Zarcero

Zarcero Review

The small town of Zarcero, 15 km (9 mi) north of Sarchí on the road to Ciudad Quesada, looks as if it was designed by Dr. Seuss. Evangelisto Blanco, a local landscape artist, modeled cypress topiaries in fanciful animal shapes—motorcycle-riding monkeys, a lightbulb-eyed elephant—that enliven the park in front of the town church. The church interior is covered with elaborate pastel stencil work and detailed religious paintings by the late Misael Solís, a well-known local artist. Sample some cheese if you're in town, too; Zarcero-made cheese is one of Costa Rica's favorites. The town is frequently included as a short stop on many organized tours heading to this region of the country.