In short
San José is not the reason to come to Costa Rica, and almost nobody claims otherwise: it is the arrival point and the transport hub for the volcanoes, the two coasts and the national parks.
That said, the city can fill a day. The National Theatre, completed in 1897, is the building the country is proudest of. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and the Jade Museum are two serious collections. Barrio Escalante has become the district of restaurants and cafés.
Arriving and getting around
Juan Santamaría airport is at Alajuela, some twenty kilometres out.
One disconcerting feature: Costa Rica does not use street addresses. Directions are given by landmarks and distances — "two hundred metres south of the church, blue house on the right". A hundred metres conventionally means one block. Navigation apps work, but a written address will read like a set of directions.
Intercity buses are cheap and cover the country from several terminals scattered across the city — check which one before setting off.
What it really costs
Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America, and that is a frequent surprise. San José remains more affordable than the coastal tourist zones.
The sodas, small neighbourhood restaurants, serve the casado — the full dish of the day — very cheaply.
When to come
December–April is the dry season. May–November is the green season: it rains late in the day, prices fall and the vegetation is at its best.
San José sits at 1,150 metres, which gives it a temperate climate all year — around twenty-five degrees.
What nobody tells you
The Poás and Irazú volcanoes are an hour and a half away. Access to Poás is regulated by slots booked in advance, and the crater can close without notice for activity or gas. Check with SINAC before setting off.
The Mercado Central, trading since 1880, is the best place to eat simply in the centre.
Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, and the former Bellavista barracks now houses the National Museum — the building still carries bullet marks from the civil war.
