So many people travel to Costa Rica for it’s mountains, volcanos, and beaches. But what about the beautiful city of San Jose? A small metropolis in the middle of a vast country, San Jose is a must visit when in the country. So next time you fly in to Costa Rica spend a couple days in the capital and watch it surprise you.

Before you go, here’s a couple of fun facts on Costa Rica: 

• “Pura Vida” is the national slogan.
• Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world without an Army.
• Nicoya, in Costa Rica is considered as one of the top Blue Zones in the world.
• Volcano Arenal is one of the most active volcanos in the world.
• Actual street addresses do not exist. People use the nearest landmark to describe where they’re going.
• Use Waze instead of Google Maps to get around.

[Related]: What to do in Matagalpa, Nicaragua: here.

With only 48 hours in San Jose, what all is there to do or what should YOU do? Continue reading to find out.

Saturday:

Morning:

• Check into your airbnb or hotel. We personally stayed in an airbnb in the downtown area and it was great. I’ll leave the link to the airbnb here – and if you need an airbnb code click here.

• Take the FREE walking tour. This should be the first thing you should do. There are many landmarks, museums, and churches in San Jose and doing a walking tour just makes what you want to re-visit and see later that much easier. The tour happens every day starting at 9AM and you meet in front of the National Theater. Click here for more information. The tour lasts about 2-3 hours.

Afternoon:

• Get lunch! I heard amazing things about La Esquina de Buenos Aires. Although, it is a bit on the pricier side for Costa Rica, it’s so delicious. Prices are comparable to prices in the U.S. We got the steak and chicken. The steak was really good, but the chicken was the best. The chicken was tender, juicy, and more flavorful than the steak. The complimentary bread that they give out was also the bomb.com and they can keep bringing it out if you keep asking. I also ordered the margaritas and they were yummy.

• Head on over to the Museum of Costa Rican Art. Art installations here are dope and the art work is beautiful. Cool spot for a couple of instagrammable flicks. Not to mention, the entrance fee is free!

Night:

• Costa Rica Beer Factory. The perfect spot for a couple of beer/drinks with food. Start your night with chill and cool vibes.
• Mercado La California. End your night here with dope music, cocktails, and lively atomsphere. Bars and clubs in San Jose don’t close until 4-5 AM, so you’re able to go as late as you want and stay all night long.

Sunday:

Morning:

• Stop by the Central Market for morning snacks, coffee, and even Ice cream. The ice cream that’s located in this market is one of the softest, creamiest, ice creams I’ve ever tasted in my life.

Morning/Afternoon:

• Take a road trip to Volcano Irazu. I’ll be honest we made our way out here but it was down pouring all weekend that by the time we made it up, we couldn’t see a single thing. The volcano is about a two hour drive, which makes for a great day trip choice out of San Jose. Ubers are around $35-45 USD one way, and bus fares are around $1 USD, yeah you read that right. It’s a super affordable trip that anyone can make during their weekend trip. The pictures online of Irazu look amazing and I’m sad that I wasn’t able to see it in person – but next time, for sure.

Night:

• Mirador Tiquicia for the most spectacular view of ALL of San Jose. While I will say the food here was just average, the view completely makes up for it. The drinks here are good and that enough can give you incentive to stay and take in the view. Another great spot for photos.

• End the night at Selvatica. A beautiful bar in the downtown area of San Jose. It’s big, beautiful decor, good music, and has an outdoor space as well for fresh air. We went during a halloween party and had to pay a cover but on regular nights there should be no cover.

On Monday morning, we woke up and got a quick breakfast in the neighborhood we were staying at. I can’t wait to come back to Costa Rica and explore the gorgeous landscape of the country.

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