My top 10 picks for Downtown Heredia, all kid-friendly:
- Barva Volcano Canopy Adventure: an adventure park offering ziplining, canyoning, mountain biking, trail running, hiking, camping, and educational tours
- Rainforest Adventures Braulio Carrillo: an adventure park offering ziplining, an aerial tram, a butterfly garden, snake and frog exhibits, a sloth sanctuary, and trails
- Dave and Dave’s Costa Rica Nature Park: a wildlife refuge that offers guided tours on their trails
- Pierella Ecological Garden: a butterfly garden and nature preserve with hiking trails that offers guided tours
- Toucan Rescue Ranch: a well-organized wildlife sanctuary that offers several tours to learn about their animals
- Aventuras del Sarapiqui: a rafting tour that offers several levels to choose from, and includes snack and lunch, as well as combo options for other activities
- Organic Paradise Tour: a pineapple farm offering educational tours that include fresh pineapple and fresh pineapple drinks
- La Selva Biological Station: a national and international research center that offers daily guided tours on their trails
- Barva Volcano National Park: technically part of the Braulio Carrillo National Park, this sector has access to the Barva Volcano crater, as well as a lagoon, on its 4 hiking trails totalling about 10 kilometers
- Braulio Carrillo National Park: a national park offering 3 hiking trails totalling about 7.5 kilometers at this sector
Honorable mentions:
- Costa Rica Meadery: a meadery that produces mead (honey wine) as well as artisan beer, and offers tours and tastings
- Cultural Banana Tour: a farm specializing in bananas and plantains, as well as other fruits, offers a tour that includes a cooking lesson for banana-based dishes
- Cataratas Don Jose: a private property with access to 2 waterfalls on separate trails, one with a natural pool to swim in