Add plans to your travel guide San José, Costa Rica
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Tourist guide: what to do and see in San José, Costa Rica
Costa Rica is life. 
There are places on this planet in which to "live" takes on a special meaning. Much like the word "nature." In a country as diverse as Costa Rica, beach, mountain, flora and fauna conspire with landscapes that border on the unreal to ensure a dream vacation — the kind you never want to end.
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
- Sights
- Shopping
- Leisure
- Dining
- Open air
- Museum
La Casona Market
Fascinating stuff, and organised in a very civilised manner
Crafts from all over Central America
San José street vendors are a lot more laid back than many other places in Latin America, and La Casona is a perfect example. Located on Calle Central just up the street from the Parque Central, it's a kind of market which brings together vendors specialising in crafts from throughout Central America. Very nice to stroll and browse its selections of various items such as jewelry, wooden boxes, and textiles. You'll find, for example, Guatemalan bags and quilts, Salvadoran hammocks, Panamanian mola textiles, and traditional Nicaraguan pottery. Both quality and prices vary widely, but very worthwhile indeed. Open daily 9 am to 7 pm.
Namu Gallery
A gallery specialising in the arts/crafts of the Bribrí, Huétar, Chorotega, and other native peoples
Learn about the tribes of Costa Rica
Many people don't realise that there are corners of Costa Rica still inhabited by descendants of the peoples who were here long before the arrival of the Spaniards. The art and crafts they create are the stock in trade of this gallery on Avenida 7 between Calles 5 and 7, whose owner Aisling French travels regularly to acquire pieces such as Boruca ceremonial masks, Bribrí canoes, Guaymí dolls, Chorotega pottery, Gautuso blankets, and Huétar carvings. There's also a section for young urban artists (some saved from the streets through specialised assistance programs). The International Festival of Arts is based here every spring.
Biesanz Woodworks
Worth the trek out of central San José to a workshop and showroom which creates singularly lovely mementos or gifts
Singular crafts out in Escazú
About eight kilometres (five miles) west of San José's historic core, the well-heeled Escazú district is of interest to visitors especially because of this showroom, which specialises in various items of woodwork such as boxes, combs, and bowls — some of them one of a kind. You can also visit the workshop, where they'll explain the wordworking process and let you watch artisans do their thing. Right nearby is a pretty lake, a tree nursery, and a botanical garden.
Other Fruit Markets
If the Central Market hasn’t yielded enough great photo ops, here's another trio to try
Produce a-Go-Go!
In addition to the Central Market and Guadalupe Farmers' Market, another great option for the vegetables and especially the abundance of sometimes exotic tropical fruit is the Mercado del Registro Civil (Civil Registry Market) right downtown. Here produce stands hawk their wares alongside jewelers, inexpensive eateries, and more. Another well known institution is the Borbón Market, just northeast of the Central Market, where tropical fruit especially abounds - some you've heard of (mango, papaya, avocado, guava, cashew fruit) and plenty you may not have (zapote, carambola, pejivaye, maracuyá, guanábana, carambola). A third is the Mercado Paso de la Vaca at Avenida 7 and Calle 2, whose produce stands have been recently fairly renovated.
San José Bookshops
Costa Ricans are a literate bunch, and in the capital quite a few shops cater to them
Costa Booka
Literature-lovers can find all manner of national and international titles along Avenida Central, a pedestrian zone home to some of the city's most popular bookshops, especially those of the San Pedro chain (which also has branches, naturally enough, around the university campus). Another good choice is Universal, on Central between Calle 1 and Calle Central, which features practically an entire floor devoted to books about Costa Rica, including guidebooks, maps, and much else. For novels and comics, check out More Books at the Omni shopping centre (Avenida 1 between Calle 3 and 5).
Guadalupe Farmers' Market
A great place to get photo ops of Josefinos in action
A lively, colourful Saturday-morning tradtiion
Some five kilometres (three miles) northeast of central San José, the town of Guadalupe is famous for its Saturday-morning farmers' market (you get up here by taxi or bus to Moravia; the stop is Calle 3 at Avenida 3). It's a lively, colourful affair where locals come to buy produce directly from Central Valley farmers at better prices (no middleman!) than in most other city markets. Then you can also make a stop in nearby Moravia, with a concentration of shops selling crafts and local products.
El Pueblo Shopping Centre
Called "The Village", San José's most popular mall has it all
It takes a village
With a design incorporating traditional touches such as adobe, colonial-style wooden staircases, and white façades, San José's best-known modern shopping centre, north of central downtown, boasts enough shops, eateries, drinkeries, and danceries to keep you busy for a full day and night. It's popular with Josefinos but also with a good number of tourists thanks to its proximity to the zoo - practically next door. And so there are a few shops geared toward them, selling souvenirs and handicrafts (though, granted, at some of the city's highest prices for this kind of thing).
Costa Rican Crafts
Between souvenir shops and street markets, a wide variety of offerings — if often a bit pricier than elsewhere in the country
Canes, oxcarts, and feather paintings, oh my!
There are quite a few spots in San José to pick up good quality crafts, both in souvenir shops and street markets — although for the most part prices here are higher than in other parts of Costa Rica. Typical products include dresses and blouses with colourful animal and jungle scenes; leather items; wooden canes and other wood carvings; replicas of iconic, gaily painted oxcarts; local liqueurs; replicas of preculombian gold jewelry; and delicate, framed miniature paintings on bird feathers (!). A good selection can be found at the artisan street market on the Plaza de la Democracia, where you'll also find products from other Latin American countries, such as the popular Peruvian and Ecuadorian jumpers.
Central Market
A colourful warren of stalls selling meat, fish, and produce, along with eateries
A classic Latin American public market
On Avenida 1 northwest of Parque Central, this hulking labyrinth is colourful and bustling — and perhaps even a bit less chaotic that some other Latin American public markets. Here the star products are produce, meat, and fish, all skillfully and enticingly displayed. The narrow passageways fill up more as the day marches on, and the aromas from the food both in the stands and cooked at the eateries in here are mighty tempting (great spots to find tasty, inexpensive local food). There are a few spots for local crafts in here as well. And finally, watch your wallet!
Joaquín García Monge Homage Museum
A historic house showcasing a historic personality
One of Costa Rica's most illustrious writers and intellectuals
One of Costa Rica's most important writers, Joaquín García Monge (1881-1958) was also an artist and political activist, among other things, and furthermore also rose to direct the Ministry of Culture and the National Library. He was awarded the National Order of Merit shortly before his death. Inaugurated in 1989, the museum is located in a 19th-century adobe-and-reed manse on the edge of Desamparados Park and prominently features enormous neocolonial-style windows. On display inside are various paintings, photographs, documents and various other items, as well as a recreation of García Monge's office — desk, typewriter, letters, even handkerchiefs.
Rafael Obregón Loría Museum (Grand Lodge of Costa Rica)
A smallish but intense museum of a movement which greatly influenced Costa Rica's destiny in the late 19th century
Showcasing freemasonry in Costa Rican history
This modest-size museum at Avenida 1 and Calle 19 has been around since 1937. Named after prominent historian (and masonic Grandmaster Rafael Obregón Loría (1911-2000), it covers the history of liberal secret societies in Costa Rica, particularly of course freemasonry. Among other items, the museum displays a slew of documents on these societies and the important role they played in national politics after 1870, when there was a profound restructuring of the national state (and check out the painting of a bishop, including various masonic symbols).
Costa Rican Museum of Art
An impressive 6,000 works of painting, sculpture and photography from the 19th century to the present day
For art lovers with an aviation-geek twist
Perhaps Costa Rica's most important art museum, on the eastern edge of La Sabana Park, it's home to more than 6,000 paintings, sculptures, and photographs by the most important national artists of Costa Rica since the 19th century, as well as a selection of international artsts. The building in which they're housed has a fairly intriguing history of its own; built in neocolonial style in 1940, it served as Costa Rica's first international airport until 1955, then was restored and repurposed in 1978. Don't miss the spectacular mural in the Gold Room, or the sculpture garden inaugurated in 2003 to showcase national sculptors.
Jaime Solera Bennett Museum of Numismatics
Even non coin collectors will be fascinated by this museum of money - because almost everybody's fascinated by money, right?
Show me the money!
Sharing the space under downtown's Plaza de la Cultura with the Precolumbian Gold Museum, the Museo de Numismática is a money geek's paradise, with a wealth of domestic and international banknotes and coins, as well as various other objects once used for transactions in the land that is now Costa Rica. Naturally, domestic currencies get top billing, from the real introduced in 1502 to the colón in circulation today. But there are also exhibits about barter, about the birth of the banks, and the use of coffee and other commodities as a means of payment. There are more than 5,000 objects here - one of Central America's best collections of its kind.
Precolumbian Gold Museum
Some 1,600 gold artifacts produced over a thousand years by the peoples who inhabited this land before the arrival of the Spaniards
There's gold under that there plaza
For the peoples who inhabited this land before the arrival of the Spaniards in the early 16th century, gold was less a symbol of wealth and power than it was of spiritual value. They worked the metal for centuries and used it to adorn their bodies and even those of their animals. This museum run by the Costa Rica Central Bank Museums Foundation underneath downtown's Plaza de la Cultura is a collection of more than 1,600 items dating back to the 6th through 16th centuries. The shiny yellow metal objects are the stars of the show, of course, but there are also interesting exhibits about precolumbian culture and metallurgical technology and techniques.
La Salle Museum of Natural Sciences
Located in Parque La Sabana, this natural history museum includes prizes such as a full-size dinosaur skeleton
Rocks, bones, and stuffed animals
Located in La Sabana Park, this onetime high school displays more than 65,000 stuffed animals, paleontological remains, archaeological artifacts, and minerals, including an interesting exhibit of butterflies and a giant dinosaur skeleton. It was founded in 1960 by its current director, a Spaniard who started with the natural science projects created by students at the La Salle secondary school; later contributions of specimens from all over the world led to the current expansion. Open Monday through Saturday 7:30 am to 4 pm, Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.
