5 Must-Dos in San José, Costa Rica

I'm Cassian Gerasimenko and I studied abroad with CIS Abroad in San José,Costa Rica! Here are my top suggestions for things to do and see while studying in this beautiful, biodiverse country.

4. Jardín de Lolita

If you study at Universidad Veritas, check your email for the university newsletter, where you will be sent coupons to dine at Jardín de Lolita! This is a cozy plaza eatery in the lively neighborhood in San José called Barrio Escalante. East Asia, Argentina, and Italy are among the many regions you will see represented in the food options, found in the booths that line the borders of the garden! Come here with all of your friends and nobody will argue about what cuisine to agree on, and once your orders are ready, you can grab a seat at the picnic tables and chat or play some card games!

3. Edificio Steinvorth

Edificio Steinvorth is seated in the center of San José, and is another vibrant space with a charming chocolatery and café tucked away in an indoor plaza with plenty of natural lighting. Your program director might take you here following the initial tour of the city once you arrive, but it is important that you come back on a Saturday at 4:30pm to hear live music for free! When I went, two very talented musicians performed jazz music, some rehearsed, some improvised, much to the crowd’s content. An audience member joined them to showcase her tap-dancing abilities and it was incredible! I recommend you go here to get a taste of local entertainment.

2. Café Hopping from Libertario Coffee Roasters to Cafeoteca to Modo Café

Studies show that changing locations while doing homework or studying for a test can boost the memory’s ability to recall information and increase your motivation to be productive. Given that you will be taking classes while abroad, why not make a little game out of it? I have listed three of my favorite San José cafés, all within walking distance of each other. When in Costa Rica, you can expect to drink the best quality coffee, and that is because the soil that coffee beans are grown on in Costa Rica is at the optimal altitude and distance from the equator to produce the best flavor. Coffees can taste sweet, floral, fermented, earthy, and hitting a variety of cafés will introduce you to it all! Take your time in a different country to study in many different environments and try a different coffee whenever you get the chance!

1. Spirogyra Butterfly Garden

Just half an hour of your day can be spent walking around the Spirogyra butterfly garden in San José! This garden takes you around a trail, home to a variety of different species of butterfly, all of which are beautiful to witness. Costa Rica’s conservation efforts and biodiversity presence are maintained through gardens like these. Coming here will allow you can go on a walk in this neat oasis tucked away from the city! The volunteers create a wonderful environment for these animals to live in, and you can witness it all for a $7 entry fee!

Learn more about CIS Abroad programs in Costa Rica here!