Investment in Costa Rica - Cartago Province

Cartago City was once the capital of Costa Rica. It was founded in 1563 by Juan Vasques de Coronado. In 1823 San Jose became the capital because Cartago was located too close to the foot of the Volcan Irazu. This volcano nearly destroyed the entire city in 1723. Although one of the smallest provinces of Costa Rica, Carago is rich in colonial tradition.

Cartago has ruins that date back to the 16th century. The early farmers were killed by Spanish settlers and you can find ruins dating back to the 16th century of pre-Columbian inhabitants.

The cities, towns, villages in the Cartoga Province are:

Cartago City
Pacayas
Paraiso
Platanillo
Turrialba
Volcan Irazu
Volcan Turrialba

With the historical background of Cartago this region was a wealthy region. Unfortunately due to the eruption of the Irazu volcano in 1723, the beauty was lost and the City of Cartago was never rebuilt. The Cartago Province is very important to Costa Rica's economy because of the large quantities of coffee that is produced.

The name Irazu (or Iztaru) comes from the Huatare Indian language and means "a thunder", or "the place which trembles". In Costa Rica Volcan Irazu is known by the name of "Colossus" because of the catastrophes sustained due to its frequencies of eruption.

The volcano's first recorded eruption had occurred in 1723, but the 1963 eruption seems to have been much worse. The volcano is still active, but at this writing it is dormant. The last major eruption was in 1963 and covered San Jose and Cartago in a thick layer of volcanic ash.

500 LIVES LOST IN EARTHQUAKE; Cartago, Old Capital of Costa Rica, Ruined and Carnegie Palace Overthrown. THE REPUBLIC ALL SHAKEN Reports Say, However, That Loss of Life Was Con- fined to Cartago. CAPITAL LITTLE DAMAGED Wrecked City of 10,000 People Lies at Foot of Volcano, and Has Suffered Similarly Before.

May 6, 1910, Friday
New York Times

From Wikipedia:

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels is consecrated to the Virgin of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, a small representation of the Virgin Mary carrying the infant Jesus, said to have been discovered by a peasant girl in Cartago.

The story goes that the little girl found the small statue on a rock and took it home. The next morning she found that the statue was not there but back at the rock, so she took it to the priest and he locked it in a small box. The next morning the statue was back at the rock. During the construction, the church was destroyed by earthquakes many times; so it was finally decided to move it to the location were the statue was found and they were able to finish construction.

Many people think that the earthquakes were signs that the Lady of Los Ángeles wanted the basilica built there.

August 2 is the Virgin of Los Angeles Day in Costa Rica and people from all over Costa Rica and the world make their pilgrimage to honor the virgin of Los Angeles.

Cartago is an ideal place to live if you don't want the fast pace of a city. It is tranquil and the surroundings are peaceful. It is close to San Jose. Many Ticos live in Cartago and commute to work everyday to San Jose.

Costa Rica Real Estate in Cartago can offer you various types of housing starting around $20,000. Fuel prices have risen and in some areas a gallon of gasoline exceeded $5.00 USD during the summer of 2008.

Public transportation from Cartago to San Jose is excellent during the day.

What is the true cost of living in Costa Rica? Well that really depends upon your lifestyle and what your minimum requirements are. You can live a very simple life for about $900 per month or spend up to $5,000 per month for luxurious accommodations near the water.