Costa Rica National Museum
Housed since 1950 in a former military barracks, some fascinating insight into this land dating back to pre-Columbian times
A fascinating look at the country's life and times through the ages
If you're interested in learning about the history of Costa Rica, this well done museum in the former Bellavista Barracks on Avenidas 1 and 2 at the east end of downtown is a must. Its permanent collections include artifacts from pre-Columbian history and continue through the colonial and republican periods. Displays include a recreation of a typical abode during the era of Spanish rule; a room focussing on the pre-Columbian peoples who worked in gold; and also quite a bit on flora, fauna, fossils, and minerals.
Costa Rica Philatelic Museum
It's a red letter day for postal geeks at the stamp and post office museum
Our stamp of approval
Philately and postal geeks really must carve out several hours to head to the Costa Rica Central Post Office Building (Calle 2 between Avenidas 1 and 2), whose Museo Filatélico traces the history of postal systems back through the ages, from primitive stones to e-mails (though the most prominent display is naturally reserved for the history of the Costa Rican post office, founded in 1849). You can also see numerous postage stamps, as well as antique postal boxes, telephones, and telegraph equipment. There are activities, too — puzzles, designing stamps, even playing at being letter carriers.
National Gallery
Painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art
Once a penitentiary, now a celebration of contemporary art
Sharing the Costa Rican Centre of Science and Culture (a former penitentiary) with the Children's Museum, the Galería Nacional at Calle 4 and Avenida 9 is devoted to the visual arts, with 14 rooms hosting five exhibitions a month (plus it also organises individual and group programs on painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art). Both Tico and international artists are represented, and it's also the site of the Costa Rica Biennial of Visual Arts and the Central American and Caribbean Biennial of Object Design.
Jade Museum
Jade was once a big deal in Central America, and here is its temple
San José's most unusual museum?
For many, this is San José's most unusual — and even overall best — museum, operated by the National Insurance Institute at its headquarters on Calles 9 and 11/Avenidas 7 and 9 (a building with impressive views out over the city from the top floor, by the way). Established in 1977 and renovated in 2003, it displays the world's most extensive collection of jade from the Americas - hundreds of archaeological, artistic, ethnographic, and even numismatic artifacts. There are also various rooms devoted to temporary exhibitions relating to history, science, and technology.
Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MADC)
Modern works from Costa Rican and international artists
Historic structure, contemporary art
Just north of the Parque Nacional (Calle 15/Avenida 3), this museum is housed in the enormous National Centre of Culture, the onetime National Liquor Factory dating back to 1856, which also is home to a theatre and several outdoor sculptures. The museum displays quite a few works by contemporary artists both Costa Rican and international. Its 1,200 square metres (about 13,000 square feet) also includes a documentation centre, a videotheque, a shop, and a large outdoor space for artistic and cultural events. Open daily except Sunday 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Los Yoses and La California Neighbourhoods
East of downtown, largely residential districts with modernist buildings, embassies, and nightlife
For fans of midcentury architecture
Stretching out on either side of Avenida Central, the districts of Los Yoses and La California will be of special interest to fans of 20th-century architecture. Los Yoses is home to numerous houses and blocks of flats, as well as embassies and some hotels, many constructed in a mid-20th-century international style strongly influenced by the United States. A good example is the house designed in 1953 by artist Enrique Maroto, notable for its perfect harmony with nature, and the more recent Embassy of Chile. The residential neighbourhood of La California, a continuation of Escalante and Dent, also boasts some fine homes, and along Avenida Central and surrounding streets, some of San José's best nightlife.
Amón and Otoya Neighbourhoods
Known for their lovely sumptuous architecture and historic mansions
Historic areas north of Morazán Park and downtown
Above Parque Morazán and Parque de España, with Avenida 7 as its southern border, Barrio Amón and Barrio Otoya are known for being in parts something of an open-air museum of historic architecture, with long avenues lined with luxurious manses once belonging to the country's aristocrats and oligarchs. After the decline of these grandees, many of their grand structures fell on hard times. But in recent years many have been renovated as boutique hotels, restaurants, and the like. Also notable are the little neo-Victorian wood houses with porches and metal grates, such as the Alliance Française, the Castillo del Obispo, and the Casa Verde (all in Amón).
Morazán Park
A fetching mix of old and new
One of the most charming corners of San José
Named after an 1840s leader of Costa Rica, one of San José's more fetching corners is located at Avenida 3 and Calle 7 north of central downtown and practically adjoining the Parque de España. Parque Morazán dates back to 1887, when the city government drained a swamp on this site and created the park. In the middle is the Templo de la Música pavillion, and another significant landmark on its edge is the Metallic Building. Other buildings include the the Aurola Holiday Inn.
Central Park
A lively square with landmarks such as the Metropolitan Cathedral and Melico Salazar Theatre
An urban hub
A focal point at the heart of San José, the city's oldest park is located between Avenidas 2 and 4 and Calles 1 and 2. With a bandstand in the middle, royal palms throughout, and surrounded by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Melico Salazar Theatre, Central Park is a popular hangout, transit point (lots of people pass through every day, in addition to catching buses and taxis from here).
