For many travelers San Jose City is nothing more than a stop over and move on to their next adventure in a new destination. But this pulsating cultural capital of Costa Rica is so much more than that. There are tons of interesting things to see and do here: museums, theaters, delicious international restaurants, and great shopping places will be waiting for you. My advice for travelers is to make this your home base for day trips to some of the countries most popular attractions: Volcano Poas and Irazu, coffee planation tours, nature parks and a lot more.

Can’t Miss This

Museums and Gardens

City parks and plazas Theaters

Churches and Downtown Landmarks Volcanoes

Shop at the Central Market (Mercado Central)

Take a cultural tour of a coffee plantation

Hike up to the mouth of Poas and Irazu Volcanoes

A full day at a nature adventure park

A Bit of History

San Jose City is most know for it’s shorter name as San Jose. As a matter of fact is actually the second capital of Costa Rica. The original capital was cartago until it was moved in 1835. Around the year 1737 this city was known as ‘Villa Nueva de la Boca del Monte del Valle de Abra’. A few years later the name was changed after the city’s patron who was Saint Joseph (San Jose in spanish).

There were many historic events that impacted Costa Rica’s culture and San Jose’s but the ones that made the most impact were the development of the coffee exports industry, the influence of the French revolution and the country’s declaration of independence from Spain. Before the independence the country was split into two: the Democrats, who wanted the country to remain a Spanish territory, and the Republicans, who wanted to centralize the power and make Costa Rica an independent country. In 1823 there was a which ended up being won by Republicans as a result the capital was moved to San Jose and Costa Rica became an independent country.

Did You Know?

San Jose is located in the Central Valley and is surrounded by large forested mountain ranges and some volcanoes. There are also green savannas, and working coffee plantations.

Other Nearby Cities

Alajuela

Escazu

Grecia

Santa Ana

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!