During my most recent trip to Costa Rica, I was lucky enough to arrive two days before Expotur, Costa Rica’s annual tourism convention. As a result, I had time to wander the streets of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica and also the nation’s cultural and historic heart. I found lots of beautiful architecture, from stately private residences to glorious cultural palaces and elegant decorative elements in city squares and parks. Costa Rica’s natural beauty may be impressive, and its ecotourism options alluring, but travelers should make some time to explore the unique architectural and cultural treats in San Jose before heading out on that nature-based Costa Rica vacation.
The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rica Tourism Institute) has a good guide to some of its more historic architectural treasures online.
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Among the architectural highlights in San Jose:
Barrio Amón: Urban growth and increased wealth in the late 19th century led to the creation of new neighborhoods in the capital city of San Jose. Among the best known are Barrio Amon, which dates to 1892, Barrio Aranjuez, founded in 1894 and Barrio Otoya, which saw its first residents in 1906. These newly bourgeois neighborhoods encouraged the government to plan new public works as well. Barrio Amón is a great place to wander the streets and admire elegant residential architecture as well as lovely parks.
Parque de España (Spain Park): This public area first opened in 1862 as a plaza for activities related to the nearby former liquor factory. In 1920, it was given the name Parque de España, and in the 1940s, architectural decorations, park benches and plants were added. It was most recently remodeled in 1994. It’s home to several monuments and statues.
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Parque de Morazán (Morazán Park): Once a lagoon that was a source of mud for adobe homes, this area was drained in 1878 and became a park in 1887, named after General Francisco Morazán and opened officially in 1890. The most recent refurbishment took place in 1991. Sculptures here commemorate a variety of personalities, including a famous teacher, a Chilean general and statesman and Simón Bolivar, the South American liberator. The most eye-catching element is the Music Temple, a structure built in 1920s and inspired by the Temple of Love in Versailles.
Embajada de México (Mexican Embassy): In 1928, the government of Costa Rica donated the land to Mexico, whose government built this impressive concrete structure that same year.
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Castillo Azul (The Blue Castle): This neoclassic former residence, built in 1908 by lawyer and politician Máximo Fernández, was used as the home of Costa Rica’s president from 1914 to 1923. Today, it serves as home of the legislative assembly.
Teatro Variedades (Variety Theater): Today it’s in need of some TLC, but when it opened in 1891, this theater was a big deal, hosting the the first cinema projections in the country back in 1904, as well as the debut of national tenor Manuel Melico Salazar in the opera Bohemios. It became a full-time cinema in 1920, and in 1930 debuted “El Retorno,” the first movie made in Costa Rica.
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Teatro Nacional (National Theater of Costa Rica): Built between 1890 and 1897, this magnificent venue is made of brick and stone, with granite and marble surfacing, the result of money from late 19th-century coffee plantation wealth. The exterior showcases allegories of Dance, Music and Fame, and the interior has sculptures by Italian artists and paintings.
Also of interest are the many homes, some of which are still private residences while others are now offices, hotels, and galleries. Nearly all of these structures, especially in Barrio Amón, have been lovingly restored and maintained (except for one particularly interesting home that sits alongside Parque Bolivar; a friend of mine, as well as a taxi driver I spoke with, call it the “casa de la muerte,” or “house of death,” because supposedly seven people died there several decades ago during what was either a group suicide or combination suicide-murder. The story is unclear, but the run-down home looks like it’s straight out of a horror movie — whether the legend is true or not, it’s just one more interesting aspect of Costa Rica’s fascinating capital city).
WHERE I STAYED: While exploring downtown San Jose I stayed at Rincon de San Jose, a budget-priced Costa Rica hotel that offers a central location in the Barrio Amón district (read my review of the Rincon de San Jose hotel here).