The name “Heredia” refers to both a province and a town in the northeastern region of Costa Rica, and city and province alike are popular. Heredia the city, one of the oldest in the Americas, with colonial, adobe architecture, old churches, a university town atmosphere offers up a pleasant experience of Costa Rican urban culture.  But this same city also serves as a gateway to rainforests and rivers of Heredia the province, home of the Braulio Carrillo National Park, and Barra Colorado National Wildlife Refuge.  The latter features the Barva volcano, exotic flora, and a mass of mammals, frogs, reptiles, birds, and butterflies.