Tours & Excursions in Escazú

Escazú is the Central Valley's best launch pad for day trips into Costa Rica's volcanic highlands and coffee country. Poás Volcano National Park (1 hour north) offers the world's second-largest active crater; arrive early to beat clouds and walk the 15-minute rim trail above a smoking turquoise lake. La Paz Waterfall Gardens (1.5 hours) combines a spectacular waterfall circuit with a wildlife sanctuary housing jaguars, tapirs, hummingbirds, and poison dart frogs: one of the most condensed wildlife experiences in the country. Doka Estate coffee plantation tours (1.5 hours) trace the full journey from coffee cherry to roasted bean, finishing with cupping sessions using beans from the same fields you just walked. Sarchí artisan village (1.5 hours northwest) is Costa Rica's craft capital: hand-painted oxcart workshops, leather goods, and local artisan studios in a colonial setting. Irazú Volcano and Cartago's Basílica (1.5 hours east) make a natural pairing: high-altitude crater lake followed by Costa Rica's most important religious site. All these destinations are accessible by rental car or through local tour operators who depart from San José and include Escazú pickup. Book through Nest Stays concierge for vetted operators.