The town of Orosi, in the heart of the valley, has but one major attraction: the squat but beautifully restored 1743 Iglesia de San José de Orosi, the country's oldest house of worship still in use, and one of the only structures still remaining from the colonial era. It has a low-slung whitewashed facade; the roof is made of cane overlaid with terra-cotta barrel tiles. Inside are an antique wooden altar and ancient paintings of the stations of the cross and the Virgin of Guadalupe, all brought to Costa Rica from Guatemala. A religious-art museum next door has officially posted hours and yet does not always adhere to them.
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