Must-see attractions in San José

  • SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA-MARCH 3, 2015:  The National Theater in Costa Rica first opened to the public in 1897.  It remains a top tourist destination today.; Shutterstock ID 265490903; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Gillmore; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online-Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: 65050/ Online Design /LaurenGillmore/POI

    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…

  • 500px Photo ID: 76842259 - Museo Del Jade, San Jose, Costa Rica

    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…

  • Frog Pendant. Costa Rica, Chiriqul. 11th-16th century. Cast Gold. Frogs are frequently depicted in the gold work of Costa Rica and Panama,. (Photo by Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images)

    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,…

  • SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA - MAY 17: Simon Bolivar square, monument to Simon Bolivar in San Jose, Costa Rica on May 17, 2014. The monument is located in the central part of San Jose city; Shutterstock ID 383541232; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    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…

  • Spanish colonial era tower with battlements and multiple bullet holes, National Museum of Costa Rica.

    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…

  • 500px Photo ID: 107393487 - Closeup of colorful toucan bird somewhere in Mexico

    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…

  • One of numerous elaborate stained-glass windows inside Catedral Metropolitana.

    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…

  • Glass wing butterflies, Dulcedo polita, National Institute of Biodiversity, Costa Rica

    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…

  • Barrio Amon

    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…

  • Isabella's Heliconian Butterfly (Eueides isabella) at Jardin Spirogyra.

    Spirogyra Jardín de Mariposas

    San José

    Housing more than 30 species of butterfly – including the luminescent blue morpho – in plant-filled enclosures, this small butterfly garden is a great…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Museo de los Niños & Galería Nacional

    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…

  • 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…

  • 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 circumstances, there's the Refugio…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • 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:…

  • 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…

  • 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 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…

  • Cooperación Española Cultura

    San José

    One of the city’s most vibrant cultural institutions, this Spanish-run center offers a full roster of events. There is also an audiovisual center and 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.

  • ICE Building

    San José

    Headquarters for the Costa Rican Electricity Institute.