Heredia Information
Travel
to Costa Rica
Climate: Like
the province of Alajuela, Heredia includes a portion
of the Central Valley and the Central Volcanic Cordillera,
but the majority of its territory lies in the northern
lowlands, south of Nicaragua. The geographical variation
contained within this province (the smallest of Costa
Rica's seven) gives it as wide a range of climatic
conditions as any of the provinces, from warm and
humid lowlands, to cool and damp highlands, to the
mild but seasonally wet and dry Central Valley.
History: Within
less than a decade after the founding of the Spanish
settlement in the Valley of Cartago, other areas in
the Central Valley also began to be colonized. Among
the first of these areas was the village of Barva
-- less than three kilometers north of what is now
the city of Heredia.
The construction of churches
so that the populace could comply with its religious
obligations and ceremonies including weddings, baptisms,
and funerals was an important criteria in the development
of communities during colonial times (in modern times,
soccer fields seem to have replaced this function).
In 1706, the first parish church in this region
was erected in Lagunilla, near the village of El Barreal,
but in 1717 was moved several kilometers to the north
to the site that would become the city of Heredia.
It is reported that houses in outlying areas were
even burned so that their occupants would move closer
to the center of the developing town. Variously known
throughout the colonial period as Villa Vieja or
Cubujuquí, the name Heredia comes from
the man who managed to obtain the title of "villa"
for the newly formed settlement, don Gonzalo Fernández
de Heredia. The present day church in the center of
Heredia is one of the oldest in Costa Rica, dating
back to 1797.
With the introduction
of coffee to Costa Rica, the fertile southern slopes
of Barva Volcano became populated with plantations
of this crop. The steep and very rainy northern slope
did not become populated until much more recently.
The Sarapiquí River, which is navigable upstream
from the San Juan River (which flows into the Caribbean)
as far inland as Puerto Viejo (Old Port) de Sarapiquí
at the volcano's base on the northern side, was an
important transportation route for those few hardy
settlers who first moved into this region. Although
as recently as 1953, a mere three thatched-roof houses
were all that comprised the village of Puerto Viejo.
National Parks:
1) Braulio
Carrillo National Park (Barva Volcano sector)
2) Barra
Colorado National Wildlife Refuge
Other Points of Interest:
1)
Sarapiquí River: This
scenic tropical river has its origins high on the
northern slopes of Barva and Poás Volcanoes,
but by the time it reaches the San Juan River on the
border with Nicaragua, it has received water from
as far away as Irazú Volcano via the Sucio
River. With so much water flowing into it, the Sarapiquí
is navigable downstream from the town of Puerto Viejo,
where a number of passenger and local cargo vessels
can now be found at the village dock. Wildlife viewing
trips for tourists can be arranged using these boats
(if you're staying in one of the area hotels, it's
easiest to let them set things up). These excursions
take you slowly downstream to the confluence of the
Sucio River (about 10 km.), before turning around.
The trip normally takes between two and three hours
(depending on water levels and how much you're seeing).
Commonly observed wildlife includes: both Three-toed
and Two-toed Sloths, Mantled Howler Monkeys, Southern
River Otters, Black River Turtles, American Crocodiles,
and a wide variety of birds.
Continuing upstream from
Puerto Viejo, the river picks up gradient and becomes
one of the country's finest rivers for kayaking and
whitewater rafting. The further upstream you go, the
more challenging the rapids become. Above the town
of San Miguel it becomes suicidal to attempt to run,
but from there down to La Virgen it makes an intense
Class IV-V run in a kayak. Downstream from the bridge
at La Virgen, the river is suitable for inflatable
rafts and provides an exciting Class III-IV paddle
with plenty of lush tropical scenery to about the
village of Chilamate.
2)
La Selva Biological Station: One of the premier
neotropical sites for biological studies, La Selva
is a Mecca not only for scientists, but also hard-core
birders and serious naturalists. The state-of-the-art
laboratory facilities on the edge of the rain forest
have allowed researchers at La Selva the opportunity
to make many exciting new discoveries about the workings
of this most incredibly complex and biologically diverse
of all the planet's ecosystems. The more than 60 kilometers
of well-maintained trails that crisscross the 1,536
hectare property allow excellent access to the forest.
La Selva is one of three
biological stations in Costa Rica owned and operated
by the Organization
for Tropical Studies (O.T.S.),
a consortium of some 50 U.S. and Costa Rican universities
dedicated to furthering tropical research endeavors.
Christmas Bird Counts
have been conducted annually at La Selva since 1985
and have produced a total of more than 420 species
within a 14.5-kilometer radius that includes the lower
portion of the Braulio
Carrillo National Park
extension as well as lowland
areas surrounding the station property. Additionally,
within the boundaries of the station, 25 species of
lizards, 44 species of frogs and toads, 56 species
of snakes, and 114 species of mammals (in large part,
bats) have been reported, not to mention a staggering
variety of plant and insect life. Some of the more
commonly seen organisms include: Poison-dart Frogs,
Green Iguanas, Giant Tropical Ants, Central American
Agoutis, and the highly venomous Fer-de-lance.
Admission policy:
Both day visits and overnight stays are possible,
however, prior authorization is required. For overnight
stays, contact the O.T.S. office in Moravia at 240-6696.
Day visits can be arranged directly with the station
at 766-6565. All daily visitors are accompanied by
a local naturalist, whose fee is not included in the
individual entrance fee.
Getting there: From
San José, take the Limón highway through
Braulio Carrillo National Park and upon reaching the
lowlands take the first left turn, towards Puerto
Viejo de Sarapiquí. About 28 km. down this
road, look for a covered bus stop on the left with
the OET logo (Spanish for O.T.S.) around the sides
of the roof. Turn left on the gravel road beside the
bus stop and follow the road for about half a kilometer
to the La Selva gate. (If you come to the bridge over
the Sarapiquí River, you've gone too far.)
Public buses to Puerto
Viejo de Sarapiquí from San José will
let you off by the bus stop, but make sure the bus
goes via the new highway and not the old route through
Heredia and Vara Blanca.
Climate: Very
warm year-round, the temperatures are tempered by
the amount of cloud cover that affects the area and
also brings an average four meters of rainfall. The
rains are spread throughout the year, but the rainiest
periods are June - August and November - January.
History: The original
587 hectares that comprised La Selva were purchased
in 1968 from tropical forester Dr. Leslie Holdridge,
who had owned the property since 1953 and used it
for experimentation with timber trees and crops such
as cacao and peach palm. Even in 1968 access was an
adventure consisting of a tortuous 4-hour drive through
the mountains followed by a 4-kilometer ride in a
dugout canoe to reach the site of the main building
that had minimal creature comforts (but lots of creatures!)
and no electricity or phone.
The importance of the
site as a place for conducting tropical research inside
a rain forest, combined with the urgency to understand
these ecosystems caused by their greatly accelerated
destruction during the 1970's and '80's, led to the
transformation from those rustic beginnings to the
modern facility that La Selva Biological Station is
today.
The size of the property
has tripled since 1968 with the acquisition of eight
adjoining parcels throughout the years. Additionally,
the creation of the Braulio Carrillo National Park
extension in 1986 effectively connects La Selva with
a forested elevational transect that stretches right
to the top of Barva
Volcano. Nevertheless, with rapid colonization
of the Sarapiquí lowlands since the 1970's,
conversion of rain forests to agricultural land has
turned La Selva into a forested peninsula when not
long ago it was part of a vast forested region.
