HORSEBACK RIDING
Outside the big cities, in the Central Valley’s rural zone, getting about on horseback is commonplace.
HIKING
There is no limit to the variety of hikes available for observing the region’s natural, historical, architectural, cultural, religious and commercial attractions.
RECREATIONAL CYCLING
The region offers a variety of picturesque roads and adventure or leisure sites that allow touring on regular or mountain bikes
ART GALLERIES
Art galleries have experienced a significant increase in recent years, not only in tourist and hotel districts but also in major commercial centers.
ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORIC SITES
The Central Valley contains a wide variety of sites and buildings declared National Monuments or of architectural or historical interest to appeal to appreciate of the country’s national heritage.
PLANT AND WILDLIFE OBSERVATION
You can observe nature and wildlife in several public protected areas, such as Braulio Carrillo, Volcán Poás and Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte, as well as in the Lankester Botanical Garden, the Simón Bolívar Zoo, the Santa Ana National Zoo and the zoo in La Garita de Alajuela. Added to these, a few theme parks offer enjoyable experiences with nature.
SUGAR MILLS
Sugar mills are used for one of the most traditional processes in the country: manufacturing products from sugar cane.
MUSEUMS
The most culturally and historically diverse selection of museums in the country are located in this region
BIRD-WATCHING
The Central Valley offers several bird-watching sites
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography is a promising activity thanks to the varied cultural, architectural and scenic options available, as well as the wealth of flora and fauna, waterfalls, rivers, volcanoes, coffee and sugarcane plantations and dairies.
ATTRACTIONS
RÍO PACUARE
Flowing out of the Cordillera de Talamanca, this river offers excellent rafting. The run is suitable for big and small whitewater rafters, and parts of the trip offer stunning scenery.
VALLE DE OROSI
This highly scenic tourism circuit features a series of viewpoints showing two different areas of the valley, including the towns of Orosí and Ujarrás, the first two Spanish settlements in the era of the Conquista. Here, visitors can see two of the only colonial buildings in the country: the renamed Ujarrás Ruins and the beautiful Iglesia de Orosí, with its considerable treasures in altarpieces, sacred images and other historical elements.
RÍO REVENTAZÓN
At 152 kilometers long, the Reventazón features stretches perfect for rafting, fishing or canoeing. The thick greenery on the river’s banks adds to the enjoyment of a trip down its waters. The mid zone of this river is the Cachí Hydroelectric Plant’s largest water supply source.
OROSÍ HOT SPRINGS
According to the Romanian specialists who assessed Costa Rica’s hot springs in 1981, these waters are effective for relieving muscular pain and reducing stress. Orosí has two pools with good facilities for the national tourists who come to bathe in the waters
OROSÍ CHURCH AND COLONIAL MUSEUM
Built in 1743 by Franciscan missionaries, this is the only colonial building in good condition in Costa Rica. Many works of art can be admired inside, including paintings, sacred images and the altar. The adjacent museum houses pieces and artifacts used by the Franciscans during the evangelical period, displaying something of the lifestyle of that era. The site was declared a National Monument in 1985.
LOS NOVIOS WATERFALL
Known for the many anecdotes about the origin of its name (“The Couple”), this waterfall adorns the slopes of Picacho hill, and can be viewed from the highway to Ujarrás Valley or the Costa Rica Tourism Board Ujarrás viewpoint.
RÍO SAVEGRE, SAN GERARDO DE DOTA
In this river’s cold waters, just a few kilometers from its source, visitors can fish for rainbow trout, or simply take refuge on its banks to relax or capture the river’s beauty on film or video. The Savegre features lovely scenic areas, as well as bird watching—especially quetzals.
CERRO BUENA VISTA OR DE LA MUERTE
Part of the Cordillera de Talamanca, this mountain has an altitude of 3,451 meters. If the weather is kind, both Pacific and Caribbean coasts can be seen from its heights. The mountain features an interesting dwarf forest, and temperatures here can drop to zero degrees Celsius. The upper part of the mountain features a possible sub-volcanic dome, Cerro Jaboncillo (3,000 meters), the result of lava emplacement during the Miocene.
LOS JULIANES WATERFALL
Main entry is through the Santa María de Dota area. The access road to Los Julianes runs through a region of virgin mountains called Fila Bayoneta. The waterfall is around 90 meters tall.
SAN GERARDO WATERFALL
To get to this 40-meter waterfall, visitors walk approximately two and a half hours through primary forest, observing spectacular plant and wildlife species.
VOLCÁN TURRIALBA NATIONAL PARK
This 1,257-hectare park’s most important feature is Volcán Turrialba. With an altitude of 3,340 meters above sea level, Turrialba shares a foundation with Volcán Irazú, which is why they are often identified as twin volcanoes. Turrialba features three well-defined craters as well as others misshapen by volcanic activity.
GUAYABO NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MONUMENT
The Guayabo National Monument archeological site represents one of the highest degrees of socio-cultural development achieved by the country’s pre-Hispanic societies. Declared a National Monument in August 1973 for being the largest and most important archeological site discovered up to that time, Guayabo was occupied through four cultural phases from 1000 B.C. to 1550 A.D. Based on the type of constructions—aqueducts, roads, retaining walls or bridges—and the area, it is estimated that between 1,200 and 1,600 people inhabited the site.
VOLCÁN IRAZÚ NATIONAL PARK
This park protects colossal Irazú, which, at 3,432 meters above sea level, is the tallest volcano in Costa Rica. The active volcano has a long history of eruptions and eruptive cycles. The protected area’s many geological features include the Playa Hermosa, Principal and Diego de la Haya craters, as well as the Sapper formation, the highest point in the massif, from which both Caribbean and Pacific coasts may be seen. Visitor services include information, a park ranger station, trails, restrooms, signage, a cafeteria, parking and several natural viewpoints.
BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK
Created by Law 8357-A of April 5, 1978, this park is located northeast of the Central Valley in the central Cordillera Volcánica, between the massifs of Poás and Irazú volcanoes. Covering more than 44,000 hectares, Braulio Carrillo is one of the largest protected areas in Costa Rica. Nearly the entire landscape is made up of tall volcanic mountains swathed in forest, with countless great rivers running through deep canyons
VOLCÁN POÁS NATIONAL PARK
The summit features two craters: the main one, at one and a half kilometers in diameter and 300 meters deep; and Laguna Botos, a cold, rain-fed lake that feeds the Río Ángel, a tributary of the Río Sarapiquí that flows into the Caribbean.
TAPANTÍ-MACIZO DE LA MUERTE NATIONAL PARK
With a 58,323-hectare area and altitudes ranging from 1,220 to 2,560 meters above sea level, this park is located in one of the rainiest parts of the country and is home to 45 species of mammals, 260 bird species and 30 reptile species, as well as ancient oak and alder forests
LOS SANTOS FOREST PRESERVE
Stretching west from the Interamerican highway between El Empalme and the little village of División, this preserve’s 62,000 hectares are rich in natural attractions and a large variety of flora and fauna. Among its treasures is the quetzal, a spectacular bird with majestic plumage.
CERRO VUELTAS BIOLOGICAL PRESERVE
Located in Copey, Cerro Vueltas contains 1,500 hectares. The preserve’s highest point is 3,156 meters above sea level; its lowest is in the vicinity of the community of Provincia de Dota. The most characteristic type of forest here is páramo (dwarf forest), with its great biodiversity and, in some cases, endemic species.
|