Four places to visit at Costa Rica’s Central Valley

If you are planning to come to Costa Rica or if you are already here, don’t think for a second that beautiful beaches is all this country has to offer. There are also some great places to visit, that will surely look great in the pictures you will definitely want to take.

So today, I made this sort of countdown about places to go to in the Costa Rica Central Valley. Hopefully you will fall in love with this places too.

1. 1. Arenal Volcano National Park think it is safe to say that Arenal is the most popular of all volcanoes in Costa Rica, located at Alajuela province, it used to be the most active volcano in the country with 41 eruptions per day. Nowadays is not possible to see Lava coming out its crater because right now it is going through a resting phase but there is still so much to do around the Arenal Volcano National Park. Visit Lake Arenal, Costa Rica’s largest river, and the base of the Volcano. There are some activities done in this river such as fishing, or stand up paddleboarding. No matter what you decide on doing, take in, for just a minute, all the beauty around you.If you want to live a great adventure, this is a place to visit. Whether you are into hiking or a more laid back activity such as horseback riding, there’s no problem, there’s plenty of everything for all taste. Do make sure you find yourself a bilingual guide so that you don’t missed out on anything. Be sure to visit La Fortuna Waterfall, this is very near Arenal, you can get here only by foot, so you can either take a 15 minute hike or horseback. Do bring your swimming suit with you so that you can get to swim in a crystal clear water natural pool. There are also the natural hot springs Arenal has to offer. You can relax and enjoy a nice time taking a warm bath in this therapeutical natural waters.

1. 2. San Jose Central Market or Mercado CentralIf you want to get a taste of Costa Rica’s food and also get a chance to hang out with locals and get a sampling of the authentic urban culture of Costa Rica, this is the place to visit.This marketplace was founded in 1882 and since then it has experienced many remodelations throughout the years. Do be advised, this is a crowded place with lots of shops and eateries. Perfect place to buy some souvenirs for sure.Be sure to try some typical dishes such as Casados or Gallo Pinto and also some typical Costa Rican sweets.

1. 3. Lankester Botanical GardensLankester Botanical Gardens is located near one the most beautiful central regions of the country, the province of Cartago.If you love orchids, this a must go to place. Lankester Botanical Gardens was founded in the 1940’s by a british orchid enthusiast named Charles Lankester, he dedicated his life to the creation of one of the most comprehensive orchid gardens in Central America. You can visit any time of the year, but in March and April most of the orchids are in bloom, so if you happen to be in Costa Rica at this time of the year, take a visit to this place. There are guided walks offered at the main desk every 30 minutes but I honestly would recommend you to go by yourself and take the time to appreciate the wide variety of plant species there is.The place is really clean and well maintained. There is a Japanese Garden too, you can walk through a beautiful bamboo path. There is also some areas for doing picnics so you can bring your food basket and blanket and enjoy. This is a pet friendly place!

1. 4. The Ruins of Ujarras.Ujarras town is located at Cartago province. This town offers a truly good experience of Costa Rica’s history and its culture. The Ruins of Ujarras is the place where the oldest church in Costa Rica was built. The legend states that indigenous Huetar Indian fisherman found a box with an image of Virgin Mary on it, which they were unable to remove from the location. Because of this, Nuestra Senora de la Limpia Concepcion was built on the site. Over the years, it is believed that the spirit of the Virgin Mary cautioned locals of a devastating flood and performed several miracles for the villagers. There is a beautiful garden surrounding the ruins, so you can spend the afternoon here.

There is so much more that Costa Rica has to offer and also so many things to visit but for now we will just leave you this four places to go to. We truly hope you fall in love with this country and don’t forget to think about us when you do visit, we would love to see all the pictures you take, so don’t forget to use our hashtag #propertiesincostarica on Instagram and Facebook so that we can check out all the memories you make. Pura Vida!