San José Feature

Eating out: After traveling around Costa Rica eating mostly rice and beans and chicken, you'll appreciate San José's varied restaurants.

Gold and Jade museums: For a sense of indigenous Costa Rica, frequently forgotten during the nation's march to modernity, the country's two best museums are must-sees.

Historic Barrios Amón and Otoya: These northern neighborhoods abutting and sometimes overlapping downtown have quiet tree-lined streets and century-old houses turned trendy hotels and restaurants.

Location, location, location: From the capital's pivotal position, you can be on a coffee tour, at the base of a giant volcano, or riding river rapids in just 30 minutes.

Shopping: San José is the best place to stock up on both essentials and souvenirs. Look for folkloric crafts, ceramics, textiles, leather-and-wood rocking chairs, and, of course, coffee.