Other sights in Costa Rica
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Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park
The Turu Ba Ri Tropical Park is a collection of botanical gardens reflecting each of the topographic zones native to Costa Rica. As you walk along impeccably manicured trails, you’ll pass through palm forests, pasture lands, herbariums, cactus fields, bamboo groves, bromeliad gardens, orchid beds and a loma canopy. The gardens are accessed by an aerial cable car, which is included in the price of admission.
If you’re an adrenaline junkie, there is also a canopy tour (adult/child US$55/40) that has you swinging through the trees, as well as opportunities for horseback riding and rock climbing. If you’re traveling with the little ones, they’ll be content for hours either …
reviewed
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Lankester Gardens
The University of Costa Rica runs the exceptional Lankester Gardens, which was started as a private garden by British orchid enthusiast Charles Lankester in 1917, but was turned over to the university for public administration in 1973. Orchids are the big draw at this tranquil 11-hectare spot, with more than 1100 at their showiest from March to May. There is also a new Japanese garden, as well as areas full of bromeliads, palms, heliconias and other tropical plants. There is a good gift shop (this is one of the few places where foreigners can legally purchase orchids to take home) and a cafe was in the works at the time of research. Guided tours in English and Spanish can…
reviewed
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Catie
About 4km east of Turrialba, Catie consists of 1000 hectares dedicated to tropical agricultural research and education. Agronomists from all over the world recognize this as one of the most important centers in the tropics. You need to make reservations for one of several available guided tours through laboratories, greenhouses, a seed bank, experimental plots and one of the most extensive libraries of tropical-agriculture literature in the world. You can also easily pick up a map (or print one off their website) and take a self-guided walk through the gardens to a pond, where waterbirds such as the purple gallinule are a specialty. You can walk to Catie or get a taxi (₡1…
reviewed
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Amigos de las Aves
Three kilometers to the southeast, in Río Segundo de Alajuela, is this important and successful green and scarlet macaw breeding program, housed on a 3-hectare finca also known as Flor de Mayo. Founded in 1992 by Richard and Margot Frisius, the organization is working to revive endangered macaw populations in collaboration with the Minae, the government ministry that oversees the national park system. They also have volunteer opportunities (from US$15 to US$18 per person per day). See the website for details. Two-hour guided tours of the breeding center and refuge can be arranged by appointment in advance. It’s tricky to find; get directions.
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Bat Jungle
Learn about echolocation, bat-wing aerodynamics and other amazing facts about the (incredibly cute) flying mammal, the bat. The stellar Bat Jungle, a labor of love realized by biologist Richard Laval, has terrific exhibits including a free-flying bat habitat, beautiful sculptures and a lot of bilingual educational displays. The Bat Jungle makes up part of the new Paseo de Stella visitors center, a modern hacienda-style building that also houses a cafe specializing in Argentine chocolate, a museum of Monteverde history and an art gallery. The wide terrace of the building is a wonderful spot to stop for coffee and a handmade truffle.
reviewed
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INBioparque
About 4km to the southeast of town, in the neighborhood of Santo Domingo, is INBioparque, a wildlife park and botanical garden run by the non-profit INBio (National Biodiversity Institute), which catalogs Costa Rica’s biodiversity and promotes its sustainable use. Visitors can admire 531 species of plant, creatures such as sloths, boas and tarantulas, and visit a livestock and a butterfly farm. On weekends there is children’s theatre, plus the park is wheelchair-accessible. Closing times are when the last guests are admitted; the park itself doesn’t shut until sunset. See the website for a list of specialty naturalist tours and directions.
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Catedral Metropolitana
To the east of the Parque Central is the Renaissance-style Catedral Metropolitana, built in 1871, after the previous cathedral was destroyed in an earthquake. The interiors, in keeping with the period, are graceful neoclassic, with colorful Spanish tile floors, stained-glass windows, and a Christ figure (near the main entrance) that was produced by a Guatemalan workshop in the late 17th century. On the north side of the nave, along the passage to the Capilla del Santisímo (Chapel of the Holy One), a recumbent Christ that dates back to 1878 draws devout Ticos, who arrive here to pray and deposit pleas scribbled on small slips of paper.
reviewed
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Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
Known simply as Parque La Sabana, this 72-hectare green space at the west end of the Paseo Colón was once the site of the country’s main airport. Today it is home to two museums, a lagoon, a fountain and a variety of sports facilities. It is also home to the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), where international and Division-1 soccer matches are played (it will soon be replaced by a bigger stadium that, at the time of research, was under construction in the northwest corner of the park). During the day, it’s a great place for a stroll, a picnic or a relaxed jog. On weekends, it is packed with picnicking families and kids playing ball.
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Parque Nacional Tapantí-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte
This 580-sq-km national park protects the lush northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca, and has a rainy claim to fame: it is the wettest park in the country, getting almost 8000mm of precipitation a year. In 2000 it was expanded to include the infamous Cerro de la Muerte – otherwise known as the ‘Mountain of Death.’ This precipitous peak is the highest point on the Interamericana and the northernmost extent of páramo, a highland shrub and tussock grass habitat that’s most commonly found in the Andes and is home to a variety of rare bird species.
Known simply as Tapantí, the park also protects wild and mossy country that’s fed by, literally, hundreds of riv…
reviewed
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TEOR/éTica
On Amón’s northern limit lies TEOR/éTica, a contemporary art museum housed in a vintage mansion, each of its elegant rooms featuring cutting-edge works by established and emerging figures from Latin America (such as Costa Rican artist Priscilla Monge, who is well known for her wry embroideries). This young museum features the private collection of the TEOR/éTica foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central American art and culture. It is an important gathering spot for regional artists, who arrive to attend lectures, workshops and other events.
reviewed
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Ecomuseo de las Minas de Abangares
OK, so the terms ‘eco’ and ‘mining’ don’t exactly go together like bees and honey to us either, but it’s still worth visiting the small Ecomuseo de las Minas de Abangares, which has a few photographs and models depicting the old mining practices of the area. In the grounds outside the museum are a picnic area and children’s play area, and there’s a good system of trails that pass by old mining artifacts, such as bits of railway. There’s also good bird-watching (and iguana-ing) along the trails, and monkeys are occasionally sighted.
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Plaza de la Cultura
For many Ticos, Costa Rica begins here. This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide gamut of San José street life: juggling clowns, punk-rock teenagers and pop-lite Christian bands. It is perhaps one of the safest spots in the city since the entire plaza serves as the ceiling of the Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática, which is located one level down, and is therefore considered private property (this gives security guards the right to shoo away ‘unsavory’ characters).
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La Paz Waterfall Gardens
This garden and hotel complex is host to 3.5km of hiking trails and five scenic waterfalls, the largest one of which – La Catarata de la Paz (Peace Waterfall) – is probably one of the most photographed sights in Costa Rica. Visitors can also tour a butterfly conservatory, an aviary, an orchid display, a serpentarium and a historic Tico farmhouse that dates back to 1900. It’s an ideal spot for active seniors and small children (there are even special children’s activities), since many of the trails are smooth and well-maintained.
reviewed
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Zoo Ave
About 10km west of Alajuela, you’ll find Zoo Ave, a well-designed animal park boasting more than 15 species of reptile and 115 species of birds – all on colorful, squawking display in a relaxing 14-hectare park. In addition, you’ll find all four species of Costa Rican monkey, as well as many other critters. Though technically a zoo, it is also an important breeding center that aims to reintroduce native species into the wild. There is also a cafe. This is an excellent place for families.
reviewed
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Jardín de Orquídeas
This sweet-smelling garden has shady trails winding past more than 400 types of orchid organized into taxonomic groups. Guided tours in Spanish and English are included with admission, on which you’ll see such rarities as Plztystele jungermannioides, the world’s smallest orchid, and several others marked for conservation by the Monteverde Orchid Investigation Project. And if you have orchids at home, you might also learn some tips and tricks for organic care.
reviewed
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Viento Fresco Waterfalls
If you’re passing through here on your way to Monteverde, take a detour to visit Viento Fresco Waterfalls, a series of five cascades including the amazing Arco Iris (Rainbow Falls), which drops 75m into a refreshing shallow pool that’s perfect for swimming. You can also pitch a tent here (US$20 per person, including park admission) or take a horseback-riding tour (US$65 including lunch, three hours). It’s located 11km south of Tilarán on the road to Santa Elena/Monteverde.
