Zarcero

Zarcero is a district of the Zarcero canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica.

History
Zarcero was granted the title of "ciudad" (city) by a law on 24 July 1918.

Geography
Zarcero has an area of 11.72 km2 and an elevation of 1,736 metres.

It is located in the Cordillera Central (Central Mountain Range) of Costa Rica, 50 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela and 27 kilometers southeast of Ciudad Quesada.

Zarcero, known for its brisk mountain climate, lies in a dairy and agricultural area also noted for the local enterprises that practice organic farming. Distinctive jams, cheese and other dairy products are among the items produced.

Locations

 * Barrios (neighborhoods): Cantarranas, Santa Teresita

Demographics
For the 2011 census, Zarcero had a population of 4,004 inhabitants.

Road transportation
The district is covered by the following road routes:
 * CR RNS 141.svg National Route 141
 * CR RNT 741.svg National Route 741

Places of interest
Parque Francisco Alvarado: The park sits in front of the church at the town center. It is noted for its topiary garden produced and maintained by Evangelista Blanco since the 1960s. Shrubs in the park have been trimmed into the shapes of various animals, including some that are quite abstract and bizarre.

Iglesia de San Rafael: Zarcero's pink and blue church was constructed in 1895. The interior features very nice paintings of the stations of the cross. Materials for the construction of the church are not what they seem. Columns are painted to look like marble, and the exterior is metal siding, not brick as it appears.