Central Highlands
As one winds up the coffee-shrouded slopes of Costa Rica's Central Highlands, the dramatic climb gives way to spectacular views. If the mountainous peaks are not shrouded in enchanting cloud, it is even possible to simultaneously view the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Amid its mountainous terrain, the region contains a number of fascinating destinations. In the northwestern area, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve stands as pillar of conservation biology and nature travel.
Poas Volcano National Park
Poás Volcano overlooks 14,000 acres (5,666 ha) of various habitats that make up Poas Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcán Poás). Poás Volcano National Park is one of Costa Rica's most active volcanos, making it an awesome place to visit. At a height of 8,885 ft (2,708 m), Poás remains one of Costa Rica's largest and most active volcanoes. This fact alone is enough to attract thousands of visitors per year
Explore PlaceMonteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Reserva Biologica del Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde) is where some of the best-kept cloud forest in all of Costa Rica can be found. It is a cloud forest, not a rain forest, due to its elevation of 4,724 ft (1,440 m) above sea level. Some of the best bird-watching can be done inside and outside the reserve.
Explore PlaceChildren's Eternal Rain Forest
An indispensable option for hiking and viewing this area's amazing biodiversity is the Children's Eternal Rain Forest (Bosque Eterno de los Ninos), also known as CERF. This gigantic reserve gets its name from the unprecedented support from children all over the world.
Explore PlaceMonteverde Costa Rica Vacations
Heed the call of the great outdoors and let your next vacation take you to beautiful Monteverde, Costa Rica. Home to cool, misty cloud forests, and deep green foliage almost everywhere you look, there’s no mistaking that you’ve stepped away from everyday life. If spending time in nature is at the top of your travel to-do list, then you’ll get your fill of adventure in this part of Costa Rica’s Central Highlands. From zip lining across a canopy to tours of coffee plantations, there are plenty of activities to keep you moving in the fresh air.
Explore PlacePoás
Poás is only a 1 ½ hours from San José, so plenty of travelers visit Poás National Park as a day trip. But there is plenty to explore besides the incredible hikes to the summit of Poás Volcano. On the grounds of the park you’ll also find the Doka Coffee Estate, one of many reasons to extend your stay in this park.
Explore PlaceTurrialba
Discover the rural country side of Turrialba, in the lush and beautiful Central Highlands. The region is noted for being verdant and green, rich in natural beauty and raging rivers. The surroundings will bring you back in time with sites of ancient ruins, old adobe houses and aged buildings accompanied by colorful wood.
Explore PlaceBajos del Toro
Bajos del Toro is a great escape for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. Located in the Central Highlands amid a volcanic mountain range with lush primary forest, the largely undiscovered Bajos del Toro is a great destination for bird enthusiasts and hikers.
Explore PlaceVara Blanca
Vara Blanca is a small town located in the Heredia province, nestled between Barva Volcano and Poás Volcano. It takes 1.5 hours to reach Vara Blanca from San José.
Explore PlaceLa Paz Waterfall Gardens
The splendid gardens of La Paz are located on the slopes of the Poas volcano, just an hour from San Jose, in the central highlands. This area is rich in bio diversity thanks to an altitude of that varies between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, allowing for both cloud forest and rain forest to co-exist. Be prepared for a truly magical experience. Here, visitors will find the largest butterfly observatory in the world, hummingbird and bromeliad gardens, a serpentarium, frog pond, and 5 striking waterfalls.
Explore PlaceSan Ramon
Located between the all important city of Alajuela and Puntarenas is the charming district of San Ramon, the second largest in the Alajuela Province. Situated just off the Inter-American Highway, San Ramon is surrounded by the Coffee clad hills which gaze out over the Central Valley. The mostly mountainous region produces many different crops including sugarcane, coffee and vegetables and the cattle industry still thrives.
Explore PlaceAguas Zarcas de San Carlos
The small town of Aguas Zarcas is in the province of Alajuela, just to the east of the Aguas Zarcas River. Alajuela is known for its green mountainsides and coffee plantations. Volcanoes feature prominently in the surrounding landscape.