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Museo de Cultura Popular
Located in Santa Lucía de Barva, about 1.5km southeast of Barva, this small museum is run by the Universidad Nacional and located in a restored 19th-century farmhouse that exhibits period pieces, such as domestic and agricultural tools. It is best to reserve a tour ahead of time, when staff can arrange a hands-on visit – which might include using the beehive-shaped clay oven to make traditional foods (though this may require a minimum number of people).
Barva is also an excellent base from which to hike the little-visited Volcán Barva.
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Parque España
Surrounded by heavy traffic and flanked by MADC and the Museo de Jade, the Parque España may be small, but it becomes a riot of birdsong every day at sunset when the local avian population comes in to roost. In addition to being a good spot for a shady break, the park is home to an ornate statue of Christopher Columbus that was given to the people of Costa Rica in 2002 by his descendants, commemorating the quincentennial of the explorer’s landing in Puerto Limón.
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Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle
Near the southwest corner of the Parque Metropolitano la Sabana is the Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, which has an extensive collection of dusty stuffed animals and minerals. The exhibit has definitely seen better days, and although some of the animals look like they’re about to disintegrate, you’d be hard pressed to find a more bizarre display of taxidermy. It’s in the old Colegio La Salle (high school).
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Casa Amarilla
On the Parque España’s northeast corner is the Casa Amarilla, an elegant colonial-style house that is home to the ministry of foreign affairs (and is closed to the public). The glorious ceiba tree in front was planted by John F Kennedy during his 1963 visit to Costa Rica. If you walk around to the property’s northeast corner, you can see a graffiti-covered slab of the Berlin Wall standing in the rear garden.
reviewed
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World of Snakes
Grecia’s premiere attraction, World of Snakes, lies 1.5km south of the bus station. It is a well-run breeding center focused on supporting endangered snake populations. More than 150 snakes (45 species in all) are displayed in large cages. Informative tours are given in English, German or Spanish and there may be a chance to handle reptiles. Buses between Grecia and Alajuela can drop you at the entrance.
reviewed
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Las Pumas
Directly behind the office of Safaris Corobicí is Las Pumas, a wild-animalshelter started in the 1960s by the late Lilly Hagnauer, a Swiss environmentalist. It’s the largest shelter of its kind in Latin America, housing big cats including pumas, jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis and margays – plus a few deer, fox, monkeys, peccaries, toucans, parakeets and other birds that were either orphaned or injured.
This is a labor of love. The shelter does not receive any government funding and relies on visitor admission and donations to survive. Volunteers are always welcomed, but you must make arrangements beforehand. The shelter is still operated by the Swiss Family Hagnauer, …
reviewed
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Plaza de la Democracia
The stark Plaza de la Democracia was constructed by President Oscar Arias in 1989 to commemorate 100 years of Costa Rican democracy. The concrete plaza is architecturally dull, but it has recently received a needed cleaning and some of its elevated terraces provide decent views of the mountains surrounding San José (especially at sunset). On its western flank is an open-air crafts market.
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Parque Morazán
To the southwest of the Parque España is another park, the Parque Morazán, named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag. Once a notorious center of prostitution, the park is now beautifully illuminated in the evenings. At its center is the Templo de Música, a concrete bandstand that serves as an unofficial symbol of San José.
reviewed
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Casa del Soñador
Casa del Soñador is an artisanal woodworking studio run by Hermes Quesada. The son of renowned Tico carver Macedonio Quesada, Hermes maintains the campesino (peasant farmer) tradition of whittling gnarled coffee-wood branches into ornate religious figures and whimsical characters. His workshop displays sculptures of all sizes, with pieces available for purchase.
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