Parque de España Park
Towering trees and bamboo, right in front of the Jade Museum… live music included!
A downtown park that's jungle-like and birdy
This modest-size downtown green space just in front of the Jade Museum, the National Centre of Culture, and the Metallic Building is full of impressively tall trees and bamboo, giving it a little bit of a tropical jungle feel. A public space since 1862, it was christened Spain Park in 1920, and Spaniards honoured here include Queen Isabel and Juan Vázquez de Coronado, the conquistador who founded several Costa Rican cities in the 16th century. The park is also popular with street musicians - and in the evening, angry (or at least noisy) birds!
Democracy Square
Just below the National Museum, this terraced square is of fairly recent vintage - 1989
Great views, interesting crafts
At the east end of the historic downtown (between Calles 13 and 15 and Avenidas 1 and 2), just below the National Museum - to which it's linked via ramps - this terraced open space was built under Nobel-prize-winning president Oscar Arias to commemorate a century of democracy in Costa Rica, and renovated in 2009. The views out toward the mountains are lovely, and along one side are stands selling a variety of local crafts.
National Park
A San José icon because of its National Monument and landmark buildings
Costa Rica's National Park
Another of downtown San José's most iconic spots because of its concentration of government buildings and monuments, it's a leafy bit of business located between Calles 15 and 19 and Avenidas 1 and 3, with various species of trees including rows of palms. Once considered a bit dicey crimewise, it's been cleaned up, improved, and is now popular with young lovers, families, pensioners, and friends who hang out and chat about life, love, and the universe. Landmarks include a dramatic Monumento Nacional depicting the Central American countries' victory over an invasion mounted by US adventurer William Walker; the National Library; the National Centre of Culture; and the Legislative Assembly.
Culture Square
A square popular for hanging out, but also full of terrific tourist attractions
In many ways the epicentre of downtown
At the confluence of Calles 3 and 5 and Avenidas 1 and 2, one of the most central and popular plazas in all San José is a meeting point and hangout for locals, while for visitors it's also the site of a good chunk of the capital's must-sees. Underneath are the fascinating Museum of Precolumbian Gold and the Numismatic Museum, while surrounding it is the national tourist office, the National Theatre, and the venerable Grand Hotel Costa Rica. It's of relatively recent vintage, too, built in 1973 and renovated in 1996-97, among other things adding colour more appropriate to a tropical country rather than the original cement gray.
La Sabana Metropolitan Park
A pride and joy of locals, at the western end of downtown
San José's main green space
Out on the western edge of central San José, at the end of Paseo Colón thoroughfare, this 72-hectare (178-acre) green space is the capital's most important park. La Sabana is also home to several significant local institutions, such as the National Stadium and the Museum of Costa Rican Art. The natural spaces, of course, take precedence, with a wealth of trees including pines, cypresses, and eucalyptus, as well as a pretty lake. Josefinos love this park - to the tune of some 40,000 per week - because it allows them to take a break from the concrete jungle to either enjoy strolling, picknicking, or practicing sports.
Spirogyra Butterfly Garden
Near downtown, a woodsy oasis showcasing one of Costa Rica's fauna stars
Gorgeous colours on the fly
A good part of what makes Costa Rica such a natural paradise is its flora and fauna. And of the latter, particular stars are its butterflies, abundant in the rain forests and the basis for various butterfly gardens throughout the country. Here in San José, a top example is Spyrogyra, adjacent to the zoo, a short walk north of the historic downtown. It's a wonderful spot to stroll quietly, relax, and watch as butterflies fly free in a woodsy enclosure recreating their natural environment. It's also a worthy way to show support for rural families who raise the plants and trees brought here as well as contribute butterfly pupae. Open daily 8 am to 4 pm, and you can cap off your visit with refreshment at the café.
'Sodas,' Swell for Budget Travellers
Sodas aren't about soda, but rather good, cheap Costa Rican fare
The menu of the day is…
The most common eateries of all throughout the entire country are called sodas. Yes, fizzy soft drinks are sold here, but it's really all about good, solid local fare at very popular prices (as in a meal often costs no more than £5/7USD). That fare includes the likes of rice, beans, plantains, beef, chicken, corn tortillas, and pico de gallo, usually accompanied by fruit juices and shakes, and perhaps cold beer. One of the best known of San José's many sodas is La Embajada on Calle 1 at Avenida 1, where specialities include the house arroz con pollo (chicken and rice).
Traditional Costa Rican Restaurants
Some of San José's best spots to enjoy local delicacies at reasonable prices
Great grub at great prices
While many of the better traditional eateries of Costa Rica may be found in some of the more outlying and rural areas outside the capital, San José itself also offers its fair share - and these also tend to be more popularly priced than the fancy international restaurants. One of the most popular is La Botija on Calle 3, very near St. Sebastian Church. At this colourful spot you can feast on all manner of national delicacies like olla de carne (beef stew), sopa negra (black-bean soup), tamales, chicharrones, and mondongo (beef tripe soup). Other top choices include Nuestra Tierra on Avenida 2 next to the Plaza de la Democracia; Las Candilejas on Avenida 4; and Restaurante Poás on Avenida 7 between Calles 3 and 5.
