The Parque Central is the heart of Heredia — a shaded square of mature trees, benches, and slow-moving pedestrian life. On a weekday morning it is full of students from the nearby university, food vendors, and older residents who have been using the same benches for decades. On weekends families from the surrounding residential streets come to sit and watch the city pass by.
The square is most useful as an orientation point and a place to start exploring. The Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción is on the east side; El Fortín is just north. The cluster of cafés and small restaurants on the streets around the park is where to find breakfast or a coffee before heading further afield. The atmosphere is notably calm by Central American city-centre standards — one of the reasons travellers use Heredia as a base.