
Inland Mountains & Cartago, Costa Rica
Cartago is where Costa Rica began, the colonial capital for more than 250 years and home to the country's most important basilica. It's cooler and cheaper than the western suburbs and very Tico, with a public hospital and everything a city needs. San José is about an hour away, and the Orosi Valley is just down the road.
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Ciudad Quesada
Ciudad Quesada, often just called San Carlos, is the busy commercial hub of the north, a farm and dairy city at the foot of the mountains. It has the region's public hospital, big stores and banks, and it's about an hour from La Fortuna. It's rainy and green, very Tico, with few foreigners.
Turrialba
Turrialba is a friendly farm town in the eastern foothills, known for whitewater rafting and its famous cheese. It's green and mild, with a university campus and a hospital, and it feels like small-city Costa Rica, with few foreigners around. San José is about an hour and a half away.
Aserrí
Aserrí is a hillside town just south of San José with wide views over the Central Valley and a long tradition of roadside restaurants where families go for weekend lunch. It's quiet and very Tico, close enough to the city for errands but far enough to feel like the country. Expect winding roads and very few English speakers.
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