San José Favorites

Favorite thing: The weather during our visit to San Jose could not have been better. Costa Rica is a tropical country and the lowlands can be unbearably hot and humid. However, San Jose lies at an elevation of 3,772 feet in the country's Central Valley. Here the temperature remains very comfortable most of the time and locals refer to their climate as one of "eternal spring."

San Jose, and all of Costa Rica, experiences two seasons: wet and dry. The a wet season is generally from May to November and the dry season from December to April. Fortunately we were there during the dry season. Average annual precipitation for the country is 130 inches, although rainfall patterns vary from region to region. Even during the wet season the sun generally shines for a few hours each day.

San Jose Weather

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Favorite thing: One of the most interesting things we saw in Costa Rica were the stone spheres. About 300 of these mysterious polished orbs have been discovered in Costa Rica beginning in the 1930s, however they are believed to have been carved between 200 BC and 1600 AD. Several examples of The stone spheres are on display at the National Museum.

The spheres come in all sizes, from a few centimeters to more than two meters in diameter. The largest weigh as much as 16 tons. Many different theories abound as to whether the stone balls are man-made or a natural phenomenon. It is the mystery or their origin that that I found most intriguing.

The Mysterious Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

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Favorite thing: One of the taller and more modern buildings in San Jose, the National Bank building sits on the site from which the town of San Jose was born. Surrounded by immaculate gardens and trees, there are also sculptures to admire as you pass by. By the western wall of the bank there is a bronze sculpture of Costa Rica farming people.

Address: Avenidas Central-1 - Calles 2-4

Favorite thing: The Costa Ricans do bakeries right. No two are alike and the pastries are always fresh and tasty. Let’s face it, walking around downtown San Jose is hungry work. My favorite bakery is Samuelito along Avenida Central between Calle 1 and 3.

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Favorite thing: Lining up to access an ATM just doesn’t appeal. Fortunately, there is a cluster of six bank machines in a small shopping mall (Pasaje Plazavenida) at the extreme east end of the Avenida Central pedestrian mall at Calle 9. The downside is that there is a $5 charge per transaction. The upside is that there is no waiting, a security guard present, and money available in either colons or US dollars. The mall, and access to the machines, is only open during normal business hours 9am-6pm.

Favorite thing: San Jose is a good place to visit for a couple of days. You can wear out the city easily. If you're into skate and surf gear, there are tonnes of places to go and buy cheap gear. There are tonnes of little souvenir shops with great local arts and crafts. You can always bargain with the merchants. Whether you're out eating or shopping in San Jose, there are many performers and musicians out in the square for some good entertainment.

I wouldn't suggest walking around at night for the ladies, it can get super sketchy. Cabs are very cheap if you end up out late at night.

Fondest memory: The people I met at the hostel.

Fondest memory: Go figure....

This statue of green people is located outside of a very large and popular bank in SJ. There were several security guards surrounding the premises, dressed in green, looking rather similar to these statue people. Can you imagine what happened when I stopped for a second in front of the bank and ruffled through my bag to find my camera? The guards are startled and start to lift up their large guns. They looked kind of like AK-47s but I would't really know. One even preceded to point it at me and wander closer.

Traaaaaanquilo boys! It's merely a camera. I'm not going to go shoot up or bomb down your bank! Needless to say I scurried to take this shot and run far, far away.

Favorite thing: Something that always struck me about Costa Rica was the little, minute difference in things that would never cease to amaze me. Things that you take for granted in normal life – a pea pod like this in the photo for example. To me, pea pods and peas are green. Here in Costa Rica however, there are these red pods with black peas (or beans) inside. I am not quite sure if it is really a pea pod, but it is something out of the ordinary. This is the case with everything. Bananas will be pink, monkeys will be purple (okay, maybe not that extreme), and insects will be 20 times the size you imagine them to be. Magnificent creatures you’ve never encountered will lurk at every corner. Sometimes you feel like you’re in a story book or surrealistic fantasy world.