Travels to Heredia
It’s always a pleasure to discover something special in your own backyard. For me, it was the Ark Herb Farm, a 25-year old estate dedicated to permaculture, culinary and medicinal plant cultivation, and botanical research and education. Located in Santa Barbara de Heredia, Ark Herb Farm grows approximately 625 plant species on a rotating basis, from the familiar Genovese basil to the not-so-common toothache plant.
After walking into downtown Santa Barbara, I hailed a taxi for the remaining jaunt to the 17-acre farm. When I hopped out of the cab the first thought that popped into …
Location: Central Valley, Heredia »
Activities: Botanical Gardens, Spice Tours »
The Central Valley is often ignored in favor of Costa Rica’s more famous attractions, but, as a lover of mountains and cool temperatures, it is one of my favorite areas in the country. Admittedly, San Jose is as crowded as they say, but it’s a good crowd — on weekend afternoons, clowns and musicians entertain locals in the park, artists sell their handmade wares, and the city comes alive with culture, life and love. Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago are much the same, though on a smaller scale. The word mundane doesn’t exist here.
The Central Valley …
Location: Central Valley, Heredia, Recent Trips, San Jose »
Activities: Bird & Wildlife Watching, Canopy Tours, Coffee Tours, Hiking, Volcanoes »
Navigating in Costa Rica could be described as either a really un-funny joke or as an adventure. Setting out for Barva Volcano, my parents and I opted for the latter, not allowing unmarked roads, poor directions or labyrinthine streets to get us down. (We would later learn how difficult this promise would be to keep.)
According to my guidebook, the volcano could be accessed at Braulio Carrillo National Park’s Sacramento ranger station. On the map, it looked simple: a fairly direct route travels first through the towns of Birri and later San Jose de la Montana …
Location: Central Valley, Heredia »
Activities: Bird & Wildlife Watching, Hiking, Volcanoes »
