Spotlight: Costa Rica - San Jose

Spotlight: San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica, and with more than 333,000 inhabitants, its largest city. The metropolitan area includes over 2 million inhabitants. The city was founded in 1738 and named for Joseph of Nazereth. Following Mexico's victory in its War for Independence, Guatemala declared independence for all of Central America on 15 September 1821. Over the next several years, the future of Costa Rica was hotly disputed among Costa Ricans. Two major groups emerged. The Imperialists were in favor of joining the Mexican Empire and were based in the capital city of Cartago. The Republicans, who desired complete independence, rallied together in San Jose. A civil war was fought between these two factions, culminating in the Battle of Ochomogo, which was one by the Republicans. As a result, San Jose was named the new capital of an independent Costa Rica on 16 May 1823. Today, it has become a major tourist destination due to its ecological friendly laws and its reputation as one of the safest destinations in Latin America.

Location: The Plaza de la Cultura is located on Avenida Central in San Jose, between Calle 1 and Calle 5. The Parque Nacional is located between Avenida 1 y Avenida 3 at Calle 15. The Mercado Central is located in the city block between Avenida Central and Avenida 1 with Calle 8 and Calle 6.

Cost: The Museo del Oro costs $11/adult, $8/student; a guided tour of the Teatro Nacional runs about $1; The Parque Nacional - free; The Mercado Central - free

Time: You can spend several days exploring the many interesting venues located within the city of San Jose. The Museo del Oro Precolombino is open from 9:15 am - 5 pm. The Teatro Nacional is open from 9am-5pm daily. The Mercado Central is open from dawn to sunset daily - closed on Sundays.

Description: The Plaza de la Cultura is located near the heart of San Jose. Underneath the plaza are a couple of museums including the famed Museo de Oro. The museum has an impressive collection of over 1,600 gold pieces from the Pre-Columbian period and dating back to 500 AD. The collection includes animal figurines, jewelry, amulets and El Guerrero - a life-sized warrior decked out with gold ornaments. The museum also includes a number of non-gold items, such as jugs, pots and corn grinding stones. The Numismatics Museum contains examples of Costa Rican currency over the years including the first coin ever minted in Costa Rica - a Media Escudo dating from 1825.

gold jaguar

El Guerrero

Pre-Columbian gold-smiths

Corn metates

     Above ground, visitors can visit the famous Teatro Nacional. The inspiration for a National Theater came after a North American performer rebuffed Presidente Rodriguez Zeledon's invitation to come perform in Costa Rica saying that the country didn't have a proper venue for her to perform in. Construction started in 1891 and was first opened to the public in 1897. According to local legend, once the theater was completed the performer offered to perform there but was rebuffed by the president who claimed she wasn't famous enough to perform in Costa Rica's elegant Teatro Nacional. The Theater is home to the National Symphonic Orchestra and features other performing arts with multiple performances every week.

Plaza de la Cultura

Teatro Nacional

Foyer of the Teatro Nacional

     The Parque Nacional isn't a national park in the popular sense of the word. Instead, it is a park honoring important historical figures from Costa Rica and Latin America. The Monumento Nacional represents Central America's triumph over North American William Walker and his foreign troops who attempted to take control of Central America from 1855-1857. Five of the figures represent the 5 Central American countries to fought the invaders, the sixth figure is William Walker, representing the invaders. The final figure is a dead soldier honoring those who died in the conflict. Other monuments honor other historical figures including Miguel Hidalgo of Mexico, Jose Marti of Cuba and Andres Bello of Venezuela among others.

Monumento Nacional

     The Mercado Central is an enclosed market place with over 200 stalls that sell everything from food to clothing to handicrafts. Although geared toward locals, it does have a wide selection of souvenirs. You can find almost anything among the vast maze of aisles and stalls that fill an entire city block.

Rating: Plaza de la Cultura - 4 1/2 stars; Parque Nacional - 3 1/2 stars; Mercado Central - 3 1/2 stars

Things You Should Know: - The Museo del Oro is part of the Museos del Banco Central, which includes the Numismatics Museum, which features all the currency used over Costa Rica's history from the colonial period to the present.

The first coin minted in Costa Rica

- You can walk into the foyer of the Teatro Nacional, but you'll have to go on a tour to see the rest of the theater.
- Costa Rica has the lowest violent crime rate in Latin America, but foreigners are often the target of non-violent crime such as pick-pockets, especially in crowded places such as the Mercado Central.

Nearby: Other attractions include: The National Museum of Costa Rica, the Museo de los Ninos, the Parque Zoologico Simon Bolivar, the Parque Metropolitano La Sabana