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San José
The province of San Jose includes areas representative of practically
every climatic regime possible in Costa Rica. Its territory extends
from almost sea level at several points near the central Pacific
coast, up to the country's highest peak, Mt. Chirripó, at
an elevation of 3,820 meters. Additionally, a small portion of the
province protrudes down the very wet eastern slopes of the Central
Volcanic Cordillera in a section of Braulio Carrillo National Park.
Thus, the entire range of temperatures and rainfall patterns that
affect Costa Rica can be experienced somewhere in this province.
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Noheless, the majority of the province of San José is blessed by a moderate climate where nothing more than a sweater or lightweight jacket and an umbrella are all the protection from the elements you'll ever need. This mild climatic region lies in an altitudinal band between 700 and 1,300 meters above sea level, and is under the influence of a distinct dry season from mid-November through mid-May and a corresponding wet season during the remaining half of the year -- the characteristic weather pattern for essentially all of the nation's territory on the western side of the continental divide.
The province of San José is the most populated of Costa Rica's
seven provinces and is the seat of the nation's capital, the city
of San José
IIn the early years of the Central Valley's colonization (during the 1560's), families began spreading west from the colonial capital of Cartago. One of the first places settled was the valley of Aserrí (to the south of what is now the city of San José). Some 170 years later, in 1736, authorities ordered the inhabitants of the valley of Aserrí to move to a site known as "Boca del Monte," and to this end erected a church dedicated to Saint Joseph. The church was finished in 1738, on a site that is across the street from the east side of what is now the Central Bank. The parish became known as "San José de la Boca del Monte en el Valle de Aserrí.” Because of problems with lack of water in the immediate area around the church, however, the inhabitants of Aserrí refused to move to the new site. In 1751, water was finally piped to the area, also known as Villa Nueva, but the residents of Aserrí still had to be almost forced to move to the new town.
By 1824, the population of San José had grown to more than 15,000 inhabitants. A year earlier, the city had become the capital of the newly independent country -- following a brief civil war over whether to remain independent (a view backed by residents of San José and Alajuela) or become a part of the Mexican empire (supported by the citizens of Cartago and Heredia). Following the victory of those favoring independence, the capital was moved from Cartago to San José.
1) Braulio Carrillo National Park
2) Chirripó National
Park
3) Carara Biological Reserve
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Points of Interest: |
1)Cerro de la Muerte:
Along this approximately 50-kilometer stretch of the Inter-American Highway, one can see practically all of the country's highland flora and fauna, thus making a drive across Cerro de la Muerte similar to a visit to Mount Chirripó, but without all the strenuous effort.
To the North American who is familiar with the vegetation back home, many plants along the summit of Cerro de la Muerte will look familiar. Alders, blueberries (not a very juicy variety), gooseberries, lady's slippers, Indian paintbrush, giant thistles and St. John's wort are all present in varying degrees. Noheless, botanical surveys of the area show an even stronger affinity with Andean flora. As a result of geographic isolation from their ancestral species, a high percentage of the life forms in these highlands have evolved into distinct, but closely related, species.
In the case of birds, nearly 50% of the species recorded from Cerro de la Muerte are endemic, that is, species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and adjacent western Panama and nowhere else in the world. Examples of these endemics include the fiery-throated hummingbird, timberline wren, sooty robin, black-billed nightingale-thrush and volcano junco.
Characteristic elements of the forest understory along the roadside are tree ferns, poor man's umbrella (Gunnera spp.) and scandent bamboo (Chusquea sp.). This bamboo is the dominant understory vegetation in many forested areas and becomes the most conspicuous plant once the tree line is reached between kilometers 88 and 90 on the highway. A gravel road heading off to the right leads up to the summit of the highest peak in this part of the range, towering more than 3,300 meters above sea level. Numerous local television and radio stations have populated the summit with repeaters. |
