Population:
Location:  

Atmosphere:

103,000 (greater area)
Central Costa Rica, seven miles from San José
A lovely, welcoming college town surrounded by coffee plantations

Heredia is home to an exceptionally welcoming community. This lovely town is characterized by beautiful historic buildings, some dating from the town's colonial days. Heredia is surrounded on nearly all sides by coffee plantations that give the city a rural feel, yet with plenty of amenities.

Heredia's small-town atmosphere means that most students head into nearby San José for entertainment. This capital city is just seven miles from Heredia and offers a stellar nightlife, and buses run between Heredia and San Jose every hour.

If experiencing nature is more your style, visit some of the incredible ecotourist sites for which Costa Rica is famous. IFSA-Butler organizes an excursion to a nature reserve to watch sea turtles, and a nearby butterfly farm is worth a visit.

For more information about the city of Heredia and the surrounding area, visit these links:

Costa Rica National Chamber of Tourism

The Tico Times Online