From San Jose - Alajuela Tour

This Costa Rica tour take you into the heart of Alajuela City and the surrounding area, from the local market to coffee plantations to the unforgettable Poás Volcano.

Your adventure begins in the main plaza of Juan Santamaria, in front of the Municipal Theatre of Alajuela. This is a building with a long history, having been a theatre since the beginning of the 20th century. You’ll learn about the building’s heritage, as well as stories of Juan Santamaria — the namesake of the very park you’re standing in. Next, we will visit the Alajuela Cultural Center, housed in the former Alajuela Municipal Palace. You’ll learn about the architecture and culture behind this historical site — why the buildings were built the way they were, who lived there, and how they lived.

Your Alajuela tour will then bring you back to the present, with a wander through the city’s different neighbourhoods. You’ll get to experience a slice of local life, from hitting up a bakery for freshly baked bread to sipping a freshly brewed Costa Rican coffee. We’ll walk through the city’s historical streets, hearing the stories of its multicultural families and how Alajuela’s neighbourhoods have changed over the years. You’ll explore churches and meet families who have managed coffee fields for generations. You’ll learn about local gastronomy and visit traditional cantinas and parks where people gather to play cards or share stories. From there, you’re heading up up up into the clouds, to the cloud forest of Poás Volcano National Park. At Poás, you’ll explore the explosive fumaroles of the largest active volcano crater in the world, then take a gentle hike to beautiful Botos Lagoon to learn about the different ecosystems of Costa Rica. You’ll finish it all off relaxing over a scrumptious lunch at a family-owned restaurant.