San Jose is a wonderful place, great scenery and lots of colour.
There are many attractions. My personal favourite was the La Paz Waterfall gardens. It’s a series of trails through the forest to the waterfall. Lots of greenery, and very refreshing walking through the forest. The waterfall is a great place to take your pictures. There is also an orchid garden and a butterfly garden. I didn’t quite like the orchid gardens, but the butterfly garden was amazing. I never really noticed how many different types of butterflys there were, and how colourful they are. But, just to let you know, it can be slightly annoying, as the butterflys are constantly flying over your head. If you’re lucky you may get to see butterfly eggs. There is an admission fee. The average lunch will cost about £5 in one of the large cafeteria style restaurant, and it is a buffet lunch, so you help yourself.
Lankester gardens is a botanical garden, so you can see all types flora. There are about 800 different species.
San Jose has quite a few interesting museums. One that I went to was Fidel Tristán Jade Museum which has the best Jade Collection in Costa Rica.
Nightlife There are many bars open through the night. Each one is individual and plays its own chosen style of music. Some of them are: Café Loft – plays electronic and trance music and there’s usually a live DJ. Club Bash – plays techno and house music. This club is very popular and is extremely overcrowded. It’s a good thing the building is huge. Patogonia – this place is very lively and you’ll find it attracts more of the younger crowd
For anyone who likes gambling, San Jose is the best to go. Gambling is very much legal here and you’ll find that nearly all the hotels will have a casino.
San Pedro This block is called "La Calle de Amargura," or the "Street of Bitterness". This block is very overcrowded with people barhopping. If you do decide to visit here, then you need to be very careful. It is very dangerous. I was there for an hour and all you can see is drunk people swearing and fighting. Not somewhere, I would recommend in going.
Shopping The shopping is good. You can buy all sorts of gifts and the prices are reasonable.There are shopping centres, plazas, and more common markets where you can barter for the best price .
Dinning There’s huge variety of restaurants, serving traditional cuisines to international cuisines. If not anything, you must visit San Jose to dine on the side of a volcano. It’s an experience that you will not forget. They are called miradores, which are basically hanging restaurants. While you’re eating you can look down to see the city of San Jose.
Accomodation There is choice of hotel you can stay at. I stayed at the Hotel Alta which is quite a small hotel. The room had a private balcony where you had spectacular views of the Central Valley. All the rooms in Hotel Alta are very modern and you can also have a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom in certain suites. http://www.thealtahotel.com
San Jose has a moderate climate, so it’s not unbearably hot. I would say, It’s a place for couples only, or families with older children.
And finally, a word of warning for anyone visiting San Jose…. Unfortunately, the amount of crime there’s lets it down. You have to look out for pickpockets and sometimes purse slashers. You’ll find these types of people normally on the public buses. I was walking with my partner in the market, and you can see people looking at your bags. So, it is best to leave your valuables at the hotel, like your passports and keep only a minimum amount of money with you.
Don’t let the above put you off. I did have to mention it, as it is very important. San Jose is a very beautiful place for a holiday and you thoroughly enjoy yourselfs.
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