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Costa Rica's Valle Central - literally "Central Valley", though it's actually an inter-mountain plateau poised at an elevation of between 3000 and 4000m - is a predominantly agricultural region, with staggered green coffee terraces set amidst patchwork-quilt fields and loomed over by the blue-black summits of the surrounding mountains. Many of these are volcanoes , from smoking Poas in the north to precipitous Irazu in the east, and though there have been no real eruptions since Irazu blew its top in 1963, Poas and Irazu periodically spew light rains of fertile volcanic ash onto the surrounding farmland. Although it occupies just six percent of the country's total landmass, the Valle Central supports roughly two-thirds of Costa Rica's population, containing the country's most fertile land as well as its four most important cities - San Jose and the provincial capitals of Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago . The chief attractions for visitors, of course, are the volcanoes, especially Parque Nacional Irazu, Parque Nacional Poas and Volcan Barva , and there's also good whitewater rafting on the Rio Reventazon near Turrialba. Most people use San Jose as a base for forays into the Valle Central; while the provincial capitals each have their own strong identity, with the exception of Alajuela they have little to entice you to linger. If you do want to get out of the city and stay in the Valle Central, the nicest places are the lodges and inns scattered throughout the countryside.
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