8 Things to Do in Grecia: a Hidden Gem in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

The town of Grecia, in the mountains of the central valley of Costa Rica and only a 1.5-hour drive from the international airport in San José, is a superb location to explore the gardens, parks, and nature reserves that abound in this area.

And best of all, you can visit most of them without renting a car. 

Grecia is a less known tourist destination, but this mid-sized town surrounded by farms has been a popular destination for the expat community for years. Its pleasant weather, the mountain views, the cleanliness, cute cafes, overall safety, and cheaper prices, have attracted retirees for years.

However, there’s still a good balance between the tico and the expat population. It still keeps its local flavour so you won’t feel you landed in Gringolandia.

From here you can also explore other nearby areas including Sarchí, the capital city of San José, and popular spots further away (but not too far) such as Fortuna and Arenal.

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These are the best things to see in Grecia, Costa Rica

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See the Unique Metal Church in Grecia (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes de Grecia)

In the heart of downtown Grecia rises a red metal structure with white decorative elements: a unique -for Costa Rica- church in Gothic Revival style, made entirely out of prefabricated Belgian steel sheets.  The parts for the Church of Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes arrived from Europe in 1893, were transported in oxcarts through the mountains (no paved roads in the 19th century!), and were fully assembled in 1912.

The interiors are unique too: white walls and ceiling, hydraulic tiles on the floor, and stained glass splashing colour in the composition.

Across the church, you’ll find Grecia’s Central Park, a nice place to relax among trees, fountains, flowers, and sculptures.

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Try the Delicious Food at the Farmer’s Market in Grecia (Feria del Agricultor)

This is one of the best food markets I’ve visited. A clean and organized place where you can find freshly picked veggies in Grecia, and the sweetest and juiciest fruit. You can also find cheese, honey, baked goods, imported goods, handicrafts, and food stalls with fresh food and juices.

A not to miss place is Cafetería Gramos (open Fridays from 10AM). The bread, the pastries, and the desserts you’ll find in this place are nothing short of amazing. 

Open Fridays (8AM-8PM) and Saturdays (6AM-1PM)

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Hike Grecia Forest Reserve (Reserva Forestal de Grecia Sector Bosque del Niño)

The thick fog putting its arms around the tall trees in this dense forest creates a magical feeling making you wonder if the birds chirping are musical fairies in disguise. The sweeping views from its location, on the slopes of the Poás volcano, sealed the deal to pick this as my favourite outdoor destination near Grecia.  

You’ll find two loop trails to explore the eight hectares covered with pines, eucalyptus, and cypress trees planted by children of surrounding communities in 1979 to celebrate the International Year of the Child. Hence the name of the reserve (Bosque del Niño means Children’s Forest).

It’s a great place for birdwatching (they have recorded more than 50 species) and for spotting wildlife (you could see coyotes, armadillos, sloths, grey foxes, jaguarundis, and more). 

The Carboneras trail is 1782 metres long with stunning vegetation and moderate difficulty (more to do with the terrain -tons of roots and muddy at times-  rather than the steepness). My behind hurt for three days after free-falling twice downhill from stepping on the round seeds laying on the ground.

The Los Pinos trail is 738 metres long, mostly flat, with a more “orderly” feel given by the rows of pine trees.

There’s a park ranger station on-site, restrooms, drinking water, and a picnic area.

General Admission (non-nationals): US$5

How to Get to Grecia Forest Reserve Bosque del Niño by Bus from Grecia  

Go to la terminal del mercado (in Grecia’s mercado central, one block west of the central park) and hop on the bus that goes towards San Isidro (it must say Calle Rodriguez). It takes around 25 minutes to get to the intersection with Calle Bosque del Niño where you’ll get off. 

From here you’ll walk four kilometres uphill on the bumpy road till the entrance of the park. I enjoyed the walk as the scenery was an appetizer to the beauty that awaited us on the trails.

If you go there by car during the rainy season you’ll do better with a 4-wheel drive.

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Travel Back in Time in the Gardens of Hacienda Los Trapiches

Hacienda Los Trapiches is a lovely place to relax, see gorgeous flowers and enjoy birdwatching (they have recorded more than 100 species of resident and migratory birds).

Walk along the paths to find ponds, creeks, cascades, and landscaped grounds with a pool and a picnic area.

You can see a hydraulic sugar mill built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1865 and brought here when this used to be a farm with sugar cane and coffee fields with the moos of cows filling the air.

The mill produced sweet sticky stuff by boiling sugar cane juice and using the crushed canes to light the fire. Something it doesn’t do anymore except for Sundays at 11AM. 

So yes, Sundays are the best day to get there and enjoy freshly made melcocha (taffy) using the traditional method from the 19th century. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.

There’s also a restaurant on site.

General admission: 3,500 colones.

How to Get to Hacienda Los Trapiches by Bus from Grecia

Go to la terminal del mercado (in Grecia’s mercado central, one block west of the central park) and hop on the bus that goes towards Santa Gertrudis-Poás. In Santa Gertrudis Sur, get off at the church with the same name (there’s a soccer field behind). From there it’s a 10-minute walk to the Hacienda.

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Visit the Botanical Orchid Garden in La Garita

As expected you’ll find beautiful orchids on display in the nursery and on mature trees that have been on the property from the time it used to be a coffee plantation 30 years ago.

But that’s not all. Relax next to shaded calming ponds that are home to koi fish and turtles and a huge water park for ducks and other birds. Or find your way through labyrinths and tunnels walled with tall bamboos or twisted vines dotted with flowers. 

Heliconias and other “meaty” wildflowers typical of the tropical dry forest will be the delight of your walk along the nature trails where palms abound.

You’ll also see orchids grown using the flask method where they reproduce in a lab the conditions necessary for the orchids to grow in a jar before being grouped in a “community pot” for at least a year and then transplanted in an individual pot. Before they bloom the whole process can take up to four or five years (which makes me appreciate orchids even more!).

Even though you’ll always find something to see in this small garden you’ll find more flowers between January and March.

Bonus tip: on your way here you’ll stop at La Fiesta del Maíz. On your way back stop at this restaurant and try their pan de yuca and their pan de elote (some sort of cornbread). Especially the last one. It’s to die for!!

Open Tue.-Sun.: 8AM-5PM; General admission (non-nationals): US$12

How to Get to La Garita Botanical Orchid Garden by Bus

From Grecia

From Grecia’s Tuan bus terminal hop on the bus to the town of Alajuela and get off at the intersection with Route 3 (around 45 minutes). 

Walk west a few metres on Route 3 towards the bus stop in front of the Garita Atenas sign. 

From there hop on the bus heading west towards Atenas or Turrúcares and get off at La Fiesta del Maíz Restaurant.

You’ll walk 800 metres south on Calle Bosque Encantado to the entrance of the garden.

From San José

Hop on the bus from Grupo Tuasa to Alajuela, leaving from the bus terminal north of Braulio Carrillo Colina Park on 2nd Ave. and Calle 12.

From the Tuasa terminal in Alajuela take the bus heading towards Atenas or Turrúcares and get off at La Fiesta del Maíz Restaurant.

You’ll walk 800 metres south on Calle Bosque Encantado to the entrance of the garden.

Note: the first time we tried to get here we ended up in the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center because when we boarded the second bus I asked the driver to drop us at the orchid garden and he dropped us off in front of an orchid nursery. Not knowing when the next bus was coming we decided to visit the wildlife centre instead, a 20-minute walk away (on the side of the road), and leave the garden for another day. Get off at La Fiesta del Maíz and you’ll be fine.

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See Costa Rica’s Natural Diversity at Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center 

If you love animals you’ll feel like you found a 4-carat diamond on a casual walk on the beach.

First things first. This is NOT a zoo, it’s a non-profit centre where over 2,000 animals are rehabilitated every year after being rescued, to be released back into the wild. 

While they’re kept in the facility they live in a 34-acre forest that mimics as close as possible their natural habitat.

It’s also an animal sanctuary where you can see dozens of animals that can’t survive in the wild. How did they end up here? 

People obtained them illegally. They were cute babies but then the animals grew up and started behaving like wild animals and then…Oops! Cute baby no more! It’s behaving like a wild animal! I can’t keep it!

Or they got sick because they were not fed the proper diet. 

Or they were “owned” by mean people who abused them. Or hunted.

Here, they found great care and a permanent home, and are part of a breeding and educational program. The large enclosures have refuge spaces where animals can get away from the public view if they feel like it.

You can see macaws, owls, parrots, wood storks, hawks, and brown pelicans. And big guys like cougars, coyotes, tapirs, crocodiles, and emus. The jungle surrounding the center is a wildlife habitat giving you many opportunities to see birds flying around free. We saw many toucans.

Walk around the 13-acre botanical garden and see all sorts of plants, flowers, and more animals roaming around: iguanas, the “look-at-me” peacocks, and rabbits. Plenty of everything. It’s Costa Rica, after all!

You’ll find a restaurant on-site and a nice store with arts and crafts. You can bring your own food but you can eat only in designated areas.

This is one of the best things to do in Costa Rica and one of the best things to help wildlife as the admission sustains the conservation and educational programs. They also accept donations online.

You can easily spend half a day here and stop by the nearby Orchid botanical garden after (or before).

How to Get to Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center by Bus

From Grecia

From Grecia’s Tuan bus terminal hop on the bus to the town of Alajuela and get off at the intersection with Route 3 (around 45 minutes). 

Walk west a few metres on Route 3 towards the bus stop in front of the Garita Atenas sign. 

From there hop on the bus heading west towards Atenas or Turrúcares and get off at the Wildlife Centre.

From San José

Hop on the bus from Grupo Tuasa to Alajuela, leaving from the bus terminal north of Braulio Carrillo Colina Park on 2nd Ave. and Calle 12.

From the Tuasa terminal in Alajuela take the bus heading towards Atenas or Turrúcares and get off at the Wildlife Centre.

Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center 
Open every day: 9AM-5PM. General admission (non-nationals): US$30

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Take a Dip at Los Chorros Waterfalls 

These scenic waterfalls in the Tacares area near Grecia are part of an even more scenic landscape with lush vegetation and a river that sometimes may be too high for you to wade your way into the second waterfall.

Bring your swimsuit in case you feel like hanging out in the (cold) river.

There are some caveats regarding this site. By the time you visit it may be -officially- open, or not.  

I visited Los Chorros after a big storm that washed out some sections of the steep trail. It was tricky but doable.

But conditions further deteriorated and prompted the placement of a “closed” sign at what was the official entrance, warning that it’s dangerous and that you enter at your own risk.  

The landowner created an alternate trail and parking you can use for a fee (when people arrive he pops up behind the sign and points out the “other” route).

I can’t tell you about the conditions of the other trail, but this is a jungle-like environment so expect muddy patches on a steep slope during the rainy season and slippery rocks around the river.

We went on a weekday to avoid the crowds (before the park was -officially- closed). However, some people online say there have been robberies near the waterfalls so you’ll probably be safer on the weekend when it’s busy with families (it’s a popular spot). You’ll have to deal with crowds, but that’s better than the possibility of dealing with robbers. I wouldn’t go by myself.

This is a beautiful site but before visiting I encourage you to confirm with someone local about the current conditions at the time you’re in Costa Rica and decide if this is something you would like to try. 

How to Get to Los Chorros Waterfalls by Bus from Grecia

Please read the paragraph above before heading to this site!

Go to Grecia’s Tuan bus terminal and hop on the bus to Tacares. Get off at the intersection with route 722 (Calle Flores). The trip lasts around 25 minutes as the bus goes slow and stops constantly.

A few metres from the intersection we found a taxi stand and took a cab to the parking lot of Los Chorros Waterfalls (a 5-minute trip up Calle Flores).

To go back we walked down to the main road (30 minutes) and hopped on the bus to Grecia.

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See the Crater of a Volcano at the Poás Volcano National Park

This is one of the most popular destinations in Costa Rica. It was high up on our list of things to do around Grecia, but unfortunately, access was closed due to volcanic activity. If the volcano gods are sleeping while you’re there don’t miss it (go early morning). The pictures look awesome!

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How to Get to Grecia from San José by Bus

From Tuan’s bus station in San José on Calle 18A hop on the bus to Tuan’s bus station in Grecia to take the local buses.

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Would you consider staying in Grecia during your next visit to Costa Rica? With so many things to do around and a less touristy vibe (but still close to everything), it may be your next destination in this beautiful country.

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