San Jose & the Central Valley

Central Valley is Costa Rica’s heartland. It features some of the country’s impressive scenery, scattered with coffee plantations and flanked by imposing volcanoes. It’s one of the most bio-diverse regions on Earth and a leading ecotourism destination.

Nestled in between the peaks of the smoky Central Mountains are untouched rainforests, home to preservation areas such as the Braulio Carrillo National Park, a haven for many species of animals including eagles, toucans, jaguars and monkeys.

Central Valley is fantastic for hiking, kayaking and horse riding, and the national park’s Rainforest Aerial Tram lets visitors skim the lush treetops and look out for white-faced monkeys swinging alongside.

Smouldering volcanoes provide a dramatic backdrop to the Central Valley’s rainforest and among the peaks is Volcan Poas, one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world. It’s over 10 million years old, and if you don’t want to hike there is a scenic 4×4 journey to the basin – ideal for non-hikers keen to peer into its bubbling depths.

Right in the centre of this volcanic wilderness sits San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital and second-largest city. A bustling, urban expanse that is an abrupt change of pace from the rest of the region, San Jose makes an interesting base or stop-off on a luxury tour of Central Valley.