Hotel 1492

San José


On a quiet Barrio Escalante side street you’ll find this 10-room B&B in a Spanish-style house built in the 1940s by the Volio family. The rooms vary in size, but all are nicely accented, with Portuguese tile work and some original furnishings. Breakfast is served in a charming rear garden.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby San José attractions

1. Parque Francia

0.13 MILES

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…

2. Barrio Escalante

0.2 MILES

Formerly a residential enclave, the streets of this increasingly hip neighborhood are now lined with dozens of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and bars. The…

3. Cooperación Española Cultura

0.29 MILES

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…

4. Estación del Ferrocarril de Costa Rica

0.32 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…

5. Parque Nacional

0.44 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…

6. Asamblea Legislativa

0.48 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…

7. Museo Nacional de Costa Rica

0.49 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…

8. Plaza de la Democracia

0.53 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…