Alajuela is one of the largest cities in Costa Rica. Just a short distance from San Jose, it serves as a cheaper, safer alternative for travelers. Alajuela also is home to a fairly large bus station, so travelers flying into the international airport may use the city as a base from which to reach other destinations. A lot of people are out on the streets walking around, lots of shops and little places to eat. Many of the hostels are located near each other and offer dormitory and single bedrooms for $12-$30 (USD) per night. I spent two nights in Alajuela. One night at the Trotomundos hostel and one night next door. Many of the visitors were from Europe. Most of the hostels in Alajuela (and Costa Rica as a whole) offer complimentary breakfast, consisting of bread, fruit, coffee, and banana.
Buses are EXTREMELY cheap here. I mean, EXTREMELY cheap. You can take a bus cross-country for less than $10 (USD). However, the road are consistently bad, with the exception of the international highway which runs north from Nicaragua all the way south to Panama. Be sure to allow plenty of time for bus travel if your destination isn’t in close vicinity to the highway. Also take the opportunity to use the restroom whenever possible. The buses may take one-line, dirt roads for hours and hours. The towns that the buses pass through will likely not have the clean or plentiful facilities you would ideally choose for relief.
Tags: Alajuela, Costa Rica
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