For art lovers, there is a museum in downtown San Jose that you won’t want to miss. Unique in its history, it used to be the terminal of Costa Rica’s old international airport, at the east end of where Sabana Park is today.The Costa Rican Art Museum (Museo de Arte Costarricense) is housed in a beautiful Neoclassical-style building built in the late 1930s. The pretty building, a work of art in itself, stages a permanent display of national treasures in all media by Costa Rica’s most celebrated artists from a couple of centuries ago. Temporary exhibits fill side galleries, and  [ Read More ]

Looking for a fun, natural activity for one day in San Jose?  We in Hotel Ritzli has  an amazing trip to INBioparque.The National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio Research center) is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to studying and conserving biodiversity in Costa Rica,Inaugurated in 2000, INBioparque offers a unique and interactive experience with nature through its ecological park aimed at bringing families, students and visitors into closer contact with Costa Rica’s natural resources in order to create greater awareness and appreciation of the value of biodiversity. Located conveniently in Heredia, only 20 minutes from downtown San Jose, InBioparque features a  [ Read More ]

Giant puppet horses, giraffes on stilts, reggaeton superstars, Korean musicians and dancers, British rock legends and a host of other artists, musicians, dancers and actors enlivened San Jose. Costa Rica’s capital city transformed this week into a giant stage, playing host to more than 2,000 artists from 28 countries in the 13th annual International Festival of the Arts (known as FIA by its Spanish acronym). Organized by the National Theatre and the Ministry of Culture and Youth, the Festival actually ran from March 1-25, but the main events happened from March 15 to the 25th. The heart of the arts  [ Read More ]

A fun outing in the center of San Jose is to go to the Gold Museum, now called the Central Bank Museum, below the Plaza de la Cultura. It had been years since I had visited the museum, but it remains still one of the highlights of touring Costa Rica’s capitol city. Located conveniently under the Plaza de la Cultura’s east end, just behind the National Theatre and the Grand Hotel, the museum is a cool refuge of culture in a concrete jungle. This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of the museum. In honor, one of Costa Rica’s most noted  [ Read More ]

Walking around downtown San Jose, Costa Rica, is an outing full of bright surprises thanks to an outdoor art exhibit centered on the message of peace. Seventy vividly painted larger-than-life doves perch here and there throughout the downtown area’s main boulevards, plazas and parks in the “Peace Parade.” Made of fiberglass and standing 2 meters tall (over 6 feet), the doves were artistically decorated by local schoolchildren and national artists. Each one bears a different message of peace. Peace is especially poignant to Costa Rica, which eliminated its army in 1949 and is one of the few countries in the  [ Read More ]

Did you ever want to fly through the air like Spider Man? Or demolish the bad guys like Superman or The Hulk? Now’s your chance to meet, or maybe even to BE, one of these fantastical comic book heroes! For the first time in Central America, comics and animation stars and their creators will be honored at the two-day convention, BoomCon, coming January 21 & 22 in San Jose, Costa Rica. There will be music, shows, meet-and-greets, contests, shopping, and events to satisfy every whim of comic book lovers from everywhere. Thousands are expected to attend, and full costumes are  [ Read More ]

San Jose downtown is known for many features, offering different options for its visitors. The museums and National Theatre make up some of the most important attractions in the area. Right in the downtown within walking distance you can find three different museums; one of them is the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum exhibits an amazing collection of objects made in gold by the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of Costa Rica. This collection has a total of 1600 pieces that were worked from 500 AD to 1500 AD. The exhibition presents the functions of the pieces and their respective uses  [ Read More ]

In Costa Rica you can find many national parks and protected areas; being these, the main tourist highlights of each area. The most visited tourist destinations in the country are very close or into a national park area, for example Manuel Antonio with its national park, Monteverde with the cloud forest reserve and Fortuna with the Arenal Volcano National park. As you can see, one of the main reasons for visiting Costa Rica is the contact with nature and biodiversity offered all over the country. Among the list of national parks in Costa Rica; you can find Poas Volcano National  [ Read More ]

¨La Sabana¨ well known signature of San Jose´s downtown. This park is the biggest and most important urban park in the country. Covers an area of 72 Ha and has been the recreational and sports space for many Costa Ricans during decades. Officially name ¨La Sabana Metropolitan Park¨, this place represents the green space of downtown San Jose. It was inaugurated in 1977 by the president at the time, Daniel Oduber, who classified it as a Metropolitan Park, worked on planting some trees and grass, renovating it to be called again ¨the lungs of San Jose¨. The history of this  [ Read More ]

People in Costa Rica love football!! This is not just a phrase; actually it has been a passion of crowds for many years. From the local championships to the international events like the CONCACAF Gold Cup, all are follow by many Costa Ricans, cheering Costa Rica´s team or just enjoying the adrenaline and passion that this sport aroused in thousands. Costa Rica has a long-standing football culture and tradition. The first match with the national team took place in 1921 and from there many matches have been played, having the chance to qualify for three world cups, Italy 1990, 2002  [ Read More ]

San Jose downtown is a city full of contrasts, with the regular hustle of a capital city, it stills keeping a unique essence on its surroundings. The top attractions within the area are mainly based in cultural activities, like museums, theatres and historical architecture. And is actually the historical and cultural richness what brings visitors to the must see in San Jose: ¨The National Theatre¨. This historical jewel was inaugurated in October of 1897, after seven years of construction, it started as a necessity of a theatre for private performances, but then, José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledon, the president at the  [ Read More ]

Following the last topic about San Jose, regarding things to do in the area, the following list gives a detail description on different activities within the Central Valley: • Lankester Gardens: This place has a world class orquids collection of nearly a thousand varieties. You can enjoy all the varieties of orchids, bromeliads, cacti and palms that are grown here. The entrance fee is around $3.00 USD, and is located 14 miles east San Jose downtown. • Inbio: is the National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica, a non-profit organization founded in 1989 dedicated to scientific research and promoting the importance  [ Read More ]

San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, a city with history, that has been changing throughout the years, whether for good or for bad. Leaving aside the reasons why the city is considered unpleasant and unsafe, this place has several points in its favor, and its never late to stand them out. As any capital in the world, it concentrates all the services and principal offices. If it is about food, you will be able to find any kind of restaurant, small ¨sodas¨ serving ¨casados¨, in the central market, fancy and elegant restaurants with a many options of international  [ Read More ]

The National Stadium has been a really important piece in the history of Costa Rica, not only in the sports, but in other areas such as culture, politics and society. Originally founded in 1924, popularly known as La tacita de plata (“the little silver cup”), this place housed some of the highlights of Costa Rican football, as well as other disciplines such as atletics and cycling. Also this stadium received great characters throughout its history, from the entertainment industry, politics and religion. A large number of events were held at this stadium, events that marked in many aspects, the Costa Rica  [ Read More ]