Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SAN JOSÉ IN...
ONE DAY
Begin with a peek inside the city's most beautiful building, the 19th-century
Teatro Na-
nearby
Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática
to peruse its trove of the country's
pre-Columbian gold treasures. From here, stroll northeast through Parque Morazán to the
Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo
, Central America's most prominent
contemporary-arts institution.
Take lunch on the terrace of
Café Mundo
or
Kalú
.
Afterwards, browse the shops of his-
toric Barrio Amón, such as
Kiosco SJO
,
Galería Namu
and
eÑe
,
then end your afternoon
Morazán
.
TWO DAYS
Start your second day in town with a primer on Costa Rican history at the
Museo Nacion-
Jade
. After a stroll through the neighboring
Mercado Artesanal
for handicrafts, go west
on Av Central to the
Catedral Metropolitana
, wherejosefinos(people from San José) still
pack the pews for daily mass. Afterward, head northwest to the
Mercado Central
to shop
for Costa Rican coffee, cigars and cheap eats.
In the evening, venture east to Los Yoses, Barrio Escalante and San Pedro, where you'll
find some of San José's best neighborhood eateries and bars, and the city's most es-
teemed venue for live music, the
Jazz Café
.
Sights
San José is small and best explored on foot, joining locals along teeming sidewalks and
pedestrian boulevards that lead to vintage theaters, crowded cafes, tree-shaded parks and
some of the finest museums in Central America.