The capital of Heredia province is Heredia city, which is just 12 km or 7.5 miles from San Jose at the foothills of the extinct Brava Volcano. Located in central Costa Rica amidst vast coffee plantations and lush greenery, Heredia is the ideal place to visit for a family vacation.

One of Costa Rica’s most historical cities, Heredia was founded in 1705 and is nicknamed “City of Flowers.” Many think it is because of the many beautiful gardens and wonderful flora found around the area. However, it is called this because at the turn of the 19th century, the wealthy Flores family dominated political and social life in the city; one of the family's more famous members, Alfredo González Flores, served as president of Costa Rica before being ousted in a coup by Federico Tinoco Granados. Their home is now the city's municipal museum, located directly north of the central church.

A relaxed and laidback place, the main attraction of Heredia is its superb colonial architecture that can be seen all over town. In the heart of the city, surrounding the main square, which is a popular gathering place, is Heredia’s historic La Inmaculada Concepcion, a majestic church built in 1796, with bells imported all the way from Cuzco, Peru. The stained glass paintings in the church are some of the oldest in the country. This church stands in Heredia’s Parque Central or Central Park, and has a variety of shops and restaurants neighboring it.

Also found in Parque Central is a music temple, as well as El Fortin, a wonderful colonial tower of an old Spanish fort. Besides some old buildings, the park is home to the La Casa de la Cultura as well, which holds historical and art exhibitions on a regular basis.

Heredia is also home an impressive marine life museum. It is a must for all our aquatic lovers and contains 2,000 marine life species.

Another reason for Heredia city’s popularity is the fact that the country’s national university, Universidad Nacional is located here, which has one of the foremost veterinarian schools in Central America, as well as an outstanding marine biology department. This is why one will find plenty of students all over town, including many international students.

When exploring Heredia, do go to the top of Monte de la Cruz, where you will be treated to some spectacular views of the city, its surrounding areas and huge coffee plantations. From Heredia, one also gets the opportunity to view both the Poas Volcano and Barva volcano in the distance.

Aside from the wonderful cuisines available in the many restaurants, there are plenty of hotels and accommodations all over the place in Heredia. Warm year-round, the temperatures are tempered by the amount of cloud cover that affects the area. The rains are spread throughout the year, but the rainiest period is May–October. Climate is relatively low throughout the year.

The award-winning Intel campus in Costa Rica which opened in March 1998 is also located in Heredia. In 2006 Intel Costa Rica opened the Ultra park campus (CRU) to host the operations of IT Enterprise Production Services (EPS). While high-quality coffee beans, bananas and textiles have historically been chief exports for Costa Rica, the current major export is computer chips, thanks to Intel's presence, which has initiated much economic growth and represent 20% of the total Costa Rica exports.

Starting a trip from Heredia and the nearby area provides great access to several natural attractions. The closest is the dormant Barva Volcano, located inside Braulio Carrillo National Park. This gorgeous area has hiking trails that will take you all the way to the top of the inactive volcano. A little farther west and you will arrive at Poás Volcano National Park, a 31 mile (50 km) drive from Heredia. This unusual volcano allows visitors to peer in from above. Both parks exemplify the unbelievable flora and fauna Costa Rica is famous for.

The perfect location for a quiet getaway, Heredia City is a great place to visit because the weather here is mild and temperate all year round, and with its close proximity to downtown San Jose, you can enjoy a wonderful vacation away from the crowds that often throng most large cities