Heredia-Poas
The Heredia Highlands and Poas Volcano area is one of the most beautiful destinations in Costa Rica. The area is steep in tradition with coffee plantations and old world Costa Rican charm. Couple this with lush rainforests, towering waterfalls and mysterious cloud forest covered mountains and you have the recipe for one of the most unique places in Central America.
A trip to La Paz Waterfall Gardens is a must for anybody visiting this region. The gardens are located at the Peace Lodge, near Varablanca. The adventure begins with the drive to the property as it is one of the most scenic areas in the country. The gardens are a collection of tropical plants and flowers which are masterfully placed throughout the walkways and around the breathtaking waterfalls. To complement the experience they also offer the opportunity to get up close and personal with a variety of wildlife that they have saved from injuries and rehabilitated. Exhibits include numerous tropical birds such as toucans and parrots, reptiles and amphibians, monkeys and even jungle cats.
Poas Volcano is among the active volcanoes of Costa Rica and is constantly letting off pressure through fumaroles and steam cracks. It has the largest crater of any active volcano in the world. The crater can be observed first hand from an observation platform located within the national park. Within the crater there is a beautiful turquoise colored lagoon which is formed from rain water enriched with volcanic minerals. There is also another larger green colored lagoon within the park, which was the original crater of Poas before the current one was formed. Nature trails within the park are surrounded by tropical plants and flowers, which are prime habitat for many species of birds.
When driving through the Heredia Highlands, one cannot help but notice the vast coffee plantations. A visit to Cafe Britt or the Doka Coffee Estate is well worth the time to learn about the tradition of coffee making from plant to cup.