Sarchí

“Quieter on weekday mornings”

Sarchí is a craftwork town in the Alajuela highlands whose economic identity is the painted oxcart — a tradition that began when the ox-drawn carts used to haul coffee from the highlands to the Pacific ports were decorated by their owners with geometric patterns and floral designs. By the early 20th century the painting had become so elaborate and workshop-specific that the pattern on a cart identified its owner's canton of origin. The tradition was declared UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005. The Fábrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro, operating since 1903, is still in production — visitors can watch the stages of assembly and painting in a workshop that functions exactly as it did when it opened. The patterns are concentric rings of geometric figures in primary colours applied by hand with brushes that the painters have used for decades. The town has also developed a broader craft market around the core workshop tradition, with furniture, woodwork, and leatherwork supplementing the carts.