San José is the largest city in Costa Rica. Named in honor of Joseph of Nazareth, legal father of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion, it is also the capital of the country as well as of the province of the same name.

The city is situated in the center of the country, in the mid-west portion of the Central Valley, 1,100 meters above sea level. San Jose is the seat of the national government, the point of convergence of most political and economic activities in the country. It is also the primary transportation hub in Costa Rica, where you will find one of the country’s two international airports, the Juan Santamaría International Airport (Airport Code: SJO).

San José stands out among other great Latin American cities for its quality of life, as well as for its security, high level of globalization, general environmental performance, and the quality of its public services. According to studies on Latin America, San José is one of the safest and least violent cities in the whole region.

The climate in San José is a mix of tropical wet and tropical dry. It is part of the so-called Tierras Templadas and, as such, has enjoyable temperatures throughout the year, with refreshing nights and warm days. Precipitations can vary significantly between the driest month (February 6.3 mm) and the wettest month (September 355.1 mm). The average temperatures do not vary much at all, with only 2°C or 3°C difference between the hottest month (April 23.7 °C) and the coldest month (October 21.8 °C ) of the year.

San Jose is one of the most influential cities in Latin America. It has a significant number of interesting cultural and historical things to see and do. If you are in the San José area, it might be worth your while spend a day exploring and discovering this famous Central American city. For those looking for some fun on the sand, the closest, most popular beach near San José is Jaco on the pacific coast, approximately 100km away.