Explore PlaceTilaran
The quiet and relaxed feel is one of the major attractions to this charming town, and because of this, it is quickly becoming more popular as a tourist destination. Once a small farming town, it is a strong economic contributor producing coffee, macadamia and peanuts.
Explore PlaceMore about Central Highlands
Not far from San Jose, visitors can find Poas Volcano and La Paz Waterfall. In its southeast, the region contains both the Irazu and Turrialba Volcanoes. Bordered by lowlands to the north and the Central Valley to the south, the Central Highlands Region of Costa Rica awaits with beautiful discoveries around every corner. Home to national parks and protected reserves, the region supplies ample resources to nature-enthusiasts and outdoor-lovers. Its terrain boasts superb wildlife havens and thriving vegetation up to altitudes of 11,260 ft (3,432 m).
Rivers slither their way down the upper slopes of the continental divide, and misty clouds saturate the forest oaks and pines. Epiphytes and mosses decorate the trees, and ferns lounge along the forest floor. The Highlands' tree canopies are home to fantastic birds, such the Three-wattled Bellbird and elusive Resplendent Quetzal. Dotted with some of the most unadulterated and enthralling natural terrain, the region offers plenty of natural wildlife areas to explore.
The Highlands Region extends from the northwest town of Tilaran to the southeast Turrialba Volcano. It encompasses an elliptical expanse of spectacular green hills with unparalleled biodiversity, and many of the country's most important rivers bellow from high in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range to Costa Rica's fertile Central Valley. Birthing from high atop the crisp mountain ranges, these rivers supply the Central Valley Plateau (Meseta Central) with vital nutrients for flourishing crops.
Many of the country's active volcanic peaks are found along the Highland's Central Volcanic Mountain Range (Cordillera Volcanica Central). Volcanoes such as Poas and Irazu are some of the most spectacular and accessible volcanoes in the country. Easily accessible from San Jose, destinations such as Poas Volcano can be visited with day trips from the capital city.
Many serendipitous adventures await visitors to the Central Highlands. Experience the terrain's pure beauty as it unwinds along the road in front of you. The region's immaculate views and stunning scenery may entice you to spend your entire vacation in the Central Highlands.
Browse some of our favorite itineraries
Get excited and browse our selection of our favorite hand made tours including Central Highlands. From romantic honeymoons to family-fun; these are completely flexible and arranged to your needs.
A Real Taste of Costa Rica
We wanted to take the kids to Costa Rica to appreciate the ecotourism. Monteverde region blew us away with the Twilight Walk, Children's Eternal Rainforest and the cabins and greenhouse at Los Pinos, including the cabins designed to profit from natural light in the washrooms. The butterfly garden tour in Monteverde was my father's favourite of the many tours that we took and my children appreciated the coffee tour in Arenal for the hot chocolate that we made and for Gustavo's enthusiasm and interaction with the kids. Exposure to the nature was one thing but seeing how the society embraces nature for conservation was truly impressive.
Classic Family Adventure Vacation
Costa Rica is an amazingly sustainable country and we really liked how much the country cares about its carbon footprint and saving its forests. It is beautiful and knows how to cater to tourism well without ruining the environment. It's a wonderful place that we would definitely want to visit again.
An Adventure Family Vacation to Remember
We all loved Costa Rica and had a great time. It was nice to see sustainability practices at the hotels although it was not what we really considered when choosing a hotel. However, it was nice to see.
We Had a Blast in Costa Rica
I would (and already have) recommend visiting Costa Rica to friends. I hope to go back someday myself. I think Costa Rica is doing a great job with sustainability.
An Adventure of a Lifetime
Costa Rica has really got itself well organised for tourism, the service was spot on, the travel timing accurate ( although some of the roads were really poor, pot holed). Hotels and activities are really geared for tourists and they made us feel welcome.
