Cartago City

42 photos

Cartago is the capital of Cartago province. It was also the capital of Costa Rica until 1823.

Why is Cartago historically important?

Cartago's original foundation dates to 1563, according to a University of Costa Rica study of the city's earthquakes. Spanish conqueror Juan Vázquez de Coronado set the city's boundaries between the Coris and Purires rivers, and Cartago remained the capital until the seat of government passed to San José in the early nineteenth century. The city lies in a valley near the Irazú volcano, in the Central range.

What did earthquakes do to the city?

Earthquakes damaged Cartago in 1822 and 1841, and the 1910 earthquake destroyed it again. The tourism board notes that after 1910 builders gave up adobe and wattle and daub in favor of wood and sheet metal. The ruins of the parish of Santiago Apóstol show the effect. Franciscans founded a church on that site between 1577 and 1580. A later building began in 1870 but was never finished, because of lack of resources and then the 1910 quake.

Which buildings still tell the story?

The Basilica of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles: the first chapel dates to 1639, and the present Byzantine-style church was built between 1912 and 1930 to a design by Luis Llach. It was declared an architectural heritage site in 1999. Each August 2 a national pilgrimage ends here.
The old railway station: built early in the twentieth century as the Atlantic Railroad station, declared a heritage site in 1997 and later restored as an art gallery.
The municipal market: commerce took place on the Plaza Mayor from 1575. An English construction company built a market in 1886, the 1910 earthquake destroyed it, and the same company then built the current building.

The old and new train stations, Cartago City, Costa Rica — The old and new train stations

The old station, a yellow wooden building with a red roof, beside the tracks and a modern curved canopy.

A covered walkway between fruit and vegetable stalls with shoppers in the market in Cartago.

Produce stalls under the market roof, with shoppers and sellers in the covered aisles.

What else is in Cartago?

The Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, known as the TEC, was created by law on June 10, 1971, and Cartago's citizens campaigned for it to be based in their city. Its campus appears in the archive alongside schools and a stadium.

Related pages. Just outside the city, see the colonial church at Orosi and Tapantí National Park. Other religious buildings are gathered under churches, and nearby peaks under volcanoes. In the same province, Turrialba is also covered. These photos are many years old, so check current conditions at the sites.

Sources

Last reviewed November 6, 2026.