Landing at Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose keeps everything close, with nearby cities and attractions within easy reach. San Jose is Costa Rica's capital, a working city in the Central Valley that locals simply call Chepe. The airport sits in Alajuela, twenty minutes from downtown, and volcanoes ring the horizon on clear mornings. It is not a resort town, but the museums, markets, and coffee culture reward a day or two before you head for the hills or the coast.

Standout experiences in San Jose: - Tour the gilded Teatro Nacional, the country's most beautiful building - Browse Mercado Central for sodas serving casado plates and strong cafe chorreado - See pre-Columbian gold at the Museo del Oro beneath Plaza de la Cultura - Visit the Jade Museum, the world's largest collection of American jade - Eat and drink your way through Barrio Escalante's restaurant streets - Start the morning with gallo pinto, the rice and beans breakfast of every Tico - Walk the trails and waterfalls at La Paz Waterfall Gardens on the volcano slopes - Catch a Saprissa or Alajuelense soccer match with the locals

San Jose sits in the middle of the country, which makes day trips easy. The crater of Poas Volcano is about ninety minutes north, with coffee tours in Heredia and Alajuela on the way. Cartago and its basilica are forty-five minutes east, with the green Orosi Valley and Irazu Volcano beyond. Sarchi, the village of painted oxcarts, is an hour west. Pura vida is more than a slogan here, and after a few days you will be saying it too.