Barva

Barva is a small city and county in Costa Rica, located 3km north of Heredia. It was named in honor of Barvak, an indigenous chief who ruled the area before the arrival of the Spanish. It is divided into six political districts: Barva, Santa Lucía, San José de la Montaña, San Pedro, San Roque, and Puente Salas. The city is known for having a nice mix of rural and metropolitan landscape.

The patron saint of the town is Saint Bartholomew. A large church established between 1568 and 1575 is in Barva. Every year on August 24, the people of the town have a celebration dedicated to the saint, and the highlight of the celebration is the unique masquerade, where people go out wearing masks and hit others with pig and cow bladders.