Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Banco de Costa Rica
( 9am-4pm)
Has an ATM; 300m west of Parque Central.
Banco Nacional
( 8:30am-3:45pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat)
Has an ATM that also dispenses
US dollars; 100m south of southwest corner of church.
Getting There & Away
San Ramón is served by hourly buses (US$2.70, 1¼ hours) from San José's
Empresarios
Unidos terminal
. Frequent buses also head north to Ciudad Quesada via Zarcero. Bus stops
are just northwest of Parque Central.
HEREDIA AREA
Though microchips produced in Heredia have become one of Costa Rica's most important
exports, the region also remains a vital coffee producer and a gateway to one of Costa
Rica's largest swaths of highland forest, Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo.
Heredia
Pop 123,600
During the 19th century, La Ciudad de las Flores (the City of the Flowers) was home to a
cafetalero
(coffee grower) aristocracy that made its fortune exporting Costa Rica's premi-
um blend. Today the historic center retains some of this well-bred air, with a leafy main
square, and low-lying buildings reflecting Spanish-colonial architectural style.
Although only 11km from San José, Heredia is - in personality - removed from the grit
and grime of the capital. Yet it still maintains a cosmopolitan vibe - largely due to the
high-tech corporations that have settled amid the area's coffee
fincas
. In addition, the
Universidad Nacional (National University) keeps things a touch bohemian, and on any af-
ternoon you're bound to find local bars and cafes abuzz with young folk idling away their
time.
Heredia is also the most convenient base from which to explore the little-visited Volcán
Barva, within the Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo.
