SAN JOSE, CR
San Jose is the massive capital city of Costa Rica. If you are coming here it is more than likely that you will be flying into this big Central American Capital City. As with all of the Central capital cities that I have encountered, San Jose isn't great. But it's better than most. Compared to Guatemala City, Managua, and Tegucigalpa, it's like a paradise. That doesn't mean it is great though. More than likely however, on your trip through Costa Rica, you will stop in and have to spend at least a night in San Jose. Whether it be a stop from a bus through the country, or when you arrive on a flight and need to spend a night before getting where you are going. So this is my experience in San Jose. I probably spent in total about a week here. It was a nice place for me to relax and recharge without really any temptations to do anything. It's also not that hot here, so it's a welcome refrain from the heat of the remainder of the country of Costa Rica. I actually found San Jose has a nice little neighborhood to spend a few days in. Its not going to be the "real" San Jose. But I didn't really have any interest in figuring out what that was, because I don't really like big cities at all. The little part of town is called 'Barrio Escalante'. Almost everything that I recommend here will be something in or around Barrio Escalante. So, if you take anything from this, if you have to spend some time in San Jose, stay in Barrio Escalante. San Jose does have history though. It has museums, and squares, and churches to see if you are feeling adventurous. But most people will just be using this as a hopping off point to get somewhere else. The buses to and from other countries, and to and from other parts of the country will go through here.
This doesn't need to be in-depth. San Jose is located right in the middle of the country. It has a large international airport, and is the hub for all the buses in and out of the country. — Should be straightforward enough.
HOSTELS, CAMPING, AND HOTELS (IF ANY)
San Jose, being massive has tons of options of places to stay, but for the purpose of this thing I am just going to get into some hostel options. Which, from the few different places that I stayed, are actually pretty good.
Most people are only going to be in the city for a day or so, but I found the places pretty social and a nice place to talk to people about where they are coming from or to where they are going. San Jose is probably one of, if not the biggest, jumping-off points in Central America.
A really really well-priced and super-nice little hostel located in the best part of town, Barrio Escalante. This place isn't really going to be social, but if you want a nice place, where you can relax and kind of take a break from socializing — in the perfect location for the restaurants and bars, then this is your place.
Simple and nice hostel in a good location. It has a pool, but I never saw anyone in it. They have a little restaurant and bar, and it's a perfect place to pass the night.
A cheap and not overly nice spot in Barrio Escalante. The location was good, and it's priced right. — Will be mellow, and you'll probably meet some other people here.
A really popular hostel, but the location isn't quite as nice if you want to see a little bit of the cool neighborhood. Simple spot to pass the night.
EATS
The food in San Jose is expensive, as is the story with the rest of Costa Rica. But you have a lot of options here. I really only ate at a few places in Barrio Escalante, so here are the places that I ate.
Restaurants
A nice little cafe serving vegan food, and other healthy options.
A bar and brewery spot that also serves typical bar food like burgers and the like.
Good spot for tacos and Mexican food.
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A Lebanese place that has shawarmas and 'pitas to go' if you want to grab something to eat in your hostel.
A place right around the corner from Finca Escalante that has a nice vibe, good food, and good beer.
A good but kind of expensive Thai restaurant, if you want something Asian.
NIGHTLIFE
I don't really have anything to recommend here. I didn't go out in San Jose. I am sure there is a bustling nightlife scene, but it just wasn't for me — being a big city, and all that. There are lots of breweries and stuff in Escalante that I went to during the day for a drink or whatever. From an actually going out perspective I didn't experience any of it though. If you want it you can find it. Here is someone else's guide I found.
SIGHTS
There are certainly things to do and see in San Jose, but it's big city tourism. Stuff like churches, and squares, and museums. The best things to do and see from a naturalistic perspective are going to be outside of the city. — While in spitting distance, not in San Jose. The rest of the Costa Rica section has the places that I think are worth going to. But below are a few things I heard were nice.
I have mentioned this, but my favorite part of San Jose was Barrio Escalante. I recommend you stay there, and if not and you have a few days, come here for some drinks or food.
Probably the most popular place to go in San Jose. It's the National Theatre. It's a big and beautiful old building that is also a working theatre. There's a nice little square in front called the 'Plaza de Cultura', or the Cultural Plaza.
SURFING
Nothing here. — Rest of the country is obviously wave-rich, and you are probably flying in here to start.
The Central Market of San Jose is a cool place to visit if you like markets. It's a vibrant and bustling place. I am personally a fan of markets, so this was a nice thing to do. Also a good way to maybe buy a souvenir or try some local food.
