Essential Free Tour San Jose

Costa Rica is a country made for tourism and its capital city, San Jose, is the place where you can taste each of its charms. Joining the Essential Free Tour of San Jose you will understand why this city, located in a valley of high jungle mountain ranges in the center of the country, offers the perfect mix of outdoor and cultural activities. Walking along the historical city center with a local guide, you can see imposing volcanoes in the background, as well as the vegetation cordon that preserves the enormous Costa Rican biodiversity. You will also stroll across beautiful cobbled streets lined with centuries-old churches and colorful colonial mansions while hearing about how this tobacco and coffee producing hub in the Spanish colonial era flourished to become the cultural and educational center of Central America.

Your Free Tour of Essential San Jose will take you around the Central Park, the oldest area in the city. Make sure to have your camera ready, because you will want to take pictures of the largest and most important church in Costa Rica: the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Jose. It was the first temple built by the Spaniards to establish Catholicism, but it suffered huge damage during a terrifying earthquake in 1802. Your tour will also take you for a walk along the first trade route of the city, the bustling Central Avenue. In its 12 blocks with pedestrian access, you will find more than 220 stores and have the opportunity to see local people going about their daily lives. It will be a good moment to learn about San Jose’s optimist motto: pura vida (pure life)!

As one of the most stable and richest capitals in Central America, San Jose has been a mecca for foreign students, scientists and artists. Nowadays, San Jose boasts of a wide range of interesting art museums, but the most unique of them all might be the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum. This place exhibits some 1,500 objects forged in gold up to 1,400 years old. It is the perfect setting to learn about the ancient history of Costa Rica, the colonial era, and how the country achieved Independence from Spain on September 15th, 1821. Finally, the Central Market has a wide gastronomic and handicraft catalog that has been developed since 1880. So, as you can see, amid the exotic nature, stands a colorful and dynamic city. With so much to do and see, this tour will surely be the highlight of your trip!