When in San Jose (Costa Rica)
The Costa Rican capital of San Jose is relatively cosmopolitan by Central American standards and visitors will find themselves quite at home here within a short space of time. Although not a beautiful city by any means, there is enough to delay the visitor here for a few days before they head off and explore all that the country has to offer. San Jose is not the safest of cities after dark and tourists are advised to take taxis where possible, even on relatively short journeys.
There are plenty of museums to enjoy in San Jose. The Museo Oro Precolombino can be found under at the Plaza de la Cultura. This is home to a superb collection of pre-Columbian gold dating from 500 AD to 1500 AD. As well as gazing at the expensive items, visitors can also learn about the social importance of gold and the way it has shaped the country. There are also usually a number of temporary exhibition galleries which are well worth visiting.
If by any chance you have children in tow, they might well enjoy a trip to the children's museum, Museo de los Niños, which, oddly, can be found in the city's old prison.
For more weighty stuff head to the Museo Nacional to learn more about the history of the country and its people.
The Mercade Central, where you can buy just about anything under the sun, is great fun and perfect for getting some local colour. The world's finest coffee beans are on sale here at tantalising prices.
Those wishing to venture out of town looking for adventure can join one of a number of trips that will take you rafting. It is also possible to go and look at the country's many volcanoes, with the active Irazú the highest at 3,431 feet.
Wildlife lovers and eco tourists will be in heaven in Costa Rica as the country is said to have more species per square mile than any other. The Tortuguero National Park is a great place to go monkey, turtle and parrot spotting. There are also many miles of gorgeous coastline to explore and many fine beaches throughout Costa Rica.
Juan Santamaría Airport is around 10 miles out of town and welcomes a number of international flights each day, mostly from the Americas. Buses are available from outside the airport but it is far easier to grab a taxi bearing the name Taxi Aeropuerto for the 20-minute journey in to the centre.
Long distance buses are available from Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panamá to the main bus station and the country as a whole is well served by the bus network should you wish to go and explore further afield.
Once in the city, getting around is very cheap and fairly easy on the decent bus system. If you don't fancy public transport, there are plenty of taxis, which are relatively cheap when compared with other countries.
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Introduction
