Capital City
Although Costa Rica has luscious countrysides, the capital city, San José, has many markets and historical attractions. We found interesting neighborhoods such as Barrio Amón where contemporary art galleries had a previous life as historic buildings. Barrio Escalante is the epicenter of epicurism. There is an assortment of dietary delights for all palates. We enjoyed the museums of gold, jade, art and natural history. The multidimensional appeal of Costa Rica’s capital was the cultural experience. It is important to mention that San José has a litter problem, and downtown can become aromatically unpleasantly.
tourist season
San José and the Central Valley of Costa Rica have some of the most pleasant weather in the world, with average daily temperatures of 24–28ºC (75–82ºF).
With warm days and cool nights, the mercury remains quite consistent throughout the year. The climate being very accommodating, the slightest shift in temperature beyond the expected range is noticeable. There are two seasons in Costa Rica, dry and rainy. We experienced both seasons, and being in the Costa Rica jungle during both is an experience we recommend for every traveler to immerse.
Dry season is the peak tourist season when prices are higher than rainy season. This is typical of tourist regions, however, the variation is reasonable. Transportation such as car rental costs are higher, as are lodging accommodations and restaurants. Some of our hosts mentioned the “gringo tax” that many tourists experience, and, fortunately, many of our hosts were willing to assist us with reducing the hidden fees by making purchases on our behalf, thereby foregoing the “gringo tax” that often targets tourists. Although our travels are far outside the “tourist” spectrum considering we only and always visit regions on either voluntary or humanitarian missions with an extremely restrictive budget, practically none of the local retailers take that into consideration.
It is difficult to decline an opportunity for temperate sunshine within the ranges found in Costa Rica, however rain season usually means shorter lines and cheaper lodging. San José is also known for several major holidays that can be a treat to attend during dry season. Regardless of the season, the magical combination of high elevation and warm temperatures are a welcome experience while traveling.
Holiday Season
December and January have several holidays across the country which we opted out. With increased commercial activities and synthetic materials, we chose to visit the higher elevations near central Costa Rica where coffee and cacao co-ops offered tours and freshly harvested and roasted coffee and chocolate. Freshly squeezed sugar cane syrup was used as sweeteners and our meals consisted of locally harvested fruits and vegetables, and sustainably harvested fresh water fish from local streams.
January though April
This is a busy time in the Central Valley as travelers arrive in Allejuelah at Juan Santamaría Airport. This is where many travelers begin their Costa Rican journey.
Many visitors are bound for the beaches and mountains with San José being the natural starting point.
The dry season presents opal-blue skies, and rarely not a single raindrop during the first quarter of the year. The dry weather is perfect for traveling and camping.
The streets are busiest during this time, and you can expect higher lodging rates. While spending most of our time in the jungles, we noticed the foliage tends to wilt in March and April, losing its jade luster.