Heredia is a city located in the Heredia province of Costa Rica and is the capital of that province. It is currently undergoing a rapid process of industrialization and is located 10 kilometers north of the country's capital, San José.

The city is home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National University of Costa Rica, that accepts many international students.

History

Heredia was founded in the 1570s as Cubujuquí, and later on, its name was changed to Heredia in 1763.

It is often referred to as the "Ciudad de las Flores," but not because of the city's flowers, as many private tourist companies describe it. At the turn of the 19th century, the wealthy "Flores" family dominated political and social life in the city. Their home is now the city's municipal museum, located directly north of the central church.^{[citation needed]}

For costaricans it is also known as the "Ciudad de las Flores" (City of Flowers) because of the beauty of their women.

For a brief period in the 1830s, Heredia served as the capital of Costa Rica. ^[1] Today, this city is a sister city with Marietta, GA, one of the most influential cities of Georgia.

Climate

Warm year-round, the temperatures are tempered by the amount of cloud cover that affects the area. The rains are spread throughout the year, but the rainiest period is May-October.