Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Los Yoses, Barrio Escalante & San Pedro
Mall San Pedro
MALL
This busy four-story mall (often used as a landmark) houses a multi-screen cinema, a food
court, a video arcade and the usual mix of clothing, phone and other retailers. It's northw-
est of Fuente de la Hispanidad.
Escazú
Multiplaza Escazú
MALL
Costa Rica's most stylish and massive shopping mall has everything you need (or don't). If
you're coming from San José, the mall can be reached by taking any bus marked 'Escazú
Multiplaza'.
Orientation
San José's center is arranged in a grid with
avenidas
(avenues) running east to west and
calles
(streets) running north to south. Av Central is the nucleus of the downtown area and
is a pedestrian mall between Calles 6 and 9. The downtown has several loosely defined
barrios
(neighborhoods); those of greatest interest to tourists are north and east of Plaza de
la Cultura, including Barrio Amón, Barrio Otoya, Barrio Aranjuez and Barrio La Califor-
nia. The central area is home to innumerable businesses, hotels and cultural sites, while the
area immediately west of downtown is home to San José's central market and many of its
bus terminals.
Slightly further west of downtown is La Sabana, named for its huge and popular park
where many
josefinos
spend their weekends jogging, swimming, picnicking or attending
soccer matches.
A few kilometers southwest is the affluent outer suburb of Escazú, really three neigh-
borhoods in one: Escazú Centro with its peaceful central plaza and unhurried Tico ambien-
ce; the USA expatriate enclave of San Rafael, dotted with strip malls, top-end car dealer-
