The shady Parque Central is a pleasant place to relax beneath the mango trees or people-watch in the evenings.
Parque Central
Central Valley & Highlands
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
10.95 MILES
On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned…
13.54 MILES
This polished storybook garden complex just east of Volcán Poás offers the most easily digestible cultural experience in the Central Valley and is the…
11.21 MILES
This museum houses the world’s largest collection of American jade (pronounced ‘ha-day’ in Spanish), with an ample exhibition space of five floors…
Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática
10.95 MILES
This three-in-one museum houses an extensive collection of Costa Rica's most priceless pieces of pre-Columbian gold and other artifacts, including…
10.59 MILES
Though josefinos mainly do their shopping at chain supermarkets, San José’s crowded indoor markets retain an old-world, authentic feel. This main market,…
Catarata del Toro & the Blue Falls
16.82 MILES
Find a beautiful 90m-tall waterfall that cascades into a volcanic crater (free for overnight guests) and two trail options through virgin forest (one 4…
16.75 MILES
In front of the Church of San Rafael, this park was a normal plaza until the 1960s, when a gardener named Evangelisto Blanco became inspired to shave the…
11.27 MILES
Entered via a beautiful glassed-in atrium housing an exotic butterfly garden, this museum provides a quick survey of Costa Rican history. Exhibits of pre…
Nearby Central Valley & Highlands attractions
1. Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría
0.04 MILES
In a century-old structure that has served as both jail and armory, this museum chronicles Costa Rican history from early European settlement through the…
0.07 MILES
East of Parque Central is this 19th-century Roman Catholic church, which suffered severe damage and was reconstructed after earthquakes in 1941 and 1991…
0.11 MILES
Two blocks south of Parque Central, this plaza features a statue of Juan Santamaría in action, flanked by cannons. Across the way, the Parque de los Niños…
4.1 MILES
About 10km west of Alajuela is this well-designed animal park with more than 115 species of bird on colorful, squawking display. The tranquil 14-hectare…
5. Las Cataratas de Los Chorros
5.02 MILES
About 7km southeast of Grecia, north of Tacares and Flores, are two gorgeous waterfalls and a swimming hole surrounded by shaded areas and picnic tables…
6. Refugio Herpetologico de Costa Rica
6.53 MILES
Costa Rica is full of wild reptiles, but for people who prefer meeting things with scales under controlled circumstances, there's the Refugio…
6.7 MILES
Heredia was founded in 1706, and in true Spanish-colonial style it has several interesting old landmarks arranged around Parque Central, including an…
6.7 MILES
This tower, constructed in 1876 by order of the provincial governor, is the official symbol of Heredia. It was declared a national historic monument in…