Grecia is located in the province of Alajuela, surrounded by sugar cane plantations. It has the reputation of being very clean, because it was voted the cleanest town of Costa Rica, or is it Central America? Some say it is the cleanest in all of Latin America, but this remains to be seen, in any case, it is a remarkably pleasant place to visit, and indeed, there is enough to see to spend a few days there too.
The church, La Catedral de la Mercedes, is entirely made of iron, and is of course what really gives the town its fame. The story of this unusual church started in Belgium, in the 1890s. Once completed, it was dismantled and shipped piece by piece to Puerto Limon, and finished its journey the old-fashioned way, by oxcart. As each cart carried just one sheet of metal, it must have taken many days and many oxcarts to complete this task! Much of the metal was painted in a brick red shade. Considering it is made of metal, the church is surprisingly elegant and light looking. The inside of the church is even more beautiful and the little park in front of it is exquisite with delicately and tastefully designed gardens.
Because of its fantastic sunny and fresh climate, Grecia brings out laziness in people, and a certain appreciation of the present moment. Its inhabitants are very friendly and welcome its visitors warmly. The surrounding mountainous landscape is so peaceful; long fields of sugar cane, coffee and pineapple stretch on before falling over the horizon.
Near the church there is the small Grecia Regional Museum which is worth a look, and make sure to see the Insects and Butterfly Museum, where over 50,000 species are on display. The highlight of Grecia however could be the serpentarium! Welcome to the World of Snakes, one of the best snake museums around. 50 reptiles from all the over the world can be observed, and this is definitely well worth the visit.
While you are in the area, make sure to go to the waterfalls Cataratas Los Choros, which are actually in Tucares de Grecia, which is perfect as a day trip if you are staying in town. It is also possible to rent a canoe and take a trip down the Chorros waterfalls, and for the ones who have a taste of danger and enjoy a good rush of adrenaline, bungee jumping is available just down the road, a 75 meter jump over the Rio Colorado! Finally, Sarchi, the famous little artisan town famous for its woodcrafts and oxcarts, is only a short drive away.
Grecia may not be Greece, but there is enough to do there to forget about time and it seems worthwhile staying there for a few days, time permitting! It is only 20kms north of the city of Alajuela. It is a short drive away from San Jose, yet there is quite a whole new world ready to be discovered in this charming little town.