Top attractions and things to do in Heredia
There are many things to do in Heredia, Costa Rica, some popular options include visiting the historic downtown area to see colonial architecture, exploring the La Paz Waterfall Gardens for natural beauty and wildlife, or taking a coffee tour to learn about the local coffee culture and production.
We created a list with the best things to do.
#1 Visit Casa de la Cultura
Free to enter, Casa de la Cultura was once the home of Alfredo Gonzáles Flores, president of Costa Rica between 1913 and 1917.
Today this colonial house, with a large breezy veranda, displays local art, including sculpture and paintings by Heredia schoolchildren. Well worth a few hours of your time when you're in town.
#2 Taste world-class coffee on a tour of Café Britt
Just north of Heredia on the road to Barva, Café Britt gives you an idea of how the modern-day coffee industry operates. The finca grows the country’s best-known brand and is the most important exporter of Costa Rican coffee to the world at large.
Guides take you through the history of coffee growing in Costa Rica, demonstrating how crucial this export crop was to the development of the country. Expect a polished presentation and thorough descriptions of the processes involved in harvesting and selecting the beans.
Once you’ve enjoyed a tour of the plantation, roasting factory and drying patios, it’s back for a coffee-cupping demo and the inevitable stop in the gift shop.
There are also extended “Coffee Lovers”, “Coffee and Adventure” and “Coffee and Waterfalls” tours.
#3 Mooch around Museo de Cultura Popular
Around 3km north of central Heredia the unusual Museo de Cultura Popular portrays coffee-plantation life from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Set in a large house with verandas, and surrounded by coffee fields, it features rooms re-created in the style of that time.
The emphasis is firmly on education, a concept that also extends to the restaurant (Sun 8am–4pm). This serves authentic food of the period, including torta de arroz (layered rice casserole), pan casero (a type of sweet bread) and gallos picadillos (a mixture of meat, vegetables and rice).
#4 Tour Toucan Rescue Ranch
Near San Isidro de Heredia, Toucan Rescue Ranch was set up in 2004 to rehabilitate and release confiscated, sick or injured toucans. Today it supports a wider range of animals, including otters, owls, macaws and sloths – as well as developing breeding programmes and a visitor centre.
In addition to the standard tour, the “Breakfast with the babies Slothies and coffees” option enables you to watch baby sloths being fed. Meanwhile, the “Photo/Artist” tour allows you to sketch, paint or photograph the birds and animals.
It’s possible to stay on site at the simple, but overpriced, guesthouse. There are also opportunities to volunteer at the rescue centre or “adopt” one of the creatures.
For security reasons, the ranch prefers not to publicize the exact address. You’ll be given directions after you’ve booked a tour or a stay.