| When people think about Costa Rica their minds | | | | the very best of Costa Rica. |
| automatically conjure up images of beautiful beaches, | | | | The Jade Museum, the Contemporary Art & Design |
| lush forestation and incredible wildlife. However, this is | | | | Museum, the Crime Museum, the National Museum |
| not all that Costa Rica has to offer. A fascinating | | | | and the Art Museum are all great places to get a feel |
| country, this tiny Central American nation has much | | | | for what this city is all about. While in San Jose, also |
| to see and explore, case in point being Costa Rica's | | | | worth visiting has to be the National Theater and the |
| cosmopolitan capital, San Jose City. A vibrant and | | | | Catedral Metropolitana located close by to one |
| bustling metropolis of more than a million people San | | | | another. San Jose's various markets or mercados, |
| Jose is not only Costa Rica's largest city, but it is also | | | | especially the Mercado Central in the downtown area |
| the transportation and financial hub of the country. | | | | are also worth a look at. |
| Filled with world-class restaurants, topnotch shopping | | | | Extremely popular with tourists, one very good |
| malls, museums, theaters, nightclubs, bars and | | | | reason for staying in this urban jungle is that is a |
| cinemas, this city makes for a wonderful place to | | | | great place to learn to speak Spanish. Here you can |
| discover. | | | | find plenty of Spanish language schools and teaching |
| Founded in 1737, today, very little of San Jose's | | | | centers where one not only studies the language, but |
| colonial past remains. Overcrowded, chaotic and | | | | also learns how to use it practically. |
| disorganized, this urban jungle nevertheless still | | | | With Costa Rica's public bus network situated in |
| manages to retain a charm that is all its own. If you | | | | downtown San Jose, many people also use this city |
| look past the traffic, smog and congestion, you will | | | | as a starting point to their vacations. From here you |
| find that San Jose is actually a city with a lot of | | | | can catch a bus to anywhere in the country, with the |
| character and soul. The people here are wonderful, | | | | coast being no more than a 3-hour drive away. |
| warm and friendly and despite its many drawbacks, | | | | If the downtown area gets too busy for you then |
| there is much to enjoy. The ideal place to use as a | | | | San Jose's beautiful suburbs offer the perfect quiet |
| base camp while exploring the rest of the country, | | | | respite one needs to get away from the humdrum |
| San Jose has plenty of accommodations to suit | | | | of the city. Santa Ana, Escazu, Los Yoses, San |
| every budget ranging from the more luxurious hotels | | | | Pedro, La Sabana, Rohrmoser and San Antonio de |
| to reasonably priced apartotels. | | | | Belen are just a few of the neighborhoods where |
| A city on the go, San Jose sits right in the heart of | | | | one can go and relax. |
| Costa Rica's gorgeous Central Valley and is | | | | One of the best times of the year to visit this city is |
| surrounded by verdant green volcanic mountain | | | | in March, when San Jose plays host to the biannual |
| ranges. The climate here is near perfect with a | | | | Festival de Arte. Showcasing the country's finest |
| spring-like temperature throughout the year. Offering | | | | performers, artists, musicians, dancers and film |
| stunning panoramas of the encompassing | | | | makers, this event lets you see San Jose in a whole |
| countryside, San Jose is the perfect place to savor | | | | new light. |