My family and I will be visiting Costa Rica for about two weeks over Christmas (my wife and I, two teenage children, and my mother-in-law). At the end of the trip we will be staying at the San Jose Marriott for three nights. I was thinking about hiring a driver for one day in order to tour around San Jose and Escazu. I haven't developed a specific itinerary, but would probably visit a few cultural spots, central market, do a little shopping, etc. I was interested in getting feedback as to whether this is worthwhile, what places we should see, and if it matters which day of the week we go. (Earlier in the trip we'll be staying at the Peace Lodge where we will see the Poas Volcano, Doka Coffee Plantation, etc.) Recommendations re English-speaking drivers would also be helpful.

We will be staying at the Marriott over New Year's Eve and would like to go to a nice restaurant that night. I'm thinking about going to Cerutti if it's open. Any advice re restaurants or other suggestions re New Year's Eve would also be appreciated.

San Jose is like a ghost town the week between x-mas and new years. School is out and most workers have the week off and everybody head to the beach towns.

You can easlty spend a day walking aorund the downtown area. Most of the museums are all within walking distance. Barrio Amon is mostly where we did most of our walking and is a nice neighborhood.

Check out the Plaza de la Cultura and the National Theatere next door. Underneath the plaza is the gold museum which is small but interesting. Not sure if it's worth the $6 admission price.

From there check out the Jade Museum and the view form the 11th floor. After that take a break and sit in Parque Morzan or Parque Espana (across the street). Then walk to the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design and the National museum. Be sure to check out the open air artist's market at the Plaza de la Democracia (next to the National Museum). Walk down to Aveneda Central (pedestrian mall) and walk up to the Mercado Central which is an experience in itself.

Sean has given you the exact same itinerary I would suggest. Highlights for us were the Gold Museum, the National Theatre, Plaza de la Cultura, and Central Market. We didn't do these all in one day, however, but spread out over a couple of visits. Do-able, though. You don't really need a driver, but I suppose a tour guide would be sort of helpful. We like to explore on our own. You could just take a taxi from your hotel to the Barro Amon area. No problem hiring one on your return. You can also prearrange for the same driver to pick you up at a designated location and time.

As for touring Escazu (Gringo Gulch!), a driver would be nice. Others might correct me (and disagree with me), but you'll be seeing mostly TGIF restaurants, Outback, and all the same things you'd see if you were driving around a city in the U.S. We've done it, but wouldn't do it again. . .

Enjoy your trip--I'm sure you are going to have a fabulous time!

We saw downtown San Jose exactly the way Sean recommends. I can't say how to find these places by yourself....my son-in-law, who grew up there, took us around.

If it isn't too expensive you may enjoy having a driver, who can also point out other sights as you drive between venues.

We hired a driver to take us on 2 day trips from San Jose, one to Volcan Poas and the Waterfall Gardens and the other to Volcan Irizu and the Orosi Valley.

I will not recommend him, for while he was a good guide, his command of English was not very good. Since my husband is fluent in Spanish and I understand it, we simply had him speak Spanish.

Have a wonderful trip.

I used my Lonely Planet guide book which has a good map of downtown San Jose with all the locations of the museums. At the Plaza de la Cultura there is an office for the ICT (National Tourism Board) where you can get a free map of the downtown area and attractions.

Hey, the comments on San Jose at Christmas time remind of the local custom of people throwing confetti at each other each evening along the Avenida Central...

And those folks heading out of town for their extended beach vacations seem to pack it up as early as the 2nd week in Dec.

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Some of the museums in San Jose close over the holidays. It varies by year, and some of them close as early as Dec. 18, reopening Jan. 2.

I wouldn't say San Jose is a ghost town over the holidays though. It holds two huge parades: a carnival parade on Dec. 26; and a tope, or horse parade, on Dec. 27. Many people stay around for those.

Thanks for all of the responses. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

We frequently stay at a friends house in Escazu. It does have a lot of North American influence. It also has a restaurant with absolutely drop dead views of the central valley at night. It has very good typical Costa Rican food. Tiquicia is the name of the restaurant. Not fancy for New Years but might be good for another night. Your hotel can help with reservations if you decide you want to go there. We were there just a few weeks ago and it was full. Phone # 289-5839 The view of the city on this web site is what you will see.

http://www.restaurantscostarica.com/...=Costarricense

We use [email protected] as a driver. Taxis are inexpensive. On the rare trip that we have time to spend in the city we have enjoyed stopping for a drink at the outdoor cafe at the Gran Hotel. It is right across the street from the National Theater and near much of the downtown shopping. My husband loves to pick up a NYT at a local magazine/newspaper shop and catch up on the news while I shop.