San Jose Travel Guide

Guidebooks

The center of all that is Costa Rica probably won't be the center of your trip to Costa Rica. Most visitors spend two nights in San José—tops. You'll probably head out of town the morning after you arrive, only to return the night before heading home. No, you shouldn't sacrifice precious beach or rain-forest time for a stay in San José. But the city is worth a day or two—as a way to ease into Costa Rica at the start of a visit or as a way of wrapping things up with a well-deserved dose of civilization.

Hotels

San Jose Hotels

San José may be the big city, but it truly shines in its selection of small to medium-size inns. They're all locally owned and their friendly, attentive...read more

Fodor's Choice

Restaurants

San Jose Restaurants

Fed up with all the chicken, rice, and beans you've been chewing on in your out-country travels? Costa Rica's capital beckons you back with the country's...read more

Fodor's Choice

Things To Do

Things To Do in San Jose

The Irish group U-2 could have written its song "Where...read more

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Hotels

San Jose Experiences

  • Top Reasons to Go to San Jose

    Eating out: After traveling around Costa Rica eating mostly rice and beans and chicken, you'll appreciate San José's varied restaurants... Read more

  • Eco-Lodges in San Jose

    Clean? Green? Pristine? San José is none of these, but even in Costa Rica's congested capital, you can count on a handful of pioneers... Read more

  • Missing History

    Blame it on the earthquakes. Costa Ricans are quick to attribute the scarcity of historic architecture in San José and around the country... Read more

  • Soccer in Costa Rica

    Sports mean one thing in San José: soccer. Very young boys (and a slowly increasing number of girls) kick around a ball—or some... Read more

  • Eco- or Sustainable Tourism

    Ecotourism, a relatively recent addition to the English language, has been defined as travel to natural areas to observe and learn about wildlife... Read more

  • Last, Last-Minute Buys

    If you really didn't have time to shop, never fear. Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría has two noteworthy souvenir shops&mdash... Read more

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  • Driving the Nicoya Peninsula in August

    Hello,

    I will be in Costa Rica in a couple weeks, and for the second leg of my journey, I will be driving from Liberia to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa area to visit a friend of mine that lives there. Read more

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