Holiday Destination: San Jose

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, head of the province of San Jose, and the nation's largest city. Located in the Central Valley, San Jose is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation. Culturally, the city can be considered almost entirely European influenced, in part because of Spanish immigration soon after Costa Rica's discovery by Christopher Columbus, and the privileged classes which generally studied in Europe during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. This can be seen in the architecture of the city, namely theaters, museums and houses in the city center. It is named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth. San Jose is a city with an interesting mix of history and modernity. Even though the city's center is almost uninhabited, it is the most important working area of the country, which brings in more than a million people daily. Despite its problems, according to studies in Latin America, San Jose is still one of the safest, purist, and less violent cities in the region.

Climate

Summer 26.9 °C (80.4 °F), Winter 17.8 °C (64 °F)

Tourist Season

Summer season is the best for visiting San Jose.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of San Jose

• Land Area: 17.23 sq mi (44.62 km2)
• Population: 3 Lakh.
• Capital City: San Jose.
• Language: Spanish and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by San Jose

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is a Costa Rican reserve located along the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces. Named after the nearby town of Monteverde and founded in 1972, the Reserve consists of over 10,500 hectares of tropical rainforest, the reserve is visited by roughly 70,000 visitors a year. The Reserve consists of 6 ecological zones, 90% of which are virgin forest. An extremely high biodiversity, consisting of over 2,500 plant species including the most orchid species in a single place, 100 species of mammals, 400 bird species, 120 reptilian and amphibian species, and thousands of insects, has drawn scientists and tourists since.

Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs

This exciting journey takes you to the Arenal Volcano, the most active volcano in Costa Rica. Enjoy your dip in the thermal hot springs, which are natural jacuzzi's charged with natural and healthy minerals. It is no coincidence that the Arenal Volcano & Hot Springs is one of the most popular tours in the country; visiting the most active volcano in Costa Rica and relaxing in its hot springs is an unforgettable experience. En route towards Arenal, you will pass by the picturesque town of La Fortuna and on a clear day, you will have the opportunity to admire this majestic colossus. You may also have the chance to witness a small eruption, causing red lava to pour down the mountain and clouds of smoke and ash to fly into the sky. At night, the spectacle is like a magnificent display of fireworks.

San Jose Cathedral

The Catedral de San Jose is one of the most important churches in Costa Rica, its story begins in the years of 1777 because many families living in great poverty, had to travel to church services from the area called The Lajuela and adjacent to the parish of Villa Vieja, and distance prevented them from attending the temple.

Drake Bay & Corcovado National Park

Ecologically varied, the Corcovado National Park is among the most biologically intense places on earth. Located on the wild and untamed Osa Peninsula, this national park is breathtakingly beautiful and is one of the remotest parks in the country. Home to the largest and only tropical primary lowland rainforest in the world, the Corcovado National Park is also the habitat of a plethora of endangered plant and animal species. Created in 1975 to protect this gorgeous region from illegal gold mining and logging, the Parque Nacional Corcovado is today, an extremely popular ecotourism destination. Mostly undisturbed because of its isolation and inaccessibility, it is home to the beautiful Scarlet Macaws as well as the Resplendent Quetzals.

Manuel Antonio & Manuel Antonio National Park

Manuel Antonio National Park, in Spanish the Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio, is a small National Park in the Central Pacific Conservation Area located on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, just south of the city of Quepos, Puntarenas, and 132 km from the national capital of San Jose. Established in 1972 with an area enumerating 4,014 acres the smallest of any Costa Rican national park, it is the destination of as many as 150,000 visitors annually and well known for its beautiful beaches and hiking trails. In 2011, Manuel Antonio was listed by Forbes among the world's 12 most beautiful national parks.

Tortuguero National Park

Tortuguero National Park is a National Park within the Tortuguero Conservation Area. The reserve is also included in the Humedal Caribe Noreste, a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The park is located in the Limon Province of northeastern Costa Rica. It is the third-most visited park in Costa Rica, despite the fact that it can be reached only by airplane or boat. The park has incredible biological variety, due to the existence within the reserve of eleven different habitats, including rainforest, swamps, beaches, and lagoons. It is located in a tropical climate, is very humid, and receives up to 250 inches of rain a year.

Nosara

Nosara is a city in the Nicoya canton, Guanacaste province of Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast. One of Costa Rica’s best kept secrets, Playa Nosara, is a hidden paradise lying 55 kilometers southwest of Nicoya and 266 km west of the capital, San Jose in Guanacaste on the Nicoya Peninsula. Accessed through the road to Samara, Playa Nosara along with Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada and Playa Ostional, make up the Ostional Wildlife Refuge, where every year hundreds of thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles come here to lay their eggs. Getting to Playa Nosara is actually quite difficult, as there are no paved roads. The best way to reach Nosara beach is to take a domestic flight from San Jose or Liberia to Nosara Domestic Airport, and then rent a four wheel drive or car.

Dominical & Costa Ballena

Stretching from Dominical to Ojochal, Costa Ballena encompasses a vast stretch of a gorgeously rugged shoreline and a number of beautiful beaches. This southern Pacific region of Costa Rica features unspoiled beauty and natural charm that expresses an overarching appeal and gives a unique character to the region. Celebrated for its incredible biodiversity, Costa Ballena is a hot spot for nature lovers, conservationists and eco-adventurers alike. The beautiful coastline of Costa Ballena includes the beaches of Dominical, Playa Dominicalito, Playa Hermosa, Playa Uvita, Playa Arco, Playa Ballena, Playa Pinuelas, Playa Ventanas and Playa Tortuga. These beaches offer various water sport opportunities like snorkeling, kayaking, diving, surfing and scuba diving. Other activities available in the area include sport fishing, canopy tours and tree climbing adventures.

Cahuita National Park

The beat and the feel are inescapable. We rode our bikes into Cahuita a scorching sun drenched afternoon and were met by strains of Bob Marley through the palms. After a quick swim while the sun set, we found a place to stay and then had an incredible fish dinner under the stars. For breakfast we stopped at the little bread stand for banana bread, Jamaican spice cake, and papaya juice; there was no doubt we had reached the Caribbean coast. The Caribbean coast was settled Africans brought in by way of Jamaica in the late 1800's to build the coffee railroad from San Jose, or to work the banana plantations. The Caribbean has an unmatched rhythm and Cahuita National Park is as much about culture as wildlife and botany.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Bus Station

Calle 20
San Jose 10000, Costa Rica

Terminal de Lumaca

Avenue 10
San Jose 10000, Costa Rica

Tres Rios bus station

Avenida Segunda
San Jose, Costa Rica

Bus Station frente Hotel Cocori

Paso De La Vaca
San Jose, Costa Rica

Airport

Juan Santamaria International Airport: For International flights.

Railway Stations

Estacion del Tren de Plaza Viquez

Calle 11
San Jose, Costa Rica

Estacion del Pacifico

Calle Central Alfredo Volio
San Jose, Costa Rica

Estacion del Atlántico

Calle 23
San Rafael, Costa Rica