The Parque Central is the heart of Atenas — a shaded square with benches, a bandstand, and the kind of unhurried afternoon atmosphere that has largely disappeared from larger Costa Rican towns. Locals gather here in the evenings; children play while older residents sit and talk. It is not spectacular, but it is genuinely alive.
The Iglesia de Atenas on the north side of the park is a mid-20th-century church built in the earthquake-resistant metal construction style that became common in Costa Rica after the 1910 Cartago earthquake destroyed much of the country's older masonry. The interior is simple and cool. The clock tower is a local landmark visible from the surrounding hills.