San José

By Dawn Wohlfarth

San José is a sprawling capital city cradled by the Meseta Grande valley and surrounded by coffee and sugar plantations. It has one huge advantage over other Central American capital cities in the seven-block pedestrian center where you can stop at restaurants, cafes, internet cafes, museums, markets and more without ever having to inhale exhaust! While no colonial buildings remain due to a series of earthquake throughout the capital’s history, there are several museums, monuments and parks that make the city worth at least a couple of days of your trip.

Founded in 1737, San José became Costa Rica’s capital in 1823. Set at an altitude of 1,150m (3,772 feet) the road system is well-organized radiating from Avenida Central and Calle Central in a grid. Avenidas run east-west and calles run north-south. Furthermore, roads throughout the country branch out from San José making it a good base for travel throughout the country.

Residents, locally referred to as josefinos, are friendly and helpful.

Getting There and Around

The international airport, Juan Santamaría, is 16 km (10 miles) from the center of San José. A cab ride costs between $10-15 and buses leave every 10 minutes from the terminal headed toward the city center. If you are arriving by long-distance bus, which are cheap and plentiful, there are terminals scattered throughout the city depending on the company you travel with.

Weather and Climate

The weather in San José is comfortable year-round. Temperatures range from 15º - 26º Celsius (60º - 75º Fahrenheit). Evenings are cool. The rainy season is roughly from May – November.

Among the highlights in San José are:

• The seven blocks along the Avenida Central from Banco Central to the Plaza de la Cultura are perfect for travelers. You don’t have to deal with smoggy congestion and every tourist service imaginable is based along this strip.
  
  
• The Teatro Nacional, one of San José’s oldest buildings, was built in the 1890s. There is a great café and guided tours of this spectacular building full of statues, frescoes, a golden foyer and marble staircases. Av. 2 on Calle 3.
  
  
• Plaza de la Cultura is beautiful plaza to relax. It occasionally hosts public concerts.
  
  
• The Museo de Oro, is a pre-Colombian gold museum beneath the Plaza de la Cultura complex.
  
  
• The Museo Nacional features interesting exhibits on archaeology, national history, anthropology, and gold artifacts.
  
  
• The Plaza de la Democracia is a monument to the November 1989 centenary of Costa Rican democracy.

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