San JoséCapital
Costa Rica · Country profile
San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, a friendly, unpretentious city of the central highlands that serves as the gateway of the whole country, less a monument to the past than a living nerve centre of the present. The city spreads its grid of the avenues and the calles with the national theatre, the museums and the parks of the historic centre, and its markets, its cafes and its steady rhythm of the daily life give it a real, unglamorous identity. The volcanoes and the cloud forests of the surrounding highlands rise within easy reach, and the coast is a few hours away in either direction. Warm, safe and genuinely likeable, San Jose is the perfect base for the natural wonders of the country.
About San José
San José is the capital of Costa Rica. The city's documented population is around 350,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Costa Rican Colón (CRC) and Spanish is spoken; the dialling code is +506. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Juan Santamaría International Airport.
The National Theatre, the Central Market and the Parks of the Centre
San Jose is a workaday, friendly capital whose real job is to be the gateway to the extraordinary country around it. The centre holds the national theatre, the museums and the great indoor market, but the city itself is less the destination than the starting point of the adventure. The everyday life of the capital, with its buses, its parks and its sodas, the cheap local restaurants, is authentically Costa Rican and pleasantly unpolished. It is a safe, manageable city, warmer in its people than in its sights, and it is the natural hub for the volcanoes, the cloud forests and the beaches of both coasts.
The Spring-Like Weather, the Colones and the Buses of the Region
The city and its highlands are spring-like all year, warm by day and cool by night, with the rain common in the afternoons of the wetter months. The centre is compact and walkable, and the museums, the theatre and the great market are the essential circuit. The buses of the city run the regional routes and the taxis and the ride apps cover the rest. The currency is the Costa Rican colon and the US dollar is accepted in much of the tourist trade. The Spanish is the language and the English is limited outside the tourism. Pack the layers for the altitude and the evenings and the water for the heat of the day.
The Museums, the Night Markets and the Clouds of the Highlands
The national theatre of the city, the beautiful opera house at the centre, is the great landmark, and the museums of the city, from the gold and the jade to the history of the country, hold the treasures of the region. The central market is the great sensory introduction, with its stalls of the fruit, the food and the everyday trade, and the parks and the plazas of the centre hold the slow, friendly life of the capital. The great volcanoes and the cloud forests of the region rise within easy reach, and the night markets and the sodas of the city offer the authentic local table. The city is the transport hub of the country, and the whole natural wonderland of the region opens from the central station of its buses.
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- Country
- Costa Rica
- Population
- 350,000
- Coordinates
- 9.9939, -84.2088
- Capital
- San José
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- Costa Rican Colón (CRC)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Calling code
- +506
- Country code
- CR
Entry requirements for Costa Rica
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Costa Rica for tourism.
Getting to San José
Airports we list for San José:
Frequently asked questions
Is San José the capital of Costa Rica?
Yes — San José is the capital of Costa Rica.
What currency do I need in San José?
The local currency is the Costa Rican Colón (CRC). Languages spoken in Costa Rica include Spanish.
What is the dialling code for Costa Rica?
The international dialling code for Costa Rica is +506.
Which airport should I fly into for San José?
Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) is the airport we list for San José.
Do I need a visa to visit Costa Rica?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Costa Rica visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of San José? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.