Sweets for the Sweet
Some typical Tico treats, plus some top spots to enjoy them in San José
The generally sweet Ticos naturally have a sweet tooth
The sweet nature of the Ticos is reflected in their cuisine, which abounds with pastries, puddings, and baked goods. Some top examples include bread pudding, baked plantains, coconut flan, mazamorra (cornstarch pudding), and torta chilena (layer cake filled with caramel). You can find much of this sinful stuff at cafés and bakeries all over San José. A top choice is La Española, on Avenida 2 just down from the Melico Salazar Theatre, where you'll find specialities like trenzas de canela (cinnamon braids) and pan de amor ("love bread") to enjoy amid an expansive salon full of vintage photos — a great place for breakfast or a snack. There's also a popular bakery chain called Trigo Miel (www.trigomiel), famous for its colourful - even spectacular - tarts and cakes.
Coffee Unique in the World
Special conditions, special processing techniques, a wonderful souvenir/gift
Listen up, java hounds
Coffee cultivation is intimately entwined with Costa Rican history, and the country still produces some of the finest java on the planet. The reason is a mix of its highland conditions with its particular production process, starting with toasting the coffee beans with sugar, leading to a darker, denser, and less bitter end result. A package of Costa Rica's "black gold" makes a truly wonderful (and wonderfully affordable) gift for your family/friends back home, available in any San José food shop. There are also many great spots throughout the city to enjoy a hot (or chilled) cuppa. One we find particularly interesting is the Café Expresivo, very close to the Santa Teresita Church, where you will also enjoy storytelling and theatrical and musical presentations.
San José's Fast Food Scene
The burger/pizza/taco wave has crested here, too - but here's one lovin' Spoonful you might want to consider instead
The usual suspects, but also a local star
Despite the variety of Costa Rican cuisine, inevitably the faster pace of life in the capital and the cultural influence of the United States has meant a proliferation of fast-food franchises in recent years, such as Burger King, McDonald's, KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. But for fast food that's homegrown and actually pretty tasty in its own right, check out Spoon, with two locations in central SJ (Avenida Central 25 meters east of the Plaza de la Cultura and Calle Central 50 meters south of the Carmen Church) and two dozen more in outlying districts. On the menu you'll find sandwiches, salads, desserts, and even some more substantial fare such as pasta and chicken and rice.
Nibbling on 'Bocas' in SJ's Pubs
Drinking in pubs here usually also means eating - and here are the goods
Pub snacks a-go-go!
Rarely in Costa Rica do drinkers down pints and rum by themselves without being accompanied by bocas or boquitas, free pub snacks comparable in some ways to tapas (some even manage to make a meal of them). Size and quality will of course vary according to where you have them, but typical bocas might include patacones (fried plantains), gallos (small beef or chicken tacos), and arracache (a starchy vegetable inside a warm corn tortilla). San José is dotted with typical traditional pubs and cantinas to sample them, and among the best known is Cantina Morazán (Avenida 3 at Calle 9, in front of the Metallic Building on Morazán Park) and La Vasconia (Avenida 1 between Calles 3 and 5), which features an excellent wine list heavy on Chilean vintages as well as some truly exceptional bocas (one of which is even made with turtle eggs).
Tropical Fruit
Fruit fans, prepare for sweet paradise
Loquat, guava, and zapote, anyone?
With all the exotic flora that abounds in Costa Rica, it's hardly a surprise that the local selection of tropical fruits is impressive indeed. You can get the best sense of it at the local food markets, with their abundance of not only the usual suspects like avocado, banana, coconut, pineapple, and watermelon, but also the more exotic likes of custard apple, breadfruit, guava, loquat, mango, papaya, rambutan, sapodilla, soursop, and zapote plum. Ticos use them to jazz up their salads, as accompaniments (especially true of plantains), and above all in yummy desserts and juices.
Bonkers for chicken
The clucky set is the local favourite at dinnertime, and chicken restaurants ubiquitous
Here, chick, chick, chick!
The feathered clucker is without a doubt the main protein for Ticos, consumed in every imaginable way. Some of the more common of those ways is wood-roasted or arroz con pollo (mixed with rice). In fact, throughout Costa Rica you can even find quite a few eateries devoted primarily to chicken, with names like El Pollazo (Big Chick) or El Pollo Rico Ricón (Tasty Oh So Tasty Chicken). In San José, one of the most popular chains is Pío Pío ("Cluck Cluck"), with various downtown locations (one of the most prominent being on Calle 0 between Avenidas 4 and 6, another on Calle 16 in front of the Treasury). You'll also see plenty of branches of Rostipollos, including one in Desamparados Park and another out in Escazú.
Typical Tico Dishes
Say "I do" to the "married" platter
Yum, yum!
