The county of Flores got its name in 1914 honoring a doctor who was famous for his public labor. San Joaquín is older: in 1777, at the end of the colonial period, it was called Quebrada Seca (Dry stream). The town had its main development during the years of Costa Rica's first exports of coffee, around 1843, in which some families in the country became a wealthy oligarchy.

Flores county is the smallest of Costa Rica, only 7 km². In this zone of Heredia prevails a pleasant climate among the 17 and 23°C or more. From May to November you will be surprised by a lonely rain in the afternoons. From April to December the dry land will make the dust climb into the highest cornices of the 19th century houses at the Calle Real, the main colonial street.

A Religious Town
Carlos Ramos and Alcides Vargas are senior citizens who had spent their entire lives in San Joaquín. They are very proud of it and seem to remember everything, even things that they couldn't possibly have seen. They are also very aware of the intense Catholic religiousness of the town. In San Joaquín, as in almost all the Costa Rican populations, religion has a power of social gathering that rules the people's activities.

One icon of the power of faith in San Joaquín is the centennial church, which was declared architectural and historical heritage because of the beauty of its structure and decoration. "It was built among 1865 and 1888"- says Carlos Ramos - "with stones that were brought one by one, in oxcarts, all the way from Cartago." Alcides Vargas adds: "And as in that time they didn't know the cement, they used to put the stones together with a mix of egg whites, sand and lime."

The wonderful paintings inside the building are from painter José Claro Azcarreta in 1954. They said that José Claro never left his cigar during the painting works, even inside the church. He said that if he stopped smoking his inspiration would go away.

Despite that the church has suffered changes because of the earth forces or man's needs, it has preserved the colored glass, the carefully elaborated exterior gardens and the 14 Italian sculptures of the 'via crucis', bought by 13 rich families in the time of the construction. The 14th sculpture was bought through small collaborations from the town's poor people.

"As in every church, a legend says that there is a treasure hidden here. There are supposed to be a lot of gold coins of the 19th century. Everybody has theories about the exact location of the treasure, but no one really has been able to take it out." says Carlos Ramos.

There are also other legends. There is an image of the Heart of Christ on a concurred corner of San Joaquín. Mr. Alcides Vargas says it was placed in there because when there was no electricity, people said old Costa Rican legend characters, such as La llorona and El Cadejos appeared in that place. So the Christ was meant to be protection for night walkers.

Chavela Vargas was a girl born in a typical San Joaquín family: she was the first woman in the town who introduced the scandalous fashion of wearing pants. The closed Catholic community never understood the free spirit of Chavela: about 50 years ago, she went to Mexico to become one of the most acclaimed popular singers in the world.

In those days, people woke up at 4 in the morning and went to work in the coffee fields, had lunch at 9am, drank a cup of coffee at noon, ate again at 3pm and went back their adobe houses, and finally had dinner and went to sleep around 6pm. Now things change a little quicker, and the modern life is mixing with the town's roots, resulting a delicious combination.

San Joaquin Today
Even if coffee production is still alive, San Joaquín has today many economical activities, such as industry and commerce. There are places preferred by the young people and more traditional ones.

You can visit The Solar, a beautiful restaurant with traditional kitchen, it is also a plant nursery and souvenir shop all placed in a house with more than 170 years, which used to belong to a rich coffee producer. It's 125 meters west from the Drugstore in the principal street. You can also eat at La Casona de los Cerdos, a peculiarly decorated bar and restaurant with a traditional style. No one can leave the town without tasting a delicious sorbetera ice cream.

August 16 is San Joaquín Day. There are religious parades and a fair full with typical games, popular music and art. Holy week, in April first days, is also a big celebration in Flores with church activities, street decoration, traditional masks and music.

In San Lorenzo de Flores, taking the north road, there is a butterfly farm that is also a laboratory and a museum. Next to the farm is a 150 year old house, once a coffee hacienda, that today is a biscuit factory in which you are welcome to see the traditional process of fabrication.

The annual crafts fair in December takes out the best of the people's creativity: wood toys, bamboo articles, religious images, paint and make-up for costumes, legend masks made by local artisans, typical food and sorbetera ice creams are exhibited trough an entire week in the middle of music and traditional games.

San Joaquín is a very small town to take it slow, to go with enough time through the sidewalks, to stop and chat with the friendly people, young and old, who will never reject your conversation or your questions. They all know each other, and live in this quiet memory of the past, in a melancholic breeze from old times willing to survive another century.

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