Hostel Casa del Parque

Top choice in San José


A 1936 vintage art deco manse houses this cozy, welcoming spot on the northeastern edge of Parque Nacional. Five large, basic private rooms (two are gigantic, with bathrooms), a newer seven-bed dormitory and an older 10-bed dormitory upstairs have parquet floors and simple furnishings. Enjoy some sun on the plant-festooned outdoor patio and dig into the shared kitchen.

The bilingual owner is a good source of local dining information, but the adjacent Maza restaurant is a good choice if you don't feel like leaving.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San José attractions

1. Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica

0.06 MILES

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…

2. Parque Nacional

0.07 MILES

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…

3. Asamblea Legislativa

0.13 MILES

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…

4. Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo

0.18 MILES

Commonly referred to as MADC, the Contemporary Art & Design Museum is housed in the historical National Liquor Factory building, which dates from 1856. It…

5. Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

0.18 MILES

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…

6. Centro Nacional de la Cultura

0.2 MILES

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.

7. Plaza de la Democracia

0.21 MILES

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…

8. Museo del Jade

0.22 MILES

This museum houses the world’s largest collection of American jade (pronounced ‘ha-day’ in Spanish), with an ample exhibition space of five floors…