Must-see attractions San José, Costa Rica

Teatro Nacional
San José
On the southern side of the Plaza de la Cultura resides the Teatro Nacional, San José’s most revered building. Constructed in 1897, it features a columned…
Museo del Jade
San José
This museum houses the world’s largest collection of American jade (pronounced ‘ha-day’ in Spanish), with an ample exhibition space of five floors…
Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática
San José
This three-in-one museum houses an extensive collection of Costa Rica's most priceless pieces of pre-Columbian gold and other artifacts, including…
Mercado Central
San José
Though josefinos mainly do their shopping at chain supermarkets, San José’s crowded indoor markets retain an old-world, authentic feel. This main market,…
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica
San José
Entered via a beautiful glassed-in atrium housing an exotic butterfly garden, this museum provides a quick survey of Costa Rican history. Exhibits of pre…
Barrio Amón
San José
Northwest of Plaza España lies this pleasant, historical neighborhood, home to a cluster of 19th-century cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions. Recently…
San José
If you're wondering how to get your young kids interested in art and science, this unusual museum – actually two museums in one – is an excellent place to…
Barrio Escalante
San José
Formerly a residential enclave, the streets of this increasingly hip neighborhood are now lined with dozens of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bars. The…
Parque Nacional
San José
One of San José’s nicest green spaces, this shady spot lures retirees to read newspapers and young couples to smooch coyly on concrete benches. At its…
Museo de Insectos
San José
Reputedly Central America's largest insect museum, this place has an extensive collection assembled by the Facultad de Agronomía (agronomy faculty) at the…
Plaza de la Cultura
San José
This architecturally unremarkable concrete plaza in the heart of downtown is usually packed with locals slurping ice-cream cones and admiring the wide…
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Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle
San José
Ever wanted to see a spider-monkey skeleton or a herd of stuffed tapirs? This natural-history museum near Parque La Sabana's southwest corner has an…
Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
San José
Once the site of San José’s main airport, this 72-hectare green space at the west end of Paseo Colón is home to a regional art museum, a lagoon and…
Museo de Arte Costarricense
San José
This Spanish-style structure served as San José’s main airport terminal until 1955. The remodeled museum features regional art, a sculpture garden, a huge…
Refugio Herpetologico de Costa Rica
San José
Costa Rica is full of wild reptiles, but for people who prefer meeting things with scales under controlled circ*mstances, there's the Refugio…
TEOR/éTica
San José
This contemporary-art museum is the brick-and-mortar gathering space for the TEOR/éTica Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Central…
Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo
San José
Commonly referred to as MADC, the Contemporary Art & Design Museum is housed in the historical National Liquor Factory building, which dates from 1856. It…
Centro Nacional de la Cultura
San José
Housed in the historical National Liquor Factory, this cultural center contains the museum of art and design, a video museum, a gallery and two theaters.
Templo de Música
San José
Since the 1920s, this large metallic dome perched atop columns in Parque Morazán has sheltered concerts, dance parties and political rallies.
Parque Zoológico Nacional Simón Bolívar
San José
It may seem ironic to visit a zoo in one of the most biologically rich countries in the world, but this is a popular spot with local families who pour in…
Catedral Metropolitana
San José
East of Parque Central, the Renaissance-style Catedral Metropolitana was built in 1871 after the previous cathedral was destroyed in an earthquake. The…
Spirogyra Jardín de Mariposas
San José
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Housing more than 30 species of butterfly – including the luminescent blue morpho – in plant-filled enclosures, this small butterfly garden is a great…
Parque Morazán
San José
Parque Morazán is named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag (for his…
Plaza de la Democracia
San José
Between the Museo Nacional and the Museo de Jade is the stark Plaza de la Democracia, which was constructed by President Oscar Arias in 1989 to…
Parque España
San José
Surrounded by heavy traffic, Parque España may be small, but it becomes a riot of birdsong every day at sunset when the local avian population comes in to…
Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica
San José
Less than a block east of Parque Nacional is San José's historical train station to the Atlantic, built in 1908. Nowadays offering weekday train service…
Teatro Melico Salazar
San José
On the north side of Parque Central is this theatre, which was built in 1928 in a beaux-arts style. It is named after the well-known Costa Rican tenor…
Mercado Borbón
San José
The Mercado Borbón is a true sensory experience of sights and smells, and you might catch the daily hand-truck race among the workers. The focus is on…
Parque Central
San José
The city’s central park is more of a run-down plaza than a park. At its center is a grandiose bandstand that looks as if it was designed by Mussolini:…
Parque Francia
San José
A lovely little space of former farmland, bordered by a French cafe and French-Spanish bookstore, as well as some restaurants. Shade trees and plenty of…
Casa Amarilla
San José
On Parque España’s northeast corner, this elegant colonial-style yellow mansion (closed to the public) houses the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The ceiba tree…
Edificio Metálico
San José
One of downtown San José's most striking buildings, this century-old two-story metal edifice on Parque España's western edge was prefabricated in Belgium,…
Asamblea Legislativa
San José
Costa Rica's congress meets in this grand structure – known as the 'blue castle' – in the center of San José. It's scheduled to be replaced by a…
Monumento León Cortés
San José
This bronze statue of the 1930s Costa Rican president stands regally at the eastern entrance to La Sabana park.
Iglesia San Rafael de Escazú
San José
A cathedral at the center of town in San Rafael de Escazú.
ICE Building
San José
Headquarters for the Costa Rican Electricity Institute.
Iglesia de la Merced
San José
A cathedral just east of the Hospital San Juan de Dios.
Parroquia Nuestra Senora de la Soledad
San José
A church in Barrio del Carmen.
Iglesia Barrio Mexico
San José
A cathedral in Barrio México.
Alianza Francesa
San José
The Alliance has French classes, a small library and rotating art exhibits in a Barrio Amón home. There are also cinematic and musical events. The classes…