Atenas Overview

It’s hard to find tourists in the village of Atenas, 25km west of Alajuela, and locals like it that way. Atenas is a good “time out” stop on a busy itinerary—Volcán Poás and Manuel Antonio are one and three hours away, respectively, and the Butterfly Farm and Zoo-Ave are en route to the village from Alajuela.

Transportation And Practical Information. The bus from San José to Atenas leaves from Terminal Coca Cola, Av. 1/3, C. 16 (every 30min.-1hr., ¢615). Return buses leave Atenas from in front of the Coopetransatenas office, 150m west of the southwest corner of the parque and diagonally across the street from the mercado central. Buses run at least every hour to Alajuela, where they drop off and pick up at the southwest corner of the lot between Av. Central/2, C. 8/10 (¢435). Printed schedules are available at the Coopetransatenas office in Atenas (☎2446 5767). Once you reach Atenas, orient yourself by the church, which is on the parque ’s south side. The mercado central is located 100m west of the church. Banco de Costa Rica is 100m south of the southwest corner of the parque and has a 24hr. ATM. (Open M-F 9am-4pm.)

Accommodations.  Ana’s Place B&B is 200m east of the Acueductos y Alcatarillados (AyA) water company behind the church at the bottom of a hill on your right. A winding drive leads up to the only hotel close to the parque central, where rooms with big beds and quiet fans look onto a yard occupied by colorful macaws. Ana’s also offers beautiful gardens with a swimming pool and gazebo, sitting area, and kitchen. (☎2446 5019. Breakfast included. High season singles US$50; doubles US$60. Low season singles US$35/45. AmEx/MC/V/US$/¢.) Hotel B&B Vista Atenas features the most dramatic views of the Atenas valley and surrounding mountains, but it takes a cab to get here. It has bright white rooms, a Franco-Belgian restaurant, a cliff-side pool, and two cabins with kitchens. (☎2446 4272; www.vistaatenas.com. Singles US$65; doubles US$70; triples US$75; double cabins US$70. Tax not included. Lower weekly rates available. AmEx/MC/V/US$/¢.) Apartamentos Atenas offers views for low prices, but is the farthest from town. The large cabins, with kitchens, are around a pool. There is a waterfall as well. (☎2446 5792; www.apartamentosatenas.com. Breakfast US$6. English and German spoken. Singles US$35; doubles US$40; one-room triple US$50; two-room triple US$60; two-room quad US$65. Ask about special rates for longer stays. AmEx/MC/V/US$/¢.)

Food.  El Mejor Clima (☎2446 3212), 200m north and 200m west of the parque, serves up a variety of tasty salads topped with seafood (¢1500-2200), ceviches (¢1100-2400), and rice dishes (¢1900-2800). Eat outside to enjoy the perfect weather that gives Atenas its motto and this restaurant its name. Rick’s Internet Café , located at the northeast corner of the parque, serves pizza (¢2000-4000), calzones (¢2800), and sandwiches (¢1400-3500). Sign up ahead of time for “Thursday nights at Rick’s,” a special meal at 8pm for ¢4000 (¢5000 at the door), that includes meat, salad, potatoes, and dessert. Work by local artists for sale. (☎2446 0810; www.ricksinternetcafe.com. Internet 30min. free with purchase, ¢500 per hr. Open M-Th 8am-6pm, F-Sa 8am-8pm, Su 10am-6pm. US$/¢.) For a quick, cheap meal, head west of the parque ’s southwest corner for Soda Tío Mano , a typical soda ( casados ¢600) with an unusually wide variety of desserts, like queque de melocotón (peach cake) and strawberry cheesecake for ¢600. (☎2446 5605. Open daily 8am-9pm.)