When it comes to dining in San José, there are several terms you might want to learn. One is the lunchtime special, called a casado (which by the way literally means "married"): a combo of meat with rice, beans, veggies, yuca (aka cassava), and patacones (unsweet plantains, flattened and fried; regardless of the main event, the most common side dish in these parts is some form of fried plantain, either savoury or sweet). Come suppertime, Ticos often enjoy a hearty soup known as "sustentadora." Other of the more interesting local specialities include churrasco (barbecued beef); jalapeño tenderloin tips; and various and sundry kinds of shellfish, especially locally caught Pacific lobster.
Tico Cuisine
Central American fare with a Tico twist
The dinner bell rings!
Costa Rican cookery is closely related to that of elsewhere in Central America, and includes some Mexican influence, as well. The basis of many of its dishes is cornmeal tortillas, often with chicken, beef, fish, or shellfish (mostly lobster and shrimp) and accompanied by rice and pinto beans. Corn is also the basis of tamales (steamed wedges of cornmeal with some kind of meat). Speakling of which, carnivorous specialities include chicharrones (fried pork), olla de carne (beef stew), mondongo (beef-tripe stew), and picadillo (think plantains and vegetables, though it also can involve eggs, tortillas, and sour cream, depending on taste). Another classic is gallo pinto, rice and beans commonly eaten for breakfast.
Parque Diversiones Fun Park
Fabulous family fun, from flume rides/roller coasters to a recreation of old-time Costa Rica
Costa Rica's one and only
Originally created in 1981 as a way to raise funds for an adjacent hospital for children affected by polio, this enormous fun park (actually the only one in the country) in La Uruca, a short drive west of downtown, delivers a fun family outing, with more than 80 rides (including a pretty cool water flume and of course a rockin' roller coaster), the Pueblo Antiguo (a pastiche of old-time Costa Rica), and a lovely lake. Among other services, you'll also find plenty of affordable restaurants.
Melico Salazar Popular Theatre
Another elegant, historic venue for concerts, opera, and dance
Curtain up, light the lights!
Another excellent option for refined cultural palates is this majestic 1928 theatre, built by Spaniard José Raventós (and designed by José Fabio Garniel Ugalde) so Josefinos could enjoy opera and zarzuela (Spanish operetta). The current name honours Melico Salazar, a popular Costa Rican tenor. It has 1,500 seats and regularly stages music concerts as well as dance and opera performances (if you just want a look at the elegant interior, stop by on Sunday when there are no performances).
San José Nightlife
Some of the best nightlife in Central America, with something for everyone
When the sun goes down…
As with most Latin American capitals, San José can boast a pretty bangin' nightlife, from low-key neighbourhood pubs to chic lounges/cocktail bars to big, boom-boom dance clubs. One of the more popular options of the moment is the Bre Pub Cabeza Grande on downtown boulevard Paseo Colón. It's a great spot to start off a night on the town, with various brands and styles of beer to choose from (including amber, stout, tropicana, wheat, or "sexy", oh la la), whether with a bite to eat or just while taking in the live Wednesday-night music. Another option is La Esmeralda (Avenida 2 between Calles 5 and 7), which has a Mexican flavour, often including live mariachi music. For a really mod flavour, check out Luna Roja Café (Calle 3 at Avenidas 9 & 11), a hangout for young goths and other urban tribes.
Serpentariums
Snakes are a big part of Costa Rica's fauna, and visitors can see and learn more about them at this pair of San José institutes
Slither…
Usually unjustifiably, snakes are for many among the scariest critters out there, and there are a lot of them in Costa Rica. in fact, San José has not one but two institutions dedicated to studying them, and of them, the Serpentario on the second floor of the Radamida Building (Avenida 1 between Calle 9 and Calle 11) is the better known. With exhibits not just about the country's various serpent species but also other reptiles and a few amphibians, this is an excellent choice to check out before heading out to the rain forests, to be able to identify the snakes you may spot (including distinguishing poisonous from harmless). The other, the Clodomiro Picado Institute in the outlying town of Dulce Nombre de Coronado, investigates and produces anti-venom serums, but also welcomes the public on Friday afternoons for a look at its reptiles.
Museum of Insects
Not great for arachnophobes, but fascinating for most of the rest of us — especially before venturing out into the rain forests
You'll bug out over this amazing collection
Part of the Rodrigo Facio University Campus in Escalante, this museum focusses on the most numerous of the animal kingdom - of special note being the collections of beetles and the butterflies for which Costa Rica is particularly reknowned. But the buggy bonanza here includes much else, including spiders of amazing size or oversize, weirdly deformed bees. Insectophiles and biology fans in general will have a field day, but this is also popular with many teens and younger kids (mums and dads, you know what we're talking about, right?). Arachnophobes/insectophobes, not so much, of course. It's especially useful before venturing out into the rain forests, to learn how to identify different insects (and even a bit about the diseases they can transmit).
Museum of Shapes, Spaces, and Sounds
Focusing on the senses of sight, sound, and touch, it also includes a real vintage train for the little ones to explore
All aboard, families!
A most singular museum and school field-trip favourite, since opening in 2002 the Museo de Formas, Espacios y Sonidos has been another must for visiting families. Housed in the old railway station on Avenida 3 between Calle 17 and Calle 23, it unsurprisingly includes an old train in which kids (and grown-ups, for that matter) can roam all over the locomotive and cars (brilliant for Wild West photo ops!). And true to its name, there are numerous exhibits dealing with the bodily senses of sight, sound, and touch — touchable gadgets, musical pieces, and examples of architecture and literature. Open daily except Sunday, 9 am to 2 pm.
Children's Museum
Housed in a famous castle-like building, a sterling example of a children's museum, expertly mixing learning and play
A must-visit for families
A family must located in the castle-like building housing the Costa Rican Centre of Science and Culture, like most children's museums it's delightfully interactive, aiming for learning by doing, playing, and self-expressing. Its more than 3,800 square metres (41,000 sq. feet) offer up fascinating exhibitions on nature and the universe, human biology, communications, physical sciences, the arts, and even products central to the economy of Costa Rica, such as coffee and bananas. Other installations are specifically geared toward play. Details: www.MuseoCR.org.
Museum of Criminology
Fascinating, sometimes graphic displays of violence, designed with crime prevention in mind
It would be a crime to miss this one
Housed on the premises of the Judicial Investigation Agency (Calle 17/Calle18/Avenidas 6, 7, 8), more than a museum, it's akin to a veritable crime drama. Organised with the goal of discouraging crime, the Museo de Criminología is especially geared toward kids (get 'em while they're young!), and exhibits include all manner of murder weapons, as well as graphic displays of infamous crimes in Costa Rican history - even the likes of a severed hand. If you're fascinated by criminology, true-crime tales, or even action/horror films, this makes a juicy visit indeed, and it's even free of charge, open weekdays 7:30 am till noon and 1 to 4 pm.
Simón Bolívar National Zoo/National Botanic Garden
In the northern reaches of downtown, this expansive green space includes wetlands, 17 animal species, and a wonderful selection of domestic flora
A place to find many of Costa Rica's key fauna and flora in one place
Granted, ecotourism superpower Costa Rica is of course full of places where you can see wildlife. But to see it all in one place (especially if you're travelling with kids), head toward the northern reaches of downtown to the huge green complex, founded in 1921, that also includes the National Botanic Garden and the Lagoon of Bolívar Park. Some of the exotic species include all manner of reptiles, fish, amphibians, as well as a good number of mammals. The Botanic Garden goes out of its way to curate Costa Rica's rich variety of flora, while the lagoon is one of the few protected wetlands in the San José area. More info: www.fundazoo.org/web/zoologico-simon-bolivar.
Andrómeda Gallery
A small gallery in the Amón district showcases emerging talent at affordable prices
A bellweather art gallery of Costa Rican up-and-comers
Although not a museum per se, the petite Galería Andrómeda is arguably one of the capital's must-vists for art-lovers. Located at the edge of the Amón district (Calle 9 at Avenida 9), since 1986 it's specialised in promoting up-and-coming local artists, especially painters, with both figurative and abstract works represented; there are numerous exhibitions of both Costa Rican and international (especially Latin American) artists. Entry is free of charge, the prices are surprisingly affordable, and there's also a painting workshop and selection of books (a good number of them put out by the gallery itself) and literary magazines.
Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia Museum
In just four years, Calderón changed Costa Rica significantly, and here's how
Dedicated to an influential, beloved past president
In the Escalante neighbourhood just east of downtown, this museum focuses on a president, Rafael Calderón, who is especially beloved and influential in Costa Rican history thanks in part to the social reforms during his 1940-44 term which boosted the people's quality of life considerably (such as establishing a minimum wage, trade unions, and a social security system) as well as promoting a diverse political system capable of giving voice to viewpoints that ranged from Christian Democratic to communist. Considered a National Monument, exhibits include numerous personal effects as well as documents such as the constitutional act which named Calderón president. It's open daily except Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.
National Library
All matter of books, maps and more, dating back more than 150 years, and impressive spaces in which to enjoy them
Another notable landmark of a country where literacy is important
Officially the Miguel Obregón Lizano National Library (in honour of one of Costa Rican education's most illustrious personages and promotor of public libraries throughout the country), it's located downtown on Avenida 3 between Calle 15 and Calle 17, just south of the Parque Nacional. The library itself was founded at the end of the 19th century, but its current home was built in 1971. It's an enormous building with various floors full of not just books but also well preserved and/or digitalised newspapers, magazine, photos, and maps dating back to the mid-19th century. Notable spaces include the expansive ground-floor reading room and the green spaces surrounding the building - perfect for a bit of reading under the leafy trees!
Legislative Assembly Complex
Seat of Costa Rica's parliament, the complex includes an enormous manse called the 'Blue Castle'
Am I blue?
Located on San José's Parque Nacional and across from the National Museum, the construction of this four-building complex dates to the early 20th century. The current seat of Costa Rica's 57-member unicameral parliament dates back to 1937, when construction began as the residence of the country's president, was suspended because of difficulties importing materials during World War II, and finally finished in 1958. But perhaps the most compelling of these structures is the Castillo Azul (Blue Castle), a thousand-square metre (10,800-square-foot) mansion declared a National Patrimony. Built in 1912, it has served a number of uses, including as residence of various Costa Rican presidents and at one point as the U.S. embassy.
Coronado Church
A metallic framework and columns evoking coffee plants are key features
A neo-Gothic landmark just north of San José
Up in the town of San Isidro de Coronado, some 10 kilometres (seven miles) northeast of the capital in the San José Province shire of Vázquez de Coronado, is one of the country's most important churches, dedicated to St. Isidore the Labourer. Finished in 1935 on the site of an 1880 chapel that was later destroyed by an earthquake, it was designed in neo-Gothic style by architect Teodorico Quirós, who was also responsible for several other Costa Rican churches in places like Aserrí, San Rafael de Escazú, and Ciudad Quesada. It includes a giant metal framework manufactured in Germany by Krupp & Co., as well as enormous stained-glass windows, cross-vaults covering the entire ceiling, and columns inspired by coffee branches.
Rodrigo Facio University Campus
Hitting the books amid landscaping and birds of the Costa Rica rain forest
A fine collection of 1960s architecture
This lovely collection of buildings is named after the University of Costa Rica's first rector, Rodrigo Facio Brenes (1952-61). Among the most important buildings here are specialised facilities such as the Theatre of Fine Arts, the Conservatory of Music, the University Radio, Channel 15 TV station, the University Cinema, the Anthropology/Archaeology Laboratory, the Botanical Garden, and the Museum of Insects. It also includes enormous green expanses, perfect for strolling and harbouring colourful flowers, myriad birds, and up to 50 species of exotic trees, all typical of the Costa Rican tropical rain forest. If you're lucky enough to be able to visit in late April, you can also enjoy University Week, with a variety of musical and other cultural events.
The National Monument
Five female figures representing the five mid-19th-century Central American republics
Commemoration of a momentous 19th-century victory
Right in the Parque Nacional is one of this country's most important sculptural monuments, executed by Frenchman Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse, who through the last decades of the 19th century and the first of the 20th worked extensively in various Latin American countries including Guatemala and Argentina. It's made up of five female figures representing each of the Central American republics (besides Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, with Panama not yet in existence) and commemorates the victory of these countries over the 1855-57 campaign of forces under U.S. adventurer William Walker to take control of the region; Walker is depicted here fleeing. The monument also includes four bas reliefs portraying events such as the Battle of Rivas, in which Walker's forces were decisively defeated.
Chancellery
Neo-baroque ornamentation and a museum named after a collector-diplomat
A century-old yellow building in Parque de España
Also popularly known as the Casa Amarilla (Yellow House) due to the colour of its façade, the handsome Casa de la Cancillería, located at the far end of the Parque de España was built in 1916 as the short-lived Central American Court of Justice, financed by U.S. industrialist/philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. But soon the building passed to the Costa Rican state, serving various uses until its current one, housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It's architecturally notable for the ornamentation of its main entrance as well as its neo-Baroque lintel. Also housed in the building is the Marqués Manuel María Peralta Museum, named for a prominent diplomat and collector; open weekdays 8 am to 2 pm.
Music Temple
Its aesthetic is reminiscent of Versailles, so no one doubts its architectural quality.
Neoclassical 20s.
This neoclassical building, built in 1920, is the most important element of Parque Morazán and constitutes one of the architectural symbols of the capital of Costa Rica. The design of the enclosure was carried out by the Costa Rican José Francisco 'Chisco' Salazar, who, according to different theories, was inspired for its construction by the famous Palace of Versailles. During its first decade of life, the Temple of Music hosted the parties and musical shows with which the Josefina population said goodbye every year on December 31, until these celebrations were moved to Plaza González Víquez. Apart from hosting a huge number of musical performances throughout its already long history, the building has played a very prominent role in the public life of the Central American country and many leaders have used it as a stage for some of their main political acts.
The Metal Building
A much photographed, late-19th-century edifice - made of metal in Belgium!
A pair of schools with a singular history
Strolling through downtown San José's Morazán Park, you'll notice a distinctive, somewhat grandiose edifice which tends to be the most photographed by visitors hereabouts. The Edificio Metálico (aka the Escuelas Metálicas, Metallic School) between Calle 7 and Calle 9 was created - from sections of stamped-steel imitation stone - in Belgium upon the request of the Costa Rican government of the day, then shipped over to be put together here to house a pair of schools named for luminaries of Costa Rican education, Buenaventura Corrales and Julia Lang. A fine example of the architectural splendour of a bygone era.
National Theatre
Elaborate Belle-Époque appointments, capacity for 1,000
San José's most grandiose edifice
Perhaps the capital's most recognisable architectural icon, back in the day this national monument right in the heart of downtown between Calle 3 and Calle 5 gave rise to the saying in Europe that Costa Rica was "a village around the National Theatre". Inaugurated in 1897 (though interior work went on for some years more), the Teatro Nacional boasts capacity for 1,000 spectactors and is surrounded by handsome gardens, which can all be visited for free. It was financed by Costa Rica's wealthy coffee growers, who wished to have a live performance venue available to them, and they followed the luxurious fashions of the day, with details including various oil paintings and an elaborate staircase with marble statues. There are also some great vintage photographs here.
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