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   - Photo via Lonely Planet -
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Published on Wednesday,
March 22,
2023
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
San José City, named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth, is the capital city of Costa Rica. Its estimated population of over 2 million makes it the largest city in the country.
Tourists visiting the city for the first time may feel overwhelmed walking around narrow sidewalks crowded with people. However, the London-based tour guide magazine Lonely Planet, in its recent edition, recognized that in San José there are places worth visiting when traveling to the city.
"If you’re staying in the city, there’s a wealth of urban communities to explore. You can traverse most of this landscape on foot, and the streets are flooded with affordable taxis and buses," reads the report.
Among the top places to visit is the Barrio Escalante District. The well-ordered streets and handsome architecture of Barrio Escalante have always delighted visitors, making the neighborhood feel much farther from downtown San José than it is. But in recent years, this handful of residential blocks has surged in popularity.
Barrio Escalante is now a nexus of dynamic dining, convenient accommodations and vibrant nightlife, making it one of the most exciting destinations in the Central Valley.
Their main drag is the walkable Calle 33, which is packed with bars and diverse bistros. Clean and easy to navigate, this neighborhood draws a healthy mix of locals, backpackers and retirees. If you’re itching to stay out late, Barrio Escalante cultivates a lively nightlife scene.
Experts
also recommend visiting Downtown
San José, as the
best neighborhood for culture.
"First-timers are more or less required
to walk around downtown San José, Costa
Rica’s buzzing hive of commerce and
culture. The streets are grubby and
crowded, but you can readily walk from
one museum to another within a few
minutes," they said.
Most
people start at the Plaza de la
Cultura, an open square in the
middle of town, and work their
way outward. For
a quick survey of Costa Rican
heritage, visit the National
Museum, a fortress-like
structure on the eastern side of
downtown. The museum’s enormous
halls host rotating exhibits on
art, history and civics, and you
can finish your tour with a
stroll through the indoor
butterfly garden. The museum
overlooks the Plaza de la
Democracia, a terraced public
space that often hosts free
concerts. Not
too far away from the national
museum are two world-class
museums, the Jade Museum, a
treasure trove of Indigenous
artifacts that spans multiple
floors, and the Gold Museum, an
underground museum dedicated to
the history of goldsmithing
before the colonists’ arrival. Another
recommended place for tourists
is San
Pedro District.
"The eastern district of San
Pedro is best known as the home
of the Universidad de Costa
Rica, and thousands of students
pour into this neighborhood
every day to attend classes and
to hang out after studying time.
The streets of San Pedro have a
youthful zest, with bookstores,
bars and budget-friendly
eateries," experts said. Also, Barrio
La California District is
the best area for nightlife,
according to the report.
Centrally located, Barrio La
California is a beloved party
district, where Ticos get
together for strong drinks, loud
music and dance parties. "These
places draw mostly Tico crowds,
but travelers often come through
the door as well," they said. The
recommendation includes Barrio
Amón District,
which is described as a quiet
neighborhood that has
vine-cloaked streets and hidden
cafes, making it perfect for an
afternoon amble. " Barrio Amón
is home to a surprising number
of cultural venues. The Alianza
Francesa hosts French classes
and cultural events, and Amon
Solar is a stately concert hall
built into a former mansion.
TEOR/éTica is one of the most
imaginative art galleries in the
city, and artists regularly
repaint the facade to match the
exhibits within," they said. The
experts end in La
Sabana Central Park,
explained as the city's greenest
neighborhood. "When you need a
break from the urban jungle,
mosey over to La Sabana
Metropolitan Park, the largest
urban green space within city
limits," reads the article.
Formerly an international
airport, this rectangular park
boasts walking trails, ball
fields, a race track and even a
small lake. The skyline is
dominated by the Estadio
Nacional, home of Costa Rica’s
national football team and the
country’s biggest concert venue. ----------------------
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