The Central Valley stretches through the heart of Costa Rica, anchored by the capital, San José, and surrounded by rolling countryside, coffee plantations, cloud forest, and pockets of rainforest. As the country’s cultural hub and home to most Ticos (locals), San José often marks the start or end of a journey, with Juan Santamaría International Airport just 20 minutes outside the city.
The city features mainly modern architecture and a handful of colonial-era mansions, particularly in the Barrio Amón district, restored as art galleries, restaurants, and boutique hotels. Visitors can enjoy cuisine from around the world, as well as tasty street side Costa Rican diners known as ‘sodas’.
Encircled by the Escazú Mountains and a chain of volcanoes, you can enjoy a city buzz while taking day trips to explore the central valley’s hiking trails, white water rafting, Irazu’s volcanic craters, and the coffee farms around the fertile soils of Poás Volcano.
