San Jose, Costa Rica, my home town. Wow. Where can I begin? So many memories. San Jose doesn’t have the best reputation among the tourist crowd. Many of our clients at Package Costa Rica prefer to avoid the big city. Okay Okay so there are problems. Horrendous traffic congestion and a rising crime rate. But what city of over 1,000,000 inhabitants doesn’t have those sorts of issues? I love San Jose and here’s why. First there is the weather. San Jose has an eternally spring-like climate with year around temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius (or in the 70’s Fahrenheit). Yes we have a dry season (or summer) that runs from end of November through first of May and a green season (winter) that runs from mid-May until mid-November. During the winter we experience afternoon showers almost every day. But the mornings are always crisp and clear year around and the afternoon showers in the winter are refreshing. Aside from the impeccable weather, there are the myriad of entertainments options, including bars and discos of all varieties and restaurants featuring every type of cuisine imaginable. Then there is the shopping. San Jose has malls that rival anything you can experience in the U.S. and with the special “Latin flavor” thrown in. Finally there is the culture or heartbeat of the city. San Jose is a great Latin capitol city. I have been to Medellin in Colombia, Panama City in Panama, Managua in Nicaragua and San Jose is truly a special place. There is a fun loving atmosphere that prevails that so far is untainted by the anxiety one feels in other Latin capitols that have had their share of violence and political upheaval. San Jose has so far escaped such events and one feels in most corners of the city. Sure there is the petty crime that is common in any big city, but kidnappings and random violence are not the norm. I hope it says that way. I feel at home here. It is always a great experience to venture out since the Costa Rica that lies outside of the limits of the GAM (Gran Area Metropolitana) is indeed incredible, but nevertheless it is always a good feeling to come home!
- Founded in 1738 (youngest of all Latin capitol cities)
- Located in the province of San Jose in Costa Rica’s Central Valley region
- Population of City: around 350,000
- Population of Metropolitan area (includes San Jose, Cartago, Alajuela and Heredia) is over 1.5 million
- Elevation of City: 1,169 meters (3,809 feet)
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