Costa Rica Central Valley Region

San Jose: The Capital of Costa Rica

The Central Valley region of Costa Rica covers more than a fifth of the country as whole (stretching over eleven thousand, three hundred and sixty six kilometers) and houses almost three quarters of the country's entire population, playing host not only to the provinces of Alajuela, Cartago, Heredia and San Jose, but the latter's capital city, also called San Jose, which is the capital of the whole nation. The Central Valley is generally considered to extend from the Alajuela city of San Ramon in the west to the Cartago city of Paraiso in the east.

San Jose was chosen to be the capital city of Costa Rica in 1824 (taking over from Cartago) with its first university, the University of Costa Rica, being officially opened just less than twenty years later in 1843, and still thriving today. Due to its original status as a predominantly Spanish colonial town, the architecture of much of San Jose is likewise Spanish colonial in style, itself immediately making San Jose look noticeably different from the capital cities of other provinces within Costa Rica. Over three hundred and nine thousand people live in the immediate downtown area of the city of San Jose, with the overall population of the entire metropolitan being closer to just over a million. There are eleven individual districts within San Jose, from Catedral, El Carmen, Hatillo, Hospital, La Uruca and Mata Redonda, to Meire, Pavas, San Franscisco de Dos Rios, San Sebastian and Zapote. The city's original primary industry was tobacco raising, but in the mid 1800s the coffee boom came to San Jose, forever changing the area into that of a middle class city.

The Central Valley and San Jose within it are classed as being in the Torrid Zone, meaning that the area falls under the category of tropical rain forest. However, the climate in the Central Valley is roughly similar to that of elsewhere in Costa Rica, albeit perhaps slightly cooler due to its somewhat higher elevation. The temperature varies between fifteen and thirty degrees centigrade during different times of the year, with the western side of the Valley affected by trade winds during the summer month. Humidity generally ranges between sixty and ninety percent. The rainy seasons lasts for several months, usually beginning toward the end of March (or April at the latest) and extending through to around November. That being said, it is fairly common for rain to fall out of season as well. San Jose is accessible to visitors by the Juan Santamaria International Airport, which is located twenty three kilometers west of downtown San Jose in the city of Alajuela.

There are numerous activities for visitors to enjoy within the capital city of Costa Rica. Perhaps one of the infamous attractions for many tourists is the fact that prostitution is actually legal in the country. Families or those looking for somewhat less illicit pleasures still have plenty to enjoy, however, from El Puerbo (an enormous district comprising numerous restaurants, art galleries and much more besides) or the Calle de la Armargua, a street which is filled with bars, restaurants, discos and nightclubs, with many serving drinks for exceptionally reasonable prices due to its handy location close to the University of Costa Rica, for whose students it serves as the primary caterer.

The downtown area of San Jose is littered with tourist attractions, from a wide variety of cafes in the Central Edificio Correos building to the impressive museums such as the National Theater (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica), The Melico Salazar Theatre, the Gold Museum, the National Coin Museum, the relatively new Lankester Botanical Gardens, which is situated just on the outskirts of the city, the Banco Credito Agricolo de Cartego, the Cemantario de San Jose (San Jose Municipal Cemetery), the Tobias Bolanos Airport, which is located on the Pavas suburb, and the Quiosco del Parque Central (San Jose's own Central Park).

The National Theater and the Melico Salazar Theatre both fill their yearly calendars with numerous cultural activities such as acting and dance groups and many orchestral music presentations. The National Theater, which was first opened to the public in the late 19th century, is widely regarded as San Jose's finest historical building and stages performances several times a week. During the Theatre's regular season, numerous musicians, from both within Costa Rica and from overseas, take part in National Symphonic Orchestra sessions.

The Gold Museum offers visitors the chance to take a look at gold artifacts from various ancient South American cultures. All in all, there are over one thousand and six hundred gold artifacts from the Pre-Columbian age, dating back as far as the year 500 AD, including the very first coin ever forged in Costa Rica itself, the Media Escudo from 1825, various amulets, earrings and erotic statues and El Guerro, a full size statue of a warrior made of gold, laden with other gold ornaments and protected in a glass case.

The National Coin Museum is located, as with the Gold Museum, on the ground level of the Plaza de la Cultura, and features displays of coins, banknotes and unofficial tender such as coffee tokens dating back as far as 1516.

The Lankester Botanical Gardens are situated just outside of San Jose and run across eleven hectares (just over twenty seven acres) of land, playing host to more than three thousand separate species of plant life, primarily epiphytes, orchids and bromeliads. The Gardens' mission statement is to "promote conservation, enjoyment and sustainable use of the epiphytic flora through scientific research, horticulture and environmental education".

There are various other museums in San Jose as well, including the Museo de Cultura Popular (Museum of Popular Culture), the Museum de los Ninos (the Children's Museum), the Museum Criminologico (The Criminology Museum), the Museo de Ciencas Naturalles La Salle (the National History Museum) and the Museo del Colegio Superior de Senoritas (Women's Education and History Museum). These are in addition to yet more attractions include the gigantic Parque de Divisiones de Costa Rica complex, inside of which is the Pueblo Antiguo, which is a theme park (ideal for vacationing families) that celebrates 19th century San Jose and is filled with individual museums celebrating the city's unique history, and the Simon Bolivar Zoo, which plays host to a variety of species unique to Costa Rica, including iguanas and the white faced monkey.

Other tourist attractions within San Jose include various other landmarks such as the La Sabana Metropolitan Park, the Cathedral, the Plaza de la Cultura (as mentioned above), the Banco Central de Costa Rica Building (which is the largest building in the city and dominates the skyline of San Jose), the major commercial area and pedestrian thoroughfare known as Avenida Central and the four star hotel called The Hotel Presidente, which contains around a hundred rooms and is perfectly situated within meters of some of San Jose's other most important cultural and historical landmarks.

The Central Valley remains the place favored by most Costa Ricans as an ideal place in which to work and live, both because of the capital city and because of the general fertility of land in the area, and the favorable weather that makes it ideal for farming and agriculture. For both natives and tourists, the Central Valley is the place to be. San Jose is the perfect home base for your Costa Rica explorations.