The Orosi Valley is a fun natural escape from the city at just 1 h 30 min from San José. For the best views of the valley, head up to Mirador de Orosi.
There are a bunch of hikes with great viewpoints of the Orosi Valley, but perhaps the best is Mirador de Orosi (Orosi Viewpoint).
The viewpoint is atop a hill to the north of Orosi town and from this vantage point you have commanding views of the Orosi Valley.
Heading up to the viewpoint is a must-do activity when in the area and, in this quick guide, discover how to get here.
Where is Mirador de Orosi
The viewpoint is 5.5 km outside of Orosi town centre on a large hill overlooking the town. If you continue along the road that brings you to the viewpoint for another 3 km, you get to the small city of Paraiso. The viewpoint is open 7 days a week 8:00-16:30 and costs nothing to enter.
How to get to Mirador de Orosi
You can walk, bus or taxi it to Mirador de Orosi. Walking takes around 1 h 30 min and is entirely via the main road (Ruta 224).
Ignore the shortest route on Google Maps – this takes you via Avenida 2 and eventually brings you to a private lane which is blocked by big gates.
Instead, at the Ruta 224/Avenida 2 junction, stay left and continue on Ruta 224 the whole way. This is a busy road so watch out for traffic.
I highly recommend doing this hike early before the sun is high in the sky. There’s little shade along the main road and it gets hot in Orosi during the day.
You can catch a bus from the town centre to the viewpoint. A ticket costs 800 CRC ($1.5 US) and the journey takes roughly 20 min. Buses stop at the yellow lines along the side of the main road in town. These aren’t always clear, so keep your eyes on the ground.
The fastest way up to the viewpoint is with a taxi, which should take around 15 min and cost roughly $8-10 US.
Enjoy the views at Mirador Orosi
The viewpoint is a great spot to enjoy the beautiful Orosi Valley scenery and eat a picnic. Dotted around the viewpoint are concrete tables and also BBQs which you can use – just make sure to bring your own charcoal.
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I recommend taking the bus up to Mirador de Orosi and spending a couple of hours here to enjoy the views. On a sunny day it gets hot, so bring water and I put on sunscreen.
You can read my complete guide to Orosi for more ideas of what to do here and head to the Costa Rica blog section for all my guides on this beautiful country.
Orosi hiking guides: