Atenas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atenas is the capital city of the canton of Atenas in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Atenas covers an area of 8.93 km² (1), and has a population of 7,716 (2). Its name means Athens (Αθήνα) (Spanish name).

The city lies at an elevation of 698 meters above sea level (1) on the western edge of the Central Valley (Valle Central), 25 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 20 kilometers from Juan Santamaria International Airport, and 35 kilometers from the national capitol city of San Jose.

The town is surrounded by mountains and coffee plantations. It is located in a prosperous agricultural area which hosts a weekly farmer's market. The town center features an immaculate, white church and a picturesque park lined with palm trees. There is a community health center, pharmacies, doctors, dentists, tennis court, fitness center, swimming pools, parks, banks, shops, bed-and-breakfasts, and restaurants in the village.

[edit] A Local Legend

A often repeated local legend boasts that National Geographic once recognized Atenas as having "the best climate in the world." According to officials at National Geographic, however, that organization never makes such value judgments pertaining to "best" and "worst" in any category. A research through archives by National Geographic staff revealed that no such claim for Atenas has ever appeared in the pages of the magazine.