Costa Rica’s Road Less Traveled: Touring the Pacific Coast Route

The bustling streets of San Jose set the stage of Costa Rica’s blend of exciting tropical destinations and hidden treasures found across the mountains and along the shores. The Gold Museum represents the grandeur of pre-Columbian design with displays of golden idols, jewelry, and coins while the mansions in Barrio Amón depict the prestige of 19th and 20th-century plantation owners around the first coffee boom. Your private transfer greets you upon arrival at Juan Santamaria International Airport as the movement of the city pulses around the historical city center and along the neoclassical architecture of National Theater and the aisles of the 19th-century Central Market.

You venture outside of the city and into a township edging the ridges of the Central Valley. Heredia was once home to the coffee growing aristocracy and continues to offer vast landscapes on which locals and corporations tend to their thriving crop. Spanish colonial architecture punctuates the historical grounds providing a unique ambiance far removed from San Jose, though less than seven miles away. Students from the Universidad Nacional linger in the cafes sipping coffee, and discussing pop culture or philosophies learned during class as mango trees shade the walkways along Central Park and frame the 18th-century façade of the nearby Basilica. You will soon reach the comforts of Cariari Bed & Breakfast where you will stay in their royal suite. The reception at this full service hotel warmly greets you with a welcome drink. The friendly staff escort to your room where you can relax and take in your first impressions of beautiful Costa Rica.