San Jose

San Jose, Costa Rica is often used as a stepping stone to other cities in Costa Rica. But the capital city is actually a very worthwhile destination, not just one to pass through

San Jose’s location in the Central Valley allows for a climate that is never too hot or too cold, averaging 75 degrees year-round. This comfortable temperature makes San Jose an ideal location for outdoor activities like rainforest expeditions, a round of golf or taking a walking tour of the city to admire the Spanish colonial architecture.

As Costa Rica’s political, social and commercial center, San Jose has excellent art galleries, museums and markets. Mercado Central is the largest market, as it occupies an entire block on Avenida Central. It has over 200 shops, stalls and restaurants that sell a wide range of items, like meats, fruits, fish, vegetables and coffee. Thousands of people come to the market every day, so it’s always buzzing with activity.

Travelers with families will find many things to do in San Jose. The Museo de los Ninos is part children’s museum and part art gallery, and is housed in an old penitentiary. The children’s museum area has many hands-on exhibits dedicated to science, history and geography. The art gallery area is great for adults. The pieces of contemporary art contrast with the old prison’s architecture and abandoned cells. Another fun place for families to go is the Simón Bolivar Zoo, San Jose’s only zoo. It has many native Costa Rican animal and plant species.

There is no shortage of restaurant choices in San Jose. For travelers seeking authentic Costa Rican food, many restaurants serve gallo pinto, Costa Rica’s national dish made up of fried rice and black beans. It’s usually served for breakfast with tortillas and natilla, which is best described as a thin sour cream. For other food options, travelers can enjoy Italian, Peruvian, Mediterranean and Costa Rican fusion food, just to name a few. Coffee shops and bakeries are also abundant in the city.

Puntarenas

Puntarenas is a small city on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, located about 50 miles west of San Jose. It’s on a long and narrow peninsula in the Gulf of Nicoya. It’s a very important tourism region in Costa Rica, as it’s home to Caldera, one of Costa Rica’s main ports. Because it has a busy port, travelers often use Puntarenas as a stopping point for another destination like Monteverde to the north or the Nicoya Peninsula just west across the Gulf of Nicoya. But Puntarenas has features of its own that make it worthy of a visit.

The peninsula has 264 miles of coastline full of islands, inlets and beaches that attract tourists and surfers. Playa Puntarenas, a large, long beach on the southern coast, used to be quite polluted and not easy on the eyes, but the city has put in large efforts to clean it up and refurbish it with new sand. Playa Hermosa is considered one of Costa Rica’s best surfing havens for professional surfers both national and international. Hundreds of surfers travel to Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas every year for the Quicksilver Surf Championships.

The Paseo de los Turistas is a long walking path that follows the southern coast and has shops, street vendors and bars to visit. On the weekends, vacationing Costa Ricans from San Jose will mingle with travelers while visiting the shops as well.

The Parque Marino del Pacifico is an aquarium where visitors can see 50 species of marine and coastal animals like sea turtles, tortoises, pelicans and sharks. It also has a marine animal rehabilitation center that helps rescue and rehabilitate injured marine animals. The beach around the park boasts a Blue Flag award, which recognizes the organization’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts.