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Arenal EcoZoo
Meet 36 of the most dangerous snake species in the world, like Eliza, a 5m-long Burmese python, then handle and milk a venomous snake. The EcoZoo is also home to vibrant frogs, amphibious lizards, spiny iguanas, shy turtles, vengeful scorpions, hairy tarantulas and floating butterf
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Studio of Fran Vázquez
On the road to Bribrí, 350m north of the Sixaola turnoff, find the studio of this self-taught folk painter whose colorful acrylic landscapes are well known in Puerto Viejo and San José. Look for the brightly painted sign outside a small, one-story house. Call ahead to visit, as hou
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Playa Cocles
Playa Cocles has impressive waves for surfers who arent so keen to break skin and bones on nearby Salsa Brava (Costa Ricas biggest break). It has lefts and rights, which both break close to the steep beach. Conditions are usually best from December to March, and early in the day be
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Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
Once the site of San José’s main airport, this 72-hectare green space at the west end of Paseo Colón is home to a museum, a lagoon and various sports facilities – most notably Costa Ricas national soccer stadium. During the day, the parks paths make a relaxing place for a stroll, a
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Catedral de la Mercedes
At the heart of town you’ll find the incredibly quaint Catedral de la Mercedes, a red metal structure that was prefabricated in Belgium and shipped to Costa Rica in 1897 – and resembles a gingerbread church. It has an airy nave, bright Spanish-tile floors and a Gothic-style altar c
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Motmot Jungle
High above the dam, this is not only a butterfly breeding center but also a wildlife sanctuary set amidst primary rainforest. After you observe the life cycle of your fluttering friends and admire the 15 species that are breeding at the facility, you can wander the trails and watch
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Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica
Less than a block to the east of the Parque Nacional is San Josés historic train station to the Atlantic, which was built in 1908. Nowadays offering weekday train service to Heredia and Cartago, it’s a remarkable example of tropical architecture, with swirling art nouveau–inspired
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Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción
Built in 1797, this striking white church facing wide, pleasant Parque Central is still in use. The churchs thick-walled, squat construction is attractive in a Volkswagen Beetle sort of way. The solid shape has withstood the earthquakes that have damaged or destroyed almost all the
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Jardín de Orquídeas
This sweet-smelling garden has shady trails winding past more than 400 types of orchid organized into taxonomic groups. On your guided tour, you’ll see such rarities as Platystele jungermannioides, the world’s smallest orchid. If you have orchids at home, heres your chance to get t
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Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Camaronal
A good beach and point break lies north of Punta Islita at Playa Camaronal, a charcoal gray stretch of sand strewn with driftwood and sheltered by two headlands. This beach also happens to be a protected nesting site for leatherback, olive ridley, hawksbill and black turtles, and i
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Casa del Soñador
This artisanal woodworking studio is run by Hermes Quesada, the son of renowned Tico carver Macedonio Quesada. Hermes maintains the campesino (peasant farmer) tradition of whittling gnarled coffee-wood branches into ornate religious figures and whimsical characters. His workshop di
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El Castillo
This is more than just a butterfly conservatory (although it has one of the largest butterfly exhibitions in Costa Rica). Altogether there are six domed habitats, a ranarium, an insect museum, a medicinal herb garden, and an hours worth of trails through a botanic garden and along
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Montezuma Gardens
About 1km south of town, alongside the waterfall trail, you can take a tour through this lush mariposario (butterfly garden) and nursery where the mysterious metamorphoses occur. You’ll learn about the life cycles and benefits of a dozen local species, of which you’ll see many colo
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Jardín Botánico Else Kientzler
This well-tended botanical garden 1.4km north of Sarchí Nortes soccer field has 2km of trails winding through more than 2000 types of clearly labeled plants, including succulents, fruit trees, palms, heliconias and orchids. Theres also a picnic area and an excellent playground, out
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Aiko
Nestled into the Cordillera de Talamanca, 15km outside Puerto Viejo, this private 135-hectare reserve is centered on a former finca, on land fringed with dense primary rainforest. It’s ideal for bird-watching, hiking and splashing around in swimming holes. Day tours from Puerto Vie
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TEOR/éTica
This contemporary-art museum is the bricks-and-mortar gathering space for the TEOR/éTica Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central American art and culture. Housed in a pair of vintage mansions across the street from one another, each of its elegant rooms exhibits
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Casa de la Cultura
Occupying a privileged position on the corner of the plaza just above the church, this low-lying Spanish structure dates back to the late 18th century. It served at one point as the residence of President Alfredo González Flores, who governed from 1913 to 1917. It is beautifully ma
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Casa Amarilla
On Parque España’s northeast corner, this elegant colonial-style yellow mansion (closed to the public) houses the ministry of foreign affairs. The ceiba tree in front was planted by John F Kennedy during his 1963 visit to Costa Rica. If you walk around to the property’s northeast c
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Museo de Cultura Popular
Housed in a restored 19th-century farmhouse 1.5km southeast of Barva and 3km north of Heredia, this tiny museum surrounded by well-labeled gardens is run by the Universidad Nacional. Visitors can tour rooms full of antique furniture, textiles, ceramics and other period pieces. On S
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Museo de Insectos
Reputedly Central Americas largest insect museum, this place has an extensive collection assembled by the Facultad de Agronomía at the Universidad de Costa Rica. Curiously, it is housed in the basement of the music building (Facultad de Artes Musicales), a brutalist structure paint
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