San Jose, Costa Rica - A City Worth Exploring
Last month, my husband and I took a two-week journey to Costa Rica. It was really an adventure. Though we now call the West Coast home, we planned this trip with long-time good friends from the Midwest.
View from our hotel
We arrived in San José a day before our friends, which gave us a chance to explore the city. Before our trip, I had asked several well-traveled friends whether San José was worth exploring, and opinions varied. Some said there wasn’t much to see, while others warned about safety concerns.
We have always lived in big cities in the U.S., we are well aware that in any big city you have to be really careful as well. Now to be fair, my Spanish is pretty good and so I felt comfortable venturing into the heart of the San Jose.
The Gold Museum – A Hidden Treasure
Our hotel arranged a cab to take us to the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, which is housed in an upside-down, three-story building beneath the plaza. The design, we were told, ensured that the plaza’s view remained unobstructed.
We started at the lowest level, where we found some beautiful works—intricately carved gold artifacts, pottery, and stone carvings that offered a glimpse into the craftsmanship of pre-Columbian cultures. It’s hard to imagine that the artisans working with rudimentary instruments created such detailed works. Moving up, we explored exhibits on Costa Rica’s monetary history and a temporary collection of gold coins and numismatics. This museum, one of the largest collections of gold artifacts in Latin America, is an absolute must-visit for anyone interested in history and culture.
Beautiful hand crafted gold body ornaments
Lunch at Restaurante Nuestra Tierra – A Lively Culinary Delight
A festive fun restaurant with a great menu and fabulous drinks
After a morning of gold and history, we lunched at Restaurante Nuestra Tierra, located across from the Jade Museum and National Museum. It is a friendly place with a large menu. The drinks not only included the standard fare but also a wide range of smoothies and fruit drinks. We were lucky enough to be there on a Saturday when there were two musicians playing a mix of Caribbean and Latin tunes. Many diners got up and danced. The food was so good that when our friends arrived later that evening, we decided to return instead of searching for a new spot.
Wonderful lunch!
The Jade Museum - More Than Jade
Handcrafted jade
Choosing between the National Museum and the Jade Museum, we opted for the latter just to do something different. (We hope to visit the National Museum when we visit Costa Rica again.)
At this museum, we had to show our passports to purchase tickets. I’m not sure if it was because my husband asked for the “senior discount”.
The Family
We found the exhibits to be fascinating, and the building itself was impressive. While it was the jade we came to see, we were surprised to find indigenous Meso American artifacts, carving tools, ceramics, and even an exhibit on Costa Rican wildlife. The five-floor museum provided a deep dive into the lives of pre-Columbian peoples, covering their social structures, religious beliefs, and burial customs. One of the highlights was a floor dedicated to an extensive ceramic collection, beautifully displayed in glass cases.
Early inhabitants
On the main floor was a special exhibit of beautiful modern sculptures sculpted from black, green and other types of jade.
Feeling of Abyss
Exploring Mercado Central – A Local Gem
Whenever we travel, we make a point to visit a local market so we decided to walk over to Mercado Central. It is a busy place, bustling with vendors selling fresh produce, meats, fish, household items, souvenirs and eateries.
The market had a mix of touristy stalls and authentic local eateries known as "sodas” which all seemed busy. We were told that the country’s first ice-cream vendor had a stall here. Sadly, we were too full from lunch and a coffee and sweet we had along our walk to the market to enjoy any or the food or ice-cream here. There is security at each entrance but you have to watch your belongings since it is very crowded. While the market is not pristine, it was clean enough and well organized.
Going Back to the Hotel
We were going to walk back to our hotel but as we started to walk back the neighborhood started to change and when we asked a local vendor about walking back, she responded that the hotel was further than we thought and that it was safer to take a taxi or Uber. We found that the street we were on was very busy and we could not easily find an unoccupied tax or Uber so we had to walk over to the next street where it was much easier to find a ride. If you take a taxi or Uber or just crossing a street, be very careful not to step into the rain gutter. The gutter is deep and more like a step-down trough so inadvertently falling into one could bring a very unhappy end to your trip.
Final Thoughts
San José turned out to be far more than just a stopover—it was an enriching start to our Costa Rican adventure. From hidden museums filled with gold and jade to a lively food scene and a bustling market, the city had much to offer. If you find yourself in San José, take the time to explore. You might just be surprised by what you discover.
Elaborate Mask - Be sure to visit the museums in San Jose’
