San Jose, Costa Rica travel guide
Located in the city of Alajuela, Juan Santamaria International Airport, or more commonly the San Jose Airport, is the center of operations of the main Central American Airlines. This busy airport is surprisingly easy to navigate.
There are several duty-free shops, restaurants, and cafes conveniently placed. Getting to and from the airport the road system has been designed to be easy to navigate as well, you can feel comfortable in a car hire San Jose Airport.
Head here for a complete guide on Ways to get to Costa Rica.
- Local time in San Jose, Costa Rica:
- GMT-6
- Population of San Jose, Costa Rica:
- 386.799
Tourist attractions at San Jose, Costa Rica
Arenal Volcano
On a clear day you can watch Arenal erupt and if you wait for nightfall Arenal often puts on a brilliant show with bright red rocks tumbling down its sides. Arenal is your iconic looking, inverted-cone-shape, and said to have eruptions about every 30 minutes.
While you can no longer drive up the volcano due to safety reasons (they actually used to allow people to do this), you can park your car hire San Jose Costa Rica at the bottom of the 1968 Trail, where you can walk along the path of Arenal's most recent devastation when it took out an entire town in 1968.
Corcovado National Park
Legend has it that the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica was once part of another continent that broke away into the sea, leaving behind a piece to Costa Rica with entirely different biodiversity than the rest of the country.
Corcovado National Park located on Costa Rica's wild and untamed Osa Peninsula is among the most biologically intense places on earth. Home to the largest and only tropical primary lowland forest in the world, the Corcovado National Park houses a maddeningly long list of endangered plant and animal species.
Rainforest Getaway
Just 30 minutes south of La Fortuna, bordering the Children's Eternal Rainforest is Finca Luna Nueva Lodge. A great alternative to your average resort in La Fortuna, their property offers several trails through the rainforest, a fully functioning biodynamic farm, and there is even a tower with a view of the volcano.
Make sure if you plan to drive around this area that you choose a 4 wheel drive San Jose Costa Rica car hire, as there is a lot of rain in the rainforest, and not all of the roads are paved!
Birding and Wildlife tours in Corcovado
Famous to birders, the Park is also home to the beautiful Scarlet Macaws, the Resplendent Quetzals, as well as the Red-Eyed Tree Frog and the amazing and illusive Tapir, the largest terrestrial mammal in Central and South America.
Encompassing 13 major ecosystems, 140 different mammal species, 400 birds (20 of which are endemic), 116 amphibians and reptiles, and at least 500 species of trees, Corcovado Park has all the nature you need to wow, astound, and educate your adventurous spirit.
Check out more options on places to visit in Costa Rica, in our Costa Rica Travel Guide.
Recommended daytrips from San Jose, Costa Rica
Surfing
Every year in August hundreds of expert surfers flock to Playa Hermosa from all over the globe for the Quicksilver Surf Championships. However, the best time to surf her is from April to November, when the tide is high and rising. When you're tired of surfing this is the perfect beach for a day of relaxing and soaking up the sun.
Just a short drive from the capital, set up your surf plans with a cheap car rental San Jose, Costa Rica.
Get to know all about the hottest night clubs and bars in Costa Rica for some adult fun.
Hotels at San Jose, Costa Rica
Take a look at our rated hotels in Costa Rica for some extra info when looking for accommodations in Guanacaste or Puntarenas.
Local conditions for San Jose, Costa Rica
Thu, 24 May 2012 02:50:00 -0600
Thursday at 02:00 CST:
fog. 21°C (70°F)
Temperature: 21°C (70°F), Wind Direction: SSW, Wind Speed: 2mph, Relative Humidity: 100%, Pressure: 1009mb, rising, Visibility: PO
Weather forecast for San Jose, Costa Rica
-
Thursday
Thundery shower, Max Temp: 26°C (79°F), Min Temp: 19°C (66°F)
Max Temp: 26°C (79°F), Min Temp: 19°C (66°F), Wind Direction: N, Wind Speed: 2mph, Visibility: moderate, Pressure: 1011mb, Humidity: 75%, Sunrise: 05:14CST, Sunset: 17:52CST
-
Friday
Light rain shower, Max Temp: 28°C (82°F), Min Temp: 18°C (64°F)
Max Temp: 28°C (82°F), Min Temp: 18°C (64°F), Wind Direction: NNE, Wind Speed: 5mph, Visibility: very good, Pressure: 1011mb, Humidity: 59%, Sunrise: 05:14CST, Sunset: 17:52CST
-
Saturday
Heavy rain shower, Max Temp: 27°C (81°F), Min Temp: 19°C (66°F)
Max Temp: 27°C (81°F), Min Temp: 19°C (66°F), Wind Direction: NNE, Wind Speed: 5mph, Visibility: good, Pressure: 1010mb, Humidity: 61%, Sunrise: 05:14CST, Sunset: 17:52CST
Airport Information
- Airport name:
- Juan Santamaria Airport
- Airport code:
- SJO
- Phone number:
- +(506) 2437-2400
- Fax number:
- +506(0)443 1244
- Address:
- Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Santamaría PO Box 5026-1000 San Jose Alajuela Costa Rica
- Map:
- Javascript is required to view this map.
- Distance from airport to San Jose:
- San Jose city || 14 Miles / 23 km / 20 minutes by rental car from Downtown San Jose
- Car Rental office location:
Convenienty located at the San Jose Airport, eight main car hire companies have their desks for you to collect your car rental vehicle in San Jose Airport, Costa Rica.
Some of these car rental companies include:
- Alamo
- Europcar
- Budget
Prepare in advance and book a car rental vehicle for collection in San Jose Airport. Find 7 seater, 9 seater, luxury car hire vehicle or any other type of rental cara for your travlling needs in San Jose, Costa Rica.
In a rental car from San Jose Airport, every site will be closer and easier to reach in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Airlines providing airport services to San Jose, Costa Rica
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Air Transat
- Amsterdam Airlines
- Avianca
- Condor
- Continental
- Copa Airlines
- Cubana Airlines
- Delta
- Frontier
- Iberia
- JetBlue
- Mexicana
- Spirit Airlines
- TACA
- US Airways
