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Heredia Activities

Aerial Trams

Adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park, the privately-owned Rainforest Aerial Tram reserve offers an hour-long aerial tram ride, canopy tour, frog pond, butterfly garden and serpentarium. On-site cabins provide a glimpse into nightlife in the rainforest, complete with chirping crickets and shy wildlife. $55 adults, $27.50 students and children under 12. Tel: 2257-5961

Birdwatching

Braulio Carrillo National Park offers superb birdwatching, especially near its north-Caribbean border. Located in Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, about an hour and a half from Heredia, La Selva Biological Station, the Tirimbina Rainforest Center and the Centro Neotropico Sarapiqui are a visitor’s best bets, offering hundreds of bird species and special birdwatching tours.

Canopy Tour

Located just a few miles north of Heredia, Monte de Barva, a 1,400-acre farm in San Jose de la Montana, offers a treetop canopy tour and three guided hikes ranging from 3.1 miles (two hours) to 10 miles (8 hours). The private reserve also has hiking tours, ranging from a two-hour moderate hike to an eight-hour excursion within primary cloud forest. $40 adults, $35 students and children under 10. Tel: 2266-0782

Coffee Tour

Watch as a red coffee cherry, or ripe bean, makes its journey from the bush into your cup on this humorous Cafe Britt coffee tour, led by a well-practiced theater troupe. Coffee tasting and typical meals are also available at the award-winning Cafe Britt. Reservations are required. $20 tour / $37 tour with lunch. Tel: 2277-1600

Hiking

Braulio Carrillo National Park is home to Barva Volcano, thought to be Costa Rica's oldest volcano. Hikes to the summit are moderately difficult, and take about three hours round-trip. In addition to Barva Volcano’s miles of hiking trails, this 119,000-acre national park offers incredible hiking, beautiful scenery, superb wildlife watching and rustic camping at its Carrillo (Quebrada Gonzalez) entrance. $10 entrance fee. Tel: 2608-1037

Medicinal Plants Tour

Secreted away in Santa Barbara de Heredia, just a few miles northwest of downtown Heredia, the Ark Herb Farm offers an ethno-botanical garden. Home to organic herbs and export-quality medicinal herbs and plants, the farm's two-hour tours are customized to guests' interests. Reservations are required. $10 per person; minimum two people. Tel: 2269-4849

Shopping

Myriad vendors peddle their wares at Heredia’s famed Central Market. Get out your pocket dictionary and prepare to haggle – fantastic deals can be found here. Don’t forget to order a typical dish known as a "casado" – a delicious meal of rice, beans, salad, plantain and meat– to round out your visit to the market.

Study Spanish

They say that you can’t throw a brick in Heredia without hitting a language school, and they’re almost right – some of Costa Rica’s most popular and prestigious Spanish-language institutes are located in the downtown area. Enjoy classes and a chance to live in the beautiful City of Flowers, coupled with a central location that is convenient to trips throughout the country.  

Heredia Travel Guide

Heredia Weather

Current Conditions

77°F (25°C) Intermittent clouds

Humidity: 99%

Wind: 6.21 miles per hour, W

15 day weather forecast >

Heredia Weather

Current Conditions

77°F (25°C) Intermittent clouds

Humidity: 99%

Wind: 6.21 miles per hour, W

15 day weather forecast >

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