San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica and, if you're flying, it is probably the first place you will stop. This being said, it is not the only place you should visit. Costa Rica is so much more diverse and full of natural wonders to spend all of your time in the city.
We chose to spend about 3 days in the beginning of our trip in the San Jose area. We stayed in an Airbnb that wasn't too far outside of the city and it was absolutely lovely. (Link Here).
The location, in Heredia, was perfect for us and was a quick Uber ride to San Jose. The apartment was cheap and had all the amenities we could ask for. There was some difficulty getting into the complex because we were not residents. We had to show our passport to security and explain that we were Airbnb customers every time. Given that we speak Spanish, this wasn't too much of an inconvenience, but I can imagine it being more difficult without those language skills.
During our time in the Airbnb, we made good use of the rooftop pool and hot tubs in addition to sampling local cuisine through UberEats. The town plaza was a short walk away, so we spent time exploring that area and eating ice cream to keep us cool during the days.
Given that we were staying in Heredia, we also used Airbnb Experiences to book our hike up Barva Volcano. If you'd like to learn more experience, please follow the link to that blog post! (Link Here)
During the rest of our time, we ventured into San Jose. It is bustling and reminds me of many cities I have seen before. To make the most out of our time there, we took a walking tour. If you keep up with the blog, you know that I LOVE free walking tours. I think they are such a fantastic way to get acquainted with the area. We booked with San Jose Free Walking Tours and went with a Spanish speaking guide. They have English speaking guides as well. The tour was super informative and gave us lots of cool insights on the history and culture of San Jose. I recommend booking with them.
After the tour ended, we grabbed some delicious food at La Casona Tipica. The rain had started by this point, so it was nice to go inside. Our food was good and one of the few places with authentic Costa Rican cuisine. Since San Jose is a city, there were many fast food restaurants like McDonald's. We even saw a Hard Rock Cafe!
After leaving La Casona, we walked around the street a bit exploring on our own. We stumbled across a hidden market of sorts. What originally looked like a store front let to an intricate maze of food stands and souvenir shops. It's definitely worth stopping by. Markets always offer a unique perspective of a destination because you can see their food and leisure all in one place. There are many markets in Costa Rica, but the Central Market is a good place to start.
Overall, San Jose is a nice place to stop and learn about, but I don't recommend it as your destination. If you only visit San Jose, you will be cheating yourself of the robust experiences Costa Rica can offer. On such experience is Manuel Antonio National Park. I'm very excited to tell you all about what it has to offer in the coming blog post.
Until then,
XX Didi
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