Heredia's compact historic centre around the Parque Central repays a relaxed afternoon of exploration. The Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción is the most significant colonial building in the Central Valley still standing intact, and El Fortín is an unusual military curiosity that appeared on the country's currency. The National University of Costa Rica campus gives the city its youthful energy and is pleasant to walk through.
Beyond the centre, the surrounding hills are the main draw. Coffee plantation tours are easy to arrange and give genuine insight into the crop that shaped Costa Rica's modern economy. The Barva Volcano in Braulio Carrillo National Park offers hiking through cloud forest to a flooded crater, and the Sibu Chocolate facility runs excellent tours showing cacao production from bean to bar.