The National University of Costa Rica, known as UNA, occupies a large campus on the east side of the Heredia city centre and is the single biggest reason the city feels young and lively. Around 15,000 students attend the university, and their presence is felt in every café and restaurant within walking distance of the campus.
The campus itself is open and worth a short walk through — there are food stalls, an open-air theatre space, and the sense of purposeful activity that good universities generate. The university's bookshop carries a reasonable selection of Spanish-language literature and Costa Rican history. The area around the main campus gate on Avenida Central has the highest concentration of cheap, good-value lunch restaurants in the city.