At the heart of town you’ll find the incredibly quaint Catedral de la Mercedes, a red metal structure that was prefabricated in Belgium and shipped to Costa Rica in 1897 – and resembles a gingerbread church. It has an airy nave, bright Spanish-tile floors and a Gothic-style altar covered in marble.
Catedral de la Mercedes
Central Valley & Highlands
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.58 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…
13.57 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…
18.84 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
18.58 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…
18.22 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 Manantial de Agua Viva
29.19 MILES
This 200m-high waterfall is claimed to be the highest in the country. From the entrance, it’s a steep 3km (45-minute) hike down into the valley (an hour…
Catarata del Toro & the Blue Falls
12.73 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…
9.47 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…
Nearby Central Valley & Highlands attractions
1.57 MILES
About 5km south of Grecia, a bend in the road leads to an 18th-century rock bridge connecting the hamlets of Puente de Piedra and Rincón de Salas. Locals…
2. Las Cataratas de Los Chorros
2.66 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…
3. Jardín Botánico Else Kientzler
2.97 MILES
This well-tended botanical garden 400m north of Sarchí stadium has 2km of trails winding through more than 2000 types of clearly labeled plants, including…
4.9 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…
7.3 MILES
This iron monument welcomes visitors to Atenas while honoring the Costa Rican oxcart driver. It's 1km before Atenas on the north side of the road.
6. Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría
7.59 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…
7.63 MILES
The shady Parque Central is a pleasant place to relax beneath the mango trees or people-watch in the evenings.
7.67 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…