San Jose, Costa Rica: Travel Guide For First-Time Visitors

I spent ten days in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. It was a much-needed work break from the intense 10-day itinerary in Guatemala I had just done prior to this. 

Honestly, when Europeans hear about the magical land of Costa Rica, a lush tropical scenery is painted in our minds. We imagine toucans delivering your coffee mugs in the morning, the sounds of exotic birds replacing your morning alarm, and cool photo opportunities at every step. 

But we know nothing of this because there’s nothing tropical about Europe except for the few dying palm trees in Malta, which is basically an island the Englishmen try at all costs to keep inhabited. But back to Latin America, where magical unicorn tears drop from the sky. 

I visited Costa Rica in March

These tropical countries have very different climates and seasons than we have here in Europe or in the United States. It basically goes either dry climate or rainy season. 

But for us who are blissfully unaware of the tropical climates, it’s mostly hot and humid and gets extra humid during the rainy season. 

One thing that doesn’t get mentioned nearly as much as it should be is that all these tropical lands are basically located around the equator, which means that they are closer to the Sun than we are. 

So the sun index is at its max, basically every day, and it burns your skin. 

You can’t simply go out at noon and take a stroll in San Jose because your white skin will likely get a sunburn as soon as you step outside. 

All that sunscreen you have on will only make you feel only and uncomfortable. 

So now that I have set the scene for Costa Rica, I will tell you about what it’s like to visit San Jose, the boring capital of Costa Rica. 

As I said, I visited Costa Rica in March, and it just as hot as you’d expected it to be. No wonder there was barely anyone walking on the streets at noon when the Sun was burning the asphalt. But we’re stupid Europeans, we like to walk and explore new cities. So that’s what we did. 

My boyfriend and I are proud digital nomads. 

Now, I know this title gets a bad rap these days, but that’s mostly of some nasty people who misbehave and ignore local customs and norms. We’re not like that. I promise. I mean, we only travel for a few months at a time before heading back home to retreat and relax. 

But I specifically booked an apartment in San Jose, to stay for 10 days, and do some work. Just chill and relax. I thought it was a great idea before heading to South America. I also didn’t want to fly for too many hours, and it seemed like Costa Rica was the perfect pit stop before going to Peru. 

Where I stayed in San Jose, Costa Rica

I found a nice new apartment in the tallest building in San Jose, Urbn.

It’s basically what any digital nomad would look for in a building: coworking space, gym, swimming pool, good WiFi, cool and modern design, and close to the centre and restaurants. 

My apartment was on the 24th floor and had a gorgeous city view. 

There are always multiple apartments for rent in this building, and they all benefit from the common amenities, such as a swimming pool, gym, coworking area, yoga studio, etc. Here are some examples of apartments in this building:

• Apartment for two on 9th floor
• Apartment for two on the 9th floor.
• Apartment for 1 on the 25th floor.

However, the windows don’t have the proper sound isolation you’d expect, and it would get very noisy with the constant traffic and honking.

There’s a specific train that honks every time it passes just to make sure nobody is getting on its tracks. It’s really annoying. If you’re a light sleeper, you’re going to get pissed. 

However, after a few days of exploring San Jose, I realized that this building was by far one of the most modern ones around and the best option for anyone looking to work remotely from San Jose. 

I also realized that there are plenty of digital nomads around, many of whom are from the United States (since there are direct flights). And all services around, from restaurants to some fancy supermarkets, cater to these digital nomads and expats. 

I quickly realized that while Costa Rica is located in Central America, in between what we call poor countries, Costa Rica is definitely not a cheap travel destination. 

Is Costa Rica expensive?

Costa Rica is one of the most expensive tourist destinations worldwide. It’s a huge travel destination for Americans, and all prices, from hotels to tours, reflect that. 

Costa Rica is always promoting itself as a unique and exotic travel destination. It never misses any travel conference or exhibition (I know because I’ve seen them at those industry-specific conferences), and brags so much about how they have the most beautiful nature that you’ll not be able to experience anywhere else. 

But the truth is that except for nature, there’s nothing else to do in Costa Rica. 

And since this isn’t an isolated island in the middle of nowhere, you’ll be shocked to discover that all its neighbours offer similar experiences and places at a fraction of the price.

But they won’t tell you that because Costa Rica has created this image of the ultimate tropical paradise that you must add to your travel bucket list. 

Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with Costa Rica.

It is really expensive and by no means a budget travel destination. Don’t believe everything you see online; those are paid travel influencers who show you only a few corners of Costa Rica. 

But what they don’t show you or tell you is that to get to every one of those places you see in their pictures, all raw and tropical, you need to pay a lot of dollars for transport, entry tickets, and tours.

I am not making this up; most of this info can be found online on the official websites of the national parks and agencies offering those tours. 

The bottom line is that nothing is free in Costa Rica. But if you just want to live there and stay away from touristy places, you can stay on a budget. But there will be nothing tropical or exotic about it. 

Airport taxi in San Jose

I, like many other travelers, believe when a tourism board brags about its unique experiences. 

But then, as I landed in San Jose, I figured I would get an Uber. 

Since there are so many people arriving in Costa Rica (the marketing campaigns are working like a well-oiled machine), I didn’t realize where or how to get an Uber. 

In many countries, Uber is not officially accepted, and there’s an ongoing fight between regular taxi companies and Uber. 

Anyway, I was ignorant enough to believe that since I am in a country in Central America, after travelling through Guatemala, I would be okay with getting a taxi in San Jose. 

My story with the famous orange taxi at the airport in San Jose, Costa Rica

A lady from the official Taxi company (orange taxis are the only ones allowed at the airport) said that she was offering the same price as any other taxi.

She didn’t really mention that they are the only ones there that have a monopoly over taxis and that they are expensive. 

But I didn’t ask either, I thought that it will be somewhere close to what an Uber would cost. But that’s just not true. Long story short, we got into a van for 6 people, although we were only 2, and the lady driver assured us the price was the same (again, no mention of the price). There was a meter going in the taxi, and it was spinning numbers like crazy. 

I think that it works to their advantage when you just arrive in a new country and you are not sure of the conversion rate. She also had a kind of evil smile on her face. As you can see, there were many red flags, but I chose to ignore them. It was also 10 PM (or maybe later), and we were tired. 

We got to our apartment in about 25 minutes, and the taxi ride was $33 (US dollars), which I thought to be crazy expensive for Costa Rica or for any country in Latin America, but back then, I didn’t know Costa Rica is like an extension of the US, used only for holidays. 

But other than the price, the taxi driver was fast and convenient, and the meter was working (although much too fast, in my opinion). I was also able to pay by card. 

How to get an Uber in San Jose, Costa Rica?

Since Uber is not theoretically allowed at the airport (because of the infamous orange taxis that want to rip you off), you have to know to avoid those annoying taxi drivers and get out of the airport past them. 

Then, use the Uber app to request a taxi and then go to the meeting point, which is outside the airport. 

I only used Uber to arrive at the airport, and the driver dropped me off just in front of the main entrance for departures. I would recommend going there and requesting an Uber and being ready to jump in the car because cars can’t really park there. 

Otherwise, you can go to the second-floor parking and wait there (that’s what some Reddit users recommend). 

As a reference price for Taxis in San Jose, I used the official airport Orange taxi when I arrived, which cost me $33 (paid by card), at night, from the airport to Bario Escalante, which is a 25-minute trip.

The same trip, during the day, using Uber to get to the airport, cost me about 9,000 CRC, which is about $17. The Uber driver was also much nicer. These prices are from March 2024. 

Centre of San Jose

Don’t expect much in San Jose. The internet says it’s a boring capital, and it’s mostly right. There are a few places to hand out, some shopping areas, a nice theatre with European architecture, and a nice cafe, but that’s mostly it.

There are two museums that everyone recommends (the National Museum and Jade Museum), which are overpriced. 

I actually liked the Chinese neighbourhood, but that’s obviously another culture, and that’s not why you are here in Costa Rica.      

Must-see spots in San Jose, Costa Rica 

San Jose offers a few spots in the central area that might be interesting to you, and I noticed that many tour agencies’ buses stop around this area, too.

If you are short on time, I don’t think you should make any effort to accommodate a trip to any of these spots, but if you want to see something in San Jose, this is what I recommend. 

1. National Theater of Costa Rica
2. National Museum of Costa Rica
3. Museo del Jade 
4. San José Central Market
5. Barrio Chino

Restaurants and grocery shopping in San Jose

Most big American fast-food chains and franchises are represented in San Jose, so you will feel just like in the U.S. I’m talking about McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC and others. There are some local fast food chains as well, mainly focused on deep-fried chicken. 

Then, there is a Chinese neighbourhood where you will find restaurants, supermarkets, and stores. They are worth it, much better than what you find in the centre of San Jose, and the Chinese neighbourhood is within walking distance. 

Supermarkets are generally well-stocked, but beware of the expensive supermarkets.

Choose the local ones to find local produce and items. The local supermarkets are called Super, and the interior is less fancy, but you find everything you need, and you can pay with an international bank card. 

There are some supermarkets that cater specifically to expats (Auto Mercado), which offer most of their items at a premium price because they are mostly imported from the U.S. 

These are not cheap, are more neatly organized, and are located near the East side of San Jose because that’s where the expats are. 

Unless you want something from the US, I would recommend that you stay away from these, because they’re crazy expensive and you can find everything you need at the local ones. 

Also, since you are in Costa Rica, try to cook some of your meals and eat a lot of fruits and veggies, which can be found everywhere, come in great varieties, and are great prices. 

Restaurants are on the more expensive side, although there are some local ones that are more affordable. However, they don’t have the shine and spark of those terraces built specifically for foreigners. 

Near our apartment building was a street full of fancy restaurants, but the prices were as if we were in the U.S., So I skipped the overpriced beer.