40 Best Sights in Central Valley, Costa Rica

Royal palms and massive mango trees fill Alajuela's central park—residents frequently refer to the park as the Parque de los Mangos—which also has a lovely fountain imported from Glasgow and concrete benches where locals gather to chat. Everyone agrees the futuristic gazebo at the center of the park is a bit of an eyesore. Surrounding the plaza is an odd mix of charming old buildings and sterile concrete boxes.

Alajuela was the birthplace of Juan Santamaría, the national hero who lost his life in a battle against the mercenary army of U.S. adventurer William Walker when the latter invaded Costa Rica in 1856. The Parque Juan Santamaría, more a small plaza than a park, has a statue of the young hero. It's worth a detour only if you're a student of Costa Rican history. The park gets a little dodgy as the sun goes down; confine your visits to daylight hours.

Spread over lush grounds, the zoo has a collection of large cages holding toucans, hawks, parrots, and free-ranging macaws as part of a breeding project for rare and endangered birds, all of which are destined for eventual release. It has 115 bird species, including such rare ones as the quetzal, fiery-billed aracari, several types of eagles, and even ostriches. An impressive mural at the back of the facility shows Costa Rica's 850 bird species painted to scale. Wingless animals include crocodiles, caimans, a boa constrictor, turtles, monkeys, wildcats, and other interesting critters. A botanical garden rounds out the offerings here. The facility was formerly known as Zoo Ave, and many locals still refer to it that way.

This quiet, tidy coffee town 2 km (1 mile) northeast of Heredia has a large church notable for its stained-glass windows and bright interior. The road north from the church winds its way up Barva Volcano, ending atop the Monte de la Cruz lookout point with a commanding vista of San José and the Central Valley.

These ruins of a former sanatorium were featured on the Syfy TV series Ghost Hunters International and have acquired cult status among visitors interested in paranormal phenomena. The complex sits just off the highway on the way to the Irazú Volcano and functioned as Costa Rica’s hospital for tuberculosis patients from 1918 to 1973. The institution bears the name of its physician-founder, who also served as the country’s president in the late 19th century. The attendant who takes your admission can provide some information, but you’re essentially on a self-guided visit here. Most of the alleged spectral sightings are of the nuns who cared for the patients, with a few visitors claiming to see images in their photos they didn’t notice when they were snapping pictures. Other visitors don't see anything but claim to hear what they assume are the nuns' voices. We can’t promise you'll spot any ghosts, but don’t let that spoil the intrigue. Your greatest risk here is likely natural, rather than supernatural: the outdoor walkways get slippery on rainy days. Tread carefully.

Costa Rica's only real remaining oxcart factory was founded in 1920, and its carpentry methods have changed little since then. The guiding spirit of founder Eloy Alfaro lives on here, but the business and tradition have passed onto subsequent generations of his family. The two-story wooden building housing the wood shop is surrounded by trees and flowers—mostly orchids—and all the machinery on the ground floor is powered by a waterwheel at the back of the shop. Carts are painted in the back, and although the factory's main products are genuine oxcarts—which sell for up to $2,500—there are also some smaller mementos that can easily be shipped home. A cavernous restaurant serves food, buffet-style.

Stretching all the way to the Talamanca Mountains, this reserve encompasses 47 square km (18 square miles) of largely pristine, remote cloud forest, a refuge for more than 400 bird species, including the emerald toucanet, violaceous trogon, and many of the country's hummingbirds. The rangers' office and visitor center are on the right just after the park entrance. You can leave your vehicle at a parking area 1½ km (1 mile) up the road. From here loop trails head off into the woods on both sides. Get an early start—you can enter on foot before 8 am, as long as you pay as you leave. The park clouds over markedly by afternoon and, with between 250 and 300 inches of rain annually, it's renowned as the country's wettest national park. (Fittingly, Tapantí means "torrent from heaven.") Be prepared with a poncho or sturdy umbrella.

Although you've never been able to drive up to its summit as you can at Poás and Irazú, Volcán Turrialba is an impressive sight from a distance. The park reopened in 2022 after being closed for 10 years, a combination of increased volcanic activity and COVID precautions. The volcano became increasingly active in 2010. A series of explosions from 2015 well into 2020 spewed out steam and ash to far reaches of the country and periodically closed Juan Santamaría International Airport. (Volcanic ash can corrode airplane engines.) Sulfur dioxide fumes emanate from the volcano, a phenomenon that has taken its toll on plant and animal life in the immediate vicinity.

While the park is open again, entry comes with major restrictions. Advance reservations and the services of a park guide are required. Tours depart hourly from 6 am to 10 am and take you on a trail 4 km (2½ miles) in length, billed as a "moderate to difficult" hike. Although you can still not go directly to the crater, observation platforms allow for viewing from a safe distance. Park authorities constantly monitor Turrialba's rumblings and close the park at the slightest hint of abnormal activity.

If you suffer from a heart or respiratory condition or are pregnant, stay away.

The central park of this small, tidy town 15 km (9 miles) north of Sarchí on the road to Ciudad Quesada looks as if it were designed by Dr. Seuss. Evangelista Blanco, a local landscape artist, modeled cypress topiaries in fanciful animal shapes—motorcycle-riding monkeys, a lightbulb-eyed elephant—that enliven the park in front of the town church. (An NPR feature on Zarcero once dubbed Blanco "Señor Scissorhands.") Soft lighting illuminates the park in the evening. The church interior is covered with elaborate pastel stencil work and detailed religious paintings by the late Misael Solís, a well-known local artist. Sample some cheese if you're in town, too; Zarcero-made cheese is one of Costa Rica's favorites, and it's available in a few shops on the west side of the central park. The town is frequently included as a short stop on many organized tours heading to the northern region of the country.