Sanatorio Durán

Tip

Combine it with Irazú on the same morning; the grounds have picnic areas with mountain views.

Be careful

Old, partly ruined buildings: watch for broken floors and stairs, don't enter fenced-off areas and keep kids close.

Getting there

Small entrance fee (around ₡2,000); open daily about 8:00–16:00.

Places nearby

• Sueños del IrazúFood & CoffeeTraditional restaurant on the way up to Irazú volcano with views of nature and a nearby river, known for hearty homemade soups, beef soup and fried fish.
• La Tortillería (Cartago)Food & CoffeeCartago branch of a tortilla-based restaurant: freshly made tortillas topped or stuffed Costa Rican style, from tortilla de queso and chorreadas to the torticasado and pintortilla with gallo pinto.
• Jardín Botánico Lankester (University of Costa Rica)Parks & WildlifeUniversity of Costa Rica botanical garden founded in 1973, famous for its orchid and epiphyte collections, plus a Japanese garden, bromeliads, heliconias and palms along shaded paths.
• Finca Cristina (coffee farm and store)Parks & Wildlife · from $25Family coffee farm above the Orosi valley with a 90-minute plantation tour and tasting three days a week, a farm store, and a conservation area known for birds and other wildlife.
• Bocadito de CieloFood & CoffeeMountaintop restaurant on the road to Turrialba with panoramic views and old photographs of Cartago on the walls, serving Costa Rican plates with a coffee and crafts store at the back.
• La Casona del Cafetal (restaurant on Lake Cachí)Food & CoffeeLakeside restaurant (part of a small hotel) on a coffee estate above Cachí reservoir, with a large covered terrace over the water and traditional Costa Rican cooking such as gallo pinto.