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Aerial view of the many red tiled roofs in the capital city of Costa Rica, San Jose
San Jose
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San Jose Vacation Packages and Tours

Overview

Take a trip to San Jose on your Costa Rica vacation.

Located in Costa Rica’s Central Valley, San José is the country’s largest city and serves both as Costa Rica’s capital and as the head of the San José province while on a Costa Rica vacation.

Named in honour of St. Joseph of Nazareth, the city was originally founded in 1737 as the result of an edict from the Catholic Church to allow the many scattered inhabitants of the region a place to concentrate and worship. A small village initially, the area’s fertile soil made for excellent farming conditions and with the introduction of coffee to the Central Valley in the 19th century, San José became quite prosperous. When Spain abandoned its colonial interests in Central America, both San José and Cartago prepared to battle for control with San José being the victor in 1823. 

Despite being an agriculturally based city for much of the 20th century, San José has grown into a modern city that is the centre of political and economic activity in Costa Rica. It is also a cultural hub hosting some of the finest museums in Central America including the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum and the Costa Rican Art Museum which features an open-air sculpture garden. San José’s markets are colourful and vibrant and the city offers a sophisticated nightlife when on Costa Rica tours. Its central location means that the city is an excellent base from which to explore the rest of this fascinating country.

At a Glance
LanguagesSpanish
CurrencyCosta Rican Colón (CRC)
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