Plaza de la Cultura

Tip

Grab a coffee at the theater's café and watch the plaza from the terrace; late afternoon is when locals gather.

Be careful

Crowded and pickpocket-prone at peak hours: keep bags zipped in front and phones tucked away.

Places nearby

• San José Free Walking TourTours & AdventureGuided walk through central San José covering the main squares, the National Theater area and the historic centre, advertised as a free tour, with morning and afternoon departures and a Spanish-language tour.
• Café RojoFood & CoffeeSmall, much-loved café-restaurant in Barrio Amón with a Vietnamese-inspired menu of noodle bowls and rolls and good vegan and vegetarian choices.
• La CriollitaFood & CoