San Jose Costa Rica is located almost in the very center of this Central American country. It is set in a fertile valley in the Central America portion of the Andean Sierra Madre Mountain Range. This city is the capital of Costa Rica, and also one of the most densely populated cities in it as well.

Fruit stands, outdoor cafes, and stall vendors, and shoppers all crowd the sidewalks of San Jose Costa Rica. Beyond this, museums, lovely old churches and well manicured parks make San Jose a heavenly place to explore on foot. The Spirogyra Butterfly Garden is a good place to start. This peaceful haven is a place where butterflies are studied and preserved, inspiring and educating visitors who come to see these brilliant hues of these winged insects in motion. Dine in its colorful and airy Colibri Café Glaeria, surrounded by original paintings and vibrantly colored mounted butterfly species.

In San Jose the Streets or Calles, as they are called in Spanish, run from north to south, while the Avenidas, or Avenues are from east to west. Any Avenida north of the central avenue are going to be an odd number, while the Avenidas south of the central Avenida are even, beginning with the number 2. Downtown San Jose is where most of the plazas, parks and museums can be found. Barrio Amon and Ottoya are two picturesque neighborhoods whose historic edifices are filled with renovated Costa Rica hotels and restaurants. The Central Avenida is a pedestrian only street, with fountains and cobblestones for your viewing pleasure.

Costa Rica Map

It's not hard to stay in touch while you're in San Jose Costa Rica. Drop into one of the Internet cafes that are springing up everywhere. Take a break from the sun, order a cool frescos and enjoy an hour of Internet access from rates which will run you only $1-3 dollars per hour. If you're out at the Las Arcadas Shopping Center, visit its Cybercafe Las Arcadas. If you have a laptop you might find the Rasca, the official run cybercafes. Buy one of the prepaid usage cards, which can be purchased in 5, 10 and $15 dollar increments. You will connect to the net through a local phone call, so you can buy a phone card and plug in anytime you feel like and use this at its other locations across the country.

The Juan Santamaria International Airport is within easy reach of San Jose Costa Rica; buses being only 60 cents or a $15-20 dollar cab ride to make the 20 minutes journey to the capital of Costa Rica. The bus stops is directly outside of the airports main terminal, although if you have a lot of luggage a taxi might be a better option.

On the way to the city from the San Jose Coast Rica Airport you will pass plantations, which grow some of the finest coffees in the world. The perpetual sunny, spring-like climate is the perfect weather in which to grow coffee. San Jose, Costa Rica is the source of the pulse of this, Central America's most cosmopolitan capitol. As you enter the city, you will feel its faster pace, a far cry from the relaxed vistas of the verdant farmland you passed on your way from the San Jose Costa Rica Airport.