SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
First
founded in 1737, San Jose today has grown into a sprawling metropolis. Costa Rica’s
capital and the largest city in the country, San Jose is considered to be
among the most cosmopolitan cities in all of Latin America. San
Jose represents bustling city, which is
nestled inside a tropical eco-paradise, and surrounded by nine volcanoes,
three of which are very active.
San Jose sits in the
center of the country, in the Central Valley, and it's surrounded by gorgeous
untouched cloud forests. Serving as a hub to the rest of the country, San
Jose is the prefect place to use as a base camp to tour Costa Rica. With
the Juan Santamaria International Airport just 20 minutes from downtown
San Jose.
Downtown San Jose is the busiest part of town, a maze of streets and
avenues. Here you can find most of the city’s museums as well as a number
of hotels and plazas. Plenty of restaurants can also be found here, with
the Coca Cola Bus Terminal sitting just north of Central Avenue.
With CC Vacation
Services, you can find not only good accommodations and hotels, but we
offer insights on the many wonderful museums, bars, restaurants, shopping
centers, colorful markets and a fast paced night life.
Since the downtown area
of San Jose is fairly small
and because its one of the most frequented
parts of the city, do keep in mind that you will come across very heavy traffic
here, with lots of noise and congestion. But don’t let this deter you, as
this part of the city is the heart of San Jose. The streets and avenues
are bustling with traffic, so the best way to
explore this area is by foot.
Visitors often go to the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design inside CENAC or tour the
Jade Museum in the Instituto Nacional de Seguros here. If you have kids, a
great place to take them would be to the Simon Bolivar National Zoo on
Avenue 11 or the Kids Museum on Calle 4. To get up close and personal with
the residents of this city, visit the many local mercados or markets such
as the Mercado Central on Avenue Central.
Besides touring, there are also a number of language schools in downtown
San Jose that can help you speak Spanish more fluently. Very popular and
offering good value for money, you can attend intensive language classes
for up to five hours a day and at the same time live with a host family that
will take care your boarding and lodging. This is an excellent way to not
only learn Spanish, but also to understand the Tico culture more intimately.
Please see our study abroad link for more information on exciting educational travel opportunities all throughout Costa Rica for teachers and students alike!
