Finishing our trip at Starbucks (San Jose, Costa Rica)

My trip to Costa Rica was full of surprises. Most of them were great, such as the fabulous time I had at La Fortuna and its many attractions; others, like the continuous rain and flooding were not as great. After considerable thought, I concluded that it would be better to skip the beach towns of Manuel Antonio and Dominical, cut the trip short, and spend a full day exploring the capital city of Costa Rica.

I plan to return during better weather conditions, and hopefully enjoy these beach towns with a beautiful shining sun.

San Jose, like most capitals, is a busy city with plenty of traffic on the roads, tall buildings, and an international airport. However, I found that it is surrounded by majestic natural sights, such as waterfalls, parks, and a volcano.

My itinerary for the day included visiting Starbucks’ coffee farm Alsacia and exploring La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park, both located near Volcan Poás.

Hacienda Alsacia

Hacienda Alsacia is one of the few coffee farms owned by Starbucks and is the only one opened to the public. Starbucks coffee has never been my go-to for coffee since they tend to cater to those with a sweet tooth, however, this coffee farm and shop is one of a kind.

Hacienda Alsacia produces top quality coffee beans and uses them to make their drinks. The beans are not the ones typically found at the local Starbucks; they are only found in their very few specialty coffee shops.

I was amazed by the beautiful open layout and green design of the coffee shop, which had multiple lounge chairs facing its coffee plantations and an astonishing waterfall. I felt like wanting to spend the whole day at the coffee shop appreciating nature, sipping coffee, reading a book, and reflecting on life.

My parents and I took a 90 minute tour of the farm, where they explained all the process of producing coffee, from harvesting it to making a cup of coffee. The entrance fee was approximately $22.00 USD and included coffee tasting at the end.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park

After visiting Alsacia, we drove approximately 30 minutes to La Paz Waterfall Gardens Nature Park. The park is a beautiful rain forest Zoo made up of rescued animals, breathtaking gardens, hiking trails, two restaurants, a lake, and three cascading waterfalls. We paid approximately $75.00 USD per person, which included admission and food at their buffet.

My parents and I enjoyed all aspects of the park, however, we didn’t get to cover everything because we got there in the afternoon. I suggest getting there as early as possible since it is a large park.

Visitors get picked up at the end of the last waterfall and are transported back to reception.

Conclusion

When doing my research of Costa Rica, many people recommended skipping San Jose all together. However, I found that San Jose does have interesting sights to visit and would suggest people visiting Costa Rica to spend, at least, a full day checking out the nearby sights. And although I didn’t get a chance to hike up Volcan Poás, I’m sure visiting it would have enhanced my experience at the capital city of Costa Rica.

Click here to check out my Costa Rica Travel Video.