The best way to describe Costa Rica’s northern province, Heredia, is high mountains thick with tropical forests, spectacular waterfalls, and raging rivers providing settings for a multitude of nature and adventure activities.
The rugged mountains of Braulio Carrillo National Park are characterized by thick forests, deep rivers cutting through steep canyons and countless waterfalls.
Heredia was founded in the 1570s as Cubujuquí. It later changed its name to Villavieja before adopting its current name in 1763. It is often referred to as the “Ciudad de las Flores,” but not because of the city’s flowers, as many private tourist companies describe it. At the turn of the 19th centuary, the wealthy “Flores” family dominated political and social life in the city. Their home is now the city’s municipal museum, located directly north of the central church. For a brief period in the 1830s, Heredia served as the capital of Costa Rica.
You can choose temperatures by choosing the altitude at which you live, from 72 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit in the Central Valley’s edge to the upper mountain ranges with temperatures ranging from 62 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Fabulous spring like weather all year round.
Known for its coffee farms covered hills and volcanic national parks; this mountainous region also has dense tropical forests, stunning waterfalls and roaring rivers that make it the ideal destination, for those who wish to enjoy nature at its very best.
With several tourist attractions in Heredia, probably the most famous is the Volcán Barva, inside the Braulio Carrillo National Park. One of the few volcanoes that visitors are allowed to climb.
Heredia is considered to be an industrial and commercial hub with its many free zones and plenty of international companies represented in the area. Intel, Firestone and Amazon just to mention a few.
Heredia has just completed Costa Rica’s first and foremost International Convention Center which is surrounded by many first-class international hotels. These enterprises have chosen this great area because of its proximity to the airport, major highway, and an abundance of qualified labor.
It is also home to the University National of Costa Rica as well as numerous public and private schools. Shopping, restaurants and entertainment are also close by. Santo Domingo is a small town with many quaint old adobe colonial style homes. San Isidro de Heredia is another small town a bit further up the road and north east of Heredia city center, it has many elegant homes with magnificent mountain and city views. Residential Lomas de Zurquí is just one of these great gated communities, which also has its own private athletic club. You will find many more homes in all price ranges in San Isidro, Santo Domingo, San Rafael and surrounding areas of Heredia. Condominiums are very popular and widely available in this region from the most humble to the most luxurious.
Heredia is province in which you can find culture, agriculture, tourism, commerce and a great place to live. It is vibrant and exploding with growth potential for the future. You need not look further your future is here.
Counties:
Barva has tremendously architectural beauty which is evident and predominantly influenced by Spanish design.
The majority of the houses built in this city are made of adobe with interiors consisting of thick walls and clay roofing tiles. The city of is known to be one of the oldest cities in Costa Rica and is situated on the fertile slopes of the Barva Volcano. A nice little bit of info is that this tiny town has become very well known for its creation of paper Mache masks that are used in many of the folkloric festivals throughout Costa Rica. Even the street signs depict these masks.
The Barva Volcano:
Located between the Irazú and Poás Volcanoes and next to the Braulio Carillo National Park, the Barva Volcano is believed to be the oldest volcano of Costa Rica. More ver, it is the only one out of the four volcanoes found in the Central Valley that has not spewed out any amount of ash or lava since the time of the Spanish colonization. It hasn’t been active since the year 1492 and many of its craters have been filled with cold and clear waters. Among these are the Danta Lake (1, 641 feet wide) and Barva Lake (2, 297 feet wide.
The surrounding areas of the Volcán Barva were inhabited since pre-Columbian times by huetares and botos aboriginals, which gave rise to different legends, especially referring to the origin of its famous lagoon. At present, in its outline a large number of economic activities of agricultural type are carried out, in addition to being one very important tourist destination. At its feet the cities of Barva and Heredia settled.
Belen, its rural and simple style stands out. Due to its strategic position and wonderful transport system, the city of Belen has become one of Costa Rica’s must-visited areas. It is home to world leading industries in the tech and medical fields.
Then only minutes to the airport and or on the highway route number one, that quickly leads you into San José.
Among restaurants, shopping, hotels, and most recently a new convention center this county is truly great and convenient place to call home.
San Joaquin was once covered in coffee farms. Although coffee is still grown here, much of the land has been developed for either residential or commercial use.
There are course major tracts of land still available. In recent months we have seen the opening of a local shopping and entertainment complex (Oxígeno) to add to this vibrant community.
The center of the of San Joaquin has smaller homes but, in the sell, to sell quickly, the tranquility of the area and its prime location have a lot to do with this. Heredia is a 10-minute drive, while 15 minutes you will find many international tech related companies.
Juan Santa Maria Airport is also just minutes down the road. For this reason, many believe that San Joaquin rental properties are a great investment as are condominium type homes.
The capital of Heredia province is the small yet quaint city, which is just 10 km from northern San Jose at the foothills of the extinct Brava Volcano. One of Costa Rica’s most historical cities, Heredia was founded in 1705 and is nicknamed “City of Flowers”, due to the many beautiful gardens and wonderful flora found around here. Located in central Costa Rica amidst vast coffee plantations and lush greenery, Heredia is the ideal place to visit. It has great shopping and many stores to choose from.
This great little city is close to San Jose, but far enough away, therefore she becomes the home dormitory of many San José workers.
It has a vibrant atmosphere but still conserves its small-town character. It is the home to a great number of universities which has made it a hub for foreign tech companies.
One of the prettiest places within Heredia’s mountains is the quaint town of San Isidro. A gleaming white, multi-spiral Gothic church can be seen way before you reach the town. As you drive up the road from Heredia, you see it, sitting there in all her majestic beauty in the center of town. Now you are at about 1300 meters of altitude and will find a refreshing cool and clean mountain climate.
Getting here and back is extremely easy. It is very conveniently located. Close to Route 32 that runs from San Jose to Limon and 20 minutes to the center of Heredia. Due to this great location, getting to the airport, shopping and or to work is a breeze. All roads seem to lead to San Isidro whether you go by car or choose public transport.
Homes and properties tend to be larger and built on lots of a half-acre or more. Listings of homes for sale in San Isidro average about $400,000.00 dollars of course less expensive homes can also be found. Then, there are higher priced properties with views of both the mountains above and city lights below. Very picturesque Several gated and condo communities have been established close to town. Lately new projects seem to be springing up offering a variety of different housing options. San Isidro, real estate is now on the local radar and is very much a desired place to live.
San Isidro’s residents are a great mix of people from all walks of life and nationalities. You will find a tremendously rich heritage in its local gentry.
The clanking of ox carts lumbering down the street is a normal daily sight yes, I must say you will be hard pressed to find anybody that will have negative things to say about San Isidro. It’s people, it’s traditions it’s fresh clean air and lush green mountains have made these residents fanatical in expressing their adoration for the community in which they live.
This little town has some nice colonial homes from its coffee growing past. Today you will find it to be a bedroom community that has easy access to the cities of Heredia and San Jose.
Really a great place to live because of its proximity to shopping, education, health and employment. It has an offer wide variety in condominiums at different price ranges.
Known for its verdant hills, cypresses and large farming communities, this refreshing little city is the ideal place for visitors to experience the real Costa Rica.
Being close to the city of Heredia is really nice and convenient, the area is home to stunning scenery, with a gorgeous white church, friendly locals and a variety of exciting attractions just waiting to be explored.
Every Sunday you will find a large farmers market with a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables from all across the country. The town of San Rafael of Heredia is the perfect alternative for tourists who want to be close to the action without dealing with the hustle and bustle of the provincial capital. It has great restaurants, hotels and a country club.
Santa Barbara is located around four miles northeast of the city of Alajuela and six miles (10 km) northwest of the city of Heredia.
Many of the locals make their living from agriculture, There are also several Spanish language schools in the area.
Life here is peaceful, as most tourists tend to flock to the more populous cities such as the San Jose. However, if you’re looking for a relaxing way to enjoy everything that Costa Rica has to offer, Santa Barbara won’t disappoint.
Another small town closer to San Jose and Tibás. Rich in history in its coffee growing heritage. Again, here you will find old adobe style homes with red tile roofs.
It has a small vibrant commercial center and a beautiful and quiet place to call home close to all major amenities.
IT has a very devout catholic populace that becomes very evident in their celebration of the holy Easter week.
It is the tenth county in the province of Heredia in Costa Rica, the Sarapiquí River gives its a name to this region.
The western half of the canton gives way to the San Carlos, Sarapiquí is the largest county in Heredia, covering over 85% of the province’s total area.
Located in the north-eastern region of the country and bordered by Nicaragua in the north, Sarapiquí is a popular tourist destination mainly for adventure seekers who enjoy white water rafting down the namesake river.
This region is also well known as there are a number of world-famous wildlife and nature reserves nearby dedicated to the studies of tropical species and wildlife.
Fast becoming an important ecotourism destination in Costa Rica, it sits at the base of central mountain range and is quickly turning out to be a transportation hub for agricultural products that need to be shipped to the port of Limón from the northern and western parts of Costa Rica.
Popular Communities of Heredia:
Lomas del Zurquí is a quiet and safe community located in the heart of San Isidro de Heredia between 1,100 and 1200 meters above sea level, very close to Route 32. During the day you can contemplate the extraordinary views from the mountains of northern Heredia, the Barva and Turrialba volcanoes and at night let yourself be snuggled by the incessant flash of the bright night lights of the Central Valley.
The weather is fresh, and the air is very clean. For the lovers of hiking, there are multiple sectors that communicate with the Braulio Carrillo National Park to enjoy it in just a few minutes of the most absolute and exuberant nature.
The urbanization has a perimeter wall, 24/7 motorized security, 3 guardhouses and controlled access, has more than 3.5 kilometers of wide concrete streets with sidewalks and underground electrification, also has its own ASADA and deep well with one of the best water catchments of drinking water throughout the whole province, so the water supply is constant, abundant and stable throughout the whole year, has an internal sewerage system and wastewater treatment plant.
Other amenities of this urbanization are: The jogging track, 4 playgrounds, community garden, 3 reforested parks with native and fruit trees, abundant open spaces and protection areas, a healthy environment, a well-organized community through a HOA and different committees to participate with the neighbors.
Despite being a rural town, it offers immediate proximity (5-10 minutes) to the main supermarkets (Más x Menos, Automercado, Megasúper) local stores such as: Ice cream parlors, coffee shops, bakeries, veterinarians, restaurants, hardware stores, Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, BAC San José, medical services, dentists, optometrists and on Sundays you can participate in the farmer’s fair in downtown San Isidro.
Several of the best private schools in the country are in its surroundings: Golden Valley School, The European School, Lincoln School, International Cristian School, Saint Francis School and Saint Anthony School, among others.
There are also 3 large and important Malls less than 20 minutes away: Oxígeno, Paseo de las Flores and Lincoln Plaza, communicates through a network roads with multiple surrounding communities such as Santo Domingo, San Rafael, San Pablo, San Miguel, Heredia centro, Moravia, Tibás, and is 4 km away from Route 32 for a quick and direct exit to the Caribbean area and there is only 12 km away to San José, it is also only 18 km from the International Juan Santa María Airport.
There is a vibrant lifestyle, composed of young professionals, athletes, families with children and teenagers or retired couples. The community is very united, dynamic, initiatives are launched here and activated for children, such as the collection of sweets on Halloween, inns, the Christmas festival, Easter egg collection, etc., and for the older members of the family, there are constant activities such as night parties, bingos, the BBQ festival, the Christmas party, Mother’s Day Party, walks or trips to different places in the country, dances, social work and to support to the community or groups in need, etc. So, here your social life will be very active for all family members.
Inside the residential is the Lomas del Zurquí Private Club (www.clublomasdelzurqui.com) which has a heated Olympic pool, tennis and squash courts, pool tables, sauna, jacuzzi, gym, party rooms, bar, restaurant, etc.
In short, if you are looking for peace, security, a beautiful environment and social life, Lomas del Zurquí is one of the most enchanting communities in Heredia.
