Hotel Casa Turire
A small country hotel a few minutes from Turrialba town, with a working farm, gardens full of toucans and parakeets, a spa, and the Pacuare and Reventazón rivers close by.
4-starView hotel
Turrialba Volcano and Valley
An active volcano above a quiet farming valley, with Costa Rica's most important archaeological site and hummingbirds that birders come from all over the world to see. Most of our clients spend 3 nights here.
- Fly into
- SJO
- Then 2 to 2.5 hours by road
- Stay
- 3 nights
- What most of our clients choose
- Best weather
- Dec to May
- Dry season, clearest views
- Region
- Central Valley
- Volcano, farms and rivers
- Pairs with
- San Gerardo
- Private transfer, about 3.5 hours
Why go
Off the beaten path, between San José and the Caribbean
Turrialba is the quiet side of the Central Valley, about 65 km east of San José in the province of Cartago. Its volcano has been active since 2014 and the national park has been closed to visitors several times, so ask us whether it is open for your dates. Below it, the valley grows coffee, sugar cane and macadamia; Guayabo National Monument protects the remains of a city of some 10,000 people who vanished before the Spanish arrived; and the Pacuare and Reventazón rivers bring the rafters. Birders come for Rancho Naturalista, where hummingbirds, the Snowcap among them, visit the feeders at arm's length.
Guayabo National MonumentCosta Rica's most important archaeological site
BirdingRancho Naturalista and the Río Tuis valley
RaftingThe Pacuare and Reventazón rivers
Hotels we know personally
3-star and above only, chosen by our team in Costa Rica.
What our clients book most in Turrialba
Ranked from the trips we planned in the last 12 months.
- 01Morning birding at Rancho NaturalistaPrivate
- 02A full day of birding from Rancho NaturalistaPrivate, Full Day
- 03Birding at the foot of Cerro SilencioPrivate
- 04Guayabo National MonumentShared, 4 hours
- 05Birding in the Río Tuis valleyPrivate, Half Day
When to go
Clearest from December to May
December to May is the dry season and your best chance of sunny weather and clear views. From June to November there is more rain. Bring a light jacket in any month: the lodges in the hills, at up to 1,500 m, are cool.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Dry season, clearest viewsGreen season, more rainSemana Santa, 21 to 28 March 2027: plan early
Close to San José, on the way to the Caribbean
From San José (SJO)2 to 2.5 hoursPrivate transfer through Cartago and the sugar cane of Juan Viñas
From Sarapiquíabout 3 hoursPrivate transfer
On to San Gerardo de Dotaabout 3.5 hoursPrivate transfer, to the cloud forest and the quetzal
Where to go next
Where our clients go after Turrialba
Good to know
Turrialba questions we answer every week
Can I visit Turrialba Volcano?
It depends on the day. The volcano has been active since 2014 and its national park has been closed to visitors several times, so ask us and we will check for your dates. Irazú Volcano is a day trip from the valley.
Is Turrialba good for birdwatching?
Yes. Rancho Naturalista counts more than 450 species on and around its property, with hummingbirds at its feeders, and the Río Tuis valley is the most reliable place in the country to look for the Lanceolated Monklet.
What else is there to do in Turrialba?
Guayabo National Monument, rafting on the Pacuare and Reventazón rivers, the botanical garden at CATIE, and the farmers' market in town on Fridays and Saturdays.
How many nights do I need in Turrialba?
3 nights is what most of our clients choose: a morning of birding, a visit to Guayabo and a day on the river.
Your Costa Rica, planned by people who live here
Tell us what you love. A Costa Rica Specialist builds a custom itinerary around it, with private transfers, hotels we know and our team on call 24/7 while you travel.
Since 2004 in Costa RicaOver 25,000 clients1,200+ five-star reviewsICT licensed, Declaratoria Turística