Cartago

Founded in 1563 as Costa Rica's first capital — a role it held until 1824 — Cartago is a walkable town in the Cartago Province with a concentration of historic churches in its centre and a lively food-and-drink scene. Close to the mountains and sitting near water, it carries more colonial history than any other city in the country.

• Population26,594
• Nearest water from center0.7 km
• Nearest mountain from center4.8 km