City guide

San José, Costa Rica

San José is a bustling high-altitude capital nestled in the fertile Central Valley, serving as the cultural heart of Costa Rica. Elegant neoclassical bui...

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Personal stories

Journal moments from San José

First wander in San José

First wander in San José

My first steps downtown were a blur of honking buses, quick Spanish, and the smell of fresh coffee drifting from open doorways. Somewhere between the National Theater and the cent...

Rain over La Sabana

Rain over La Sabana

Market lanes and mango slices

Market lanes and mango slices

Inside the central market, the air was thick with steam, spices, and overlapping voices bargaining over everything from spices to soccer jerseys. A vendor handed me mango slices d...