The Best Things To Do In San Jose, Costa Rica

Stay In The Right Neighbourhood For You

When researching where to stay in San José, most hostel, hotel and Airbnb options will be in quite distinct areas to the west and east of downtown.

From several of the best and most popular hostels in San José, you’re going to be a 15-25-minute walk from the city centre, meaning a taxi or Uber may be essential at night.

Hospital District | West of downtown, about a 20-minute walk to the centre. Stray Cat Hostel is the pick of the bunch, whilst Capital Hostel de Ciudad is an excellent hostel but the location is quite a bit further out.

Our hotel pick for this area is the charming Hotel Grano de Oro.

Central / Downtown | Viajero Hostel San José (previously a Selina hostel) is a popular hostel in the city, and it’s got a really good location in the historic Barrio Otoya with several cafes and bars nearby, as well as MADC. The closest to downtown, you’re a 10-minute walk to the centre or to Barrio Escalante. 

For those that would prefer a hotel, Gran Hotel Costa Rica is a wonderful and luxurious property, whereas Sleep Inn Hotel Paseo Las Damas is highly-rated but more affordably priced.

East | The hip area of Barrio Escalante has an increasing number of excellent hostels and Airbnbs, and is the best spot if you’re looking for a base with good food, drink + digital nomad spots on your doorstep.

We’ve covered our picks for Barrio Escalante above, but if you’re looking for a quick hostel recommendation, check out Chillout Hostel Barrio Escalante.

With regards to hotels, you won’t actually find a huge number in this part of the city; awā San José is the best option.

The hostel we stayed at twice has unfortunately shut down but a new hostel has recently in its place – Haven Hostel, and so far it has good reviews. It’s located a little further south-east and seems like a decent choice albeit a bit of a walk from the action (about 30-minutes to the centre, 15-minutes to Barrio Escalante)

Get Up Earlier Than Usual

We explain this more in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Costa Rica, but the biggest realisation on our second trip was just how early Ticos (Costa Ricans) start their day. It’s not unusual in San José hostels for the place to come to life at 6am, and the same goes for bus connections, market openings, and some activities / tours.  Nightlife timings are adjusted accordingly!

This is largely because the sunrise + sunset times are so consistent throughout the year (approx 5.30am + 5.30pm). You don’t need to get up that early after a long flight, but if you next connection to the coast is by bus, it isn’t a bad idea to adjust your body clock sooner rather than later.

You Can Drink The Tap Water

The good news is that the tap water in San José is safe to drink, so you don’t need to rely on single-use plastic and bottled water.

However, we recommend investing in a travel filter water bottle if you’re backpacking in Central America or travel a lot in the region. We swear by our 75cl Water-to-Go Bottles, and have used them for the last five years when travelling in Latin America, India, Africa, Asia, and the Middle-East. As well as providing quick, easy access to safe, clean drinking water everywhere, they help travellers to reduce their single-use plastic footprint and save a lot of money overall. 

Find out more about how they work and alternative options in The Best Travel Filter Water Bottles For Travellers, or read our Backpacking Essentials Packing List for more tried-and-tested suggestions on what to bring.