The province of Heredia has its own peculiar beauty reminiscent of enchanted forests and small town coziness. Beautiful hotels have found in the city's cold mountains the perfect environment for romantic getaways with chimneys and wine included.
As far as the tourism industry goes, Heredia has found a niche market that takes advantage of the province's traditional coffee plantations, history and magic mountains. In recent years the entertainment and nightlife scenes have also expanded with new shopping malls, cultural activities at the National University, numerous bars catering to fun-seeking tourists and unique restaurants that offer fine cuisine and spectacular views.
Adobe houses, terra-cota roofs and wide roads are common in Heredia, a town that remains true to Costa Rican architectural heritage.
The Central Park
In the heart of Heredia you'll find the Central Park, an elegant tree-shaded plaza of beautiful simplicity that is considered one of the nicest in the country. It has an impressive water fountain surrounded by plenty of benches to sit on so it's the ideal spot to take a break.
Heredia
Look around you and you'll find three of Costa Rica's best examples of colonial architecture. The Inmaculada Concepcion Church, the Casa de la Cultura Museum and the Fortin. The church exterior is bare stone but beautiful stain glass windows, ornamental vaulted ceilings and an altar decorated with great attention to detail hide inside its walls.
The Casa de la Cultura Museum provides an insight into Costa Rican history as well as the Fortin, a small circular brick and stone building, the only remains of a late eighteenth century Spanish fortress. Experts say that the bastion was built for peace and not war because its gun slits open outward, almost inviting bullets to enter.
Volcan Barva
The Barva Volcano is a 9,500 feet (2,895 m) giant that rises amidst coffee plantations. The crater is inactive, but not extinct. It's part of the Braulio Carrillo National Park but the surrounding areas are a habitat of its own. The dense, evergreen forest around the volcano provides a home for more than 6,000 species of plants and 500 species of animals, so keep your eyes open and you'll spot white-tailed deer, quetzals, howler, white-faced and spider monkeys.
Barva Volcano
A four-wheel drive vehicle can take you through the dirt road or if you prefer you can hike to the entrance of the park from the small town of Sacramento. On the way you will see beautiful green pastures, lush tree canopies and magnificent views of the valley bellow. The walk may take a couple of hours but your lungs will certainly appreciate the unmistakable scent of fresh air.
Once in the park, a shaded trail will lead you through the denser forest up to the crater's lagoon. The hike takes approximately 45 minutes but don't be afraid to explore detours along the way and enjoy the beautiful scenery, it will be worth the extra time. A few minutes into your walk you'll encounter the turnoff for Mirador Vara Blanca where on a clear day you'll get a glimpse of the Caribbean Sea. Farther up the mountain you'll run into the secluded and inspirational Laguna Barva, a beautiful green acidic pool that bears witness to the volcano's dormant power.
INBIO Parque
If you'd like to make your visit to Costa Rica an educational experience as well be sure to visit INBio Park. Located in Santo Domingo, Heredia and only 20 minutes from downtown San Jose, the park provides a scientific insight into the country's ecological diversity.
INBIO Parque
An expert guide will lead you down forest trails teaching you the ins and outs of the different ecosystems. This research station has managed to assemble a nice collage of Costa Rica's biodiversity into one place making it a practical stop if you're short on time. During the two-hour tour visitors can see three-toed sloths, poisonous dart frogs, snakes, turtles, iguanas, tarantulas, more than 50 bird species, almost 600 native plant species and a unique butterfly farm. The park and trails are handicapped accessible.
Coffee Tour
How do they get that wonderful coffee smell from the plant to your cup? If you want to find out, visit Cafe Britt in Heredia. Costa Rica's leading coffee export company opened its six-acre farm and operations to the public. A guided tour will take you through coffee plantations and show you the whole process from picking the fruit to roasting and grinding.
Coffee Tour
While you learn all there is to know about coffee you will also travel back in time to the Costa Rica of the 1800's by theatrical reenactments and historical background. Finish off with a coffee tasting session and by the end of the tour you'll become a bona-fide connoisseur. The farm also has a wonderful restaurant featuring traditional Costa Rican cuisine served with the Cafe Britt twist. After this experience you will certainly appreciate your java a little more.
Heredia's Mountains
Head to the mountains of San Rafael de Heredia if you're looking for a romantic retreat. Several bars, restaurants and hotels cater to lovers seeking to get away from the crowds and enjoy nothing else than their partners, fresh air, nature and beautiful views. On weekends and special occasions many establishments feature live music, wine and candle light dinners if you're looking for that perfect first date, or second, or third.
Heredia Mountains
Hotel Chalet Tirol is a wonderful example of this blend of natural harmony and love inducing atmosphere. Reminiscent of the Swiss Alps, the hotel sits on the edge of the Tirol cloud forest. It offers modern rooms or rustic cabins with chimneys and a superb French restaurant. Be sure to visit the Whitten Collection of one million insect specimens, including 50,000 butterflies. If you're lucky, you may get to be there for the International Music Festival hosted by the hotel every summer. Classical music fills the Salzburg Theater, the ideal complement for the romantic atmosphere.
If you haven't already, you'll fall in love with nature at San Jose de la Montaņa. Pine, cypress, oak trees, ferns, moss and orchids are clear signs that temperature drops quite a bit with altitude so grab your coat and picnic basket and head to the Monte de la Cruz Reserve.
The trails are filled with exuberant, musty beauty that will make you forget you're in the tropics. Go berry picking through the Bosque de la Hoja and Monte de la Cruz, both provide perfect first encounters with nature.
Waterfall Gardens
Magnificent waterfalls cascade down the Poas Volcano into the province of Heredia and the best of them can be observed at La Paz Waterfall Gardens private reserve.
Paved trails wind down the forest and take you from one waterfall to another with must-stops at the humming bird garden and the largest butterfly observatory in the world. Don't miss your chance to go behind the waterfall and let the fresh water cool you down after the hike.
Geographical Division 
