The town of Santo Domingo de Heredia was founded in 1848 and features two attractive colonial churches: the Iglesia de Rosario (built 1838-1844) and the Basílica de Santo Domingo de Guzmán (built 1856). There are several adobe colonial homes, some of which are in ruins but remain at the request of residents.
Created and run by the National Biodiversity Institute, INBio combines the features of a museum, educational center and nature park. Two large pavilions outline Costa Rica's natural wonders and biodiversity, and hiking trails re-create the ecosystems of tropical rain forest, dry forest, and premontane forest.
Address: INBio Park, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Heredia , Costa Rica
Tips: INBio Park can arrange round-trip transportation for an extra US$18 per person.
Self-guided tour booklets are available. Guided walking tours: Friday through Sunday at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m. (reservations highly recommended).
The "jewels" at this museum include about 50,000 specimens such as insects, crustaceans, spiders and centipedes. The exhibits make up a lifetime collection of a North American biologist now residing in Costa Rica.
Address: Jewels of the Humid Tropics Museum, Santo Domingo de Heredia, Heredia , Costa Rica