Guaitil the Craft Town

Guanacaste

Guaitil is a small community located at the foot of the hills, near the road between Santa Cruz and Nicoya, in the province of Guanacaste. This is the seat of one of the main craft centers of the country. The technique used for the production of ceramics is similar to the one used by the Chorotegas, an indigenous group that dominated the area between the lake of Nicaragua and the peninsula of Nicoya.

30 km., south west of Guaitil was located Nicoya la Vieja that preceded the present town, where the largest Indian population of the area lived before the Spanish conquest. In 1523, when the Spaniards arrived, the land was ruled by the cacique Nicoya, who received Gil Gonzales Davila with open arms, presenting him with rich gifts of statues and other objects made of gold.

You can combine your trip to Guaitil with a visit to the San Blas Church in Nicoya. This church was declared national heirloom 1923 and is now a museum that houses a collection of 160 pieces of paintings, candelabra and diverse items of bronze, silver and cooper. Guaitil is 12 km from Santa Cruz, by the route to Santa Bárbara.

Sarchi a Crafter’s Town

The town of Carchi is famous in all the country due to its spectacular beauty. It is located in the Province of Alajuela, and about 30 Km northeast of the city of Alajuela. It is near the town of Grecia, in the central valley, few kilometers northeast of the Capital, San Jose. This town is notable for the crafts, art and colorful ox-carts that have been produced here for centuries.

These ox-carts are made by artisans, they are eye-catching and are generally painted in bright colors, and they are sold in different places of the country. Many tourists buy them because it is easy to get them at good prices. The ox-carts can not be overlooked because they are the national symbol of Costa Rica and they were used historically to transport coffee beans to the markets.

The oldest factory of these carts is located in Sarchi, and is known as the Joaquín Chaverri Ox-cart Factory, that was built around the year 1902 and it is famous for being the crib of the ox-carts in the country. If you walk around town you will see many a store where crafts are sold, there are vessels, flags, wood utensils, jewelry, ornaments, masks, sculptures and other souvenirs. Besides, there is an interesting variety of furniture made with rich woods, chairs, tables, desks and much more...

Beside the crafts; another point of interest is the Church that calls out the attention because it is painted pink and blue. This church has two towers and was built around the year 1950 in a strategic location on top of the mountain and overlooking the town. There is no doubt that Carchi is the town of the artisans in the country, and a terrific place to visit.