Central Valley & Highlands
Orosi is one of the few colonial-era towns to survive Costa Rica’s frequent earthquakes, which have thankfully also spared the photogenic village church. Built in the mid-1700s, it is the oldest religious site still in use in the country. The church's roof is a combination of thatched cane and ceramic tiling, while the carved-wood altar is adorned with religious paintings of Mexican origin.
Find it on the western side of the square.
17.73 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…
17.48 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
17.74 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…
29.31 MILES
About 2km past the trailhead to Cerro Chirripó you will find the entrance to the mystical, magical Cloudbridge Nature Reserve. Covering 283 hectares on…
18.1 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,…
17.42 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…
17.8 MILES
Northwest of Plaza España lies this pleasant, historical neighborhood, home to a cluster of 19th-century cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions. Recently…
Parque Nacional Tapantí-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte
5.47 MILES
This 580-sq-km national park preserves the verdant northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca and is the wettest reserve in the country, getting…
1. Museo de Arte Religioso San José Orosi
0.01 MILES
Adjacent to Orosi's church, this small museum housed in a former convent displays interesting examples of Spanish-colonial religious art and artefacts,…
1.5 MILES
Heading south from Paraíso toward Orosi you'll hit Mirador de Orosi, a big green space with a jaw-dropping scenic overlook complete with BBQ facilities,…
2.5 MILES
The village of Ujarrás was damaged by an 1833 flood and then abandoned. All that remains are the crumbling walls of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Limpia…
3.69 MILES
The University of Costa Rica runs the exceptional 11-hectare Lankester Gardens, started as a private garden by British orchid enthusiast Charles Lankester…
4.38 MILES
This artisanal woodworking studio is run by Hermes and Miguel Quesada, sons of renowned Tico carver Macedonio Quesada. The brothers maintain the campesino…
6. Parque Nacional Tapantí-Macizo Cerro de la Muerte
5.47 MILES
This 580-sq-km national park preserves the verdant northern slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca and is the wettest reserve in the country, getting…
7. Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles
6.03 MILES
Cartago's most important site, and Costa Rica's most venerated religious shrine, this basilica exudes Byzantine grace, with fine stained-glass windows,…
6.35 MILES
This now-ruined church was built in 1575 as a shrine to St James the Apostle. It was destroyed by the 1841 earthquake, rebuilt a few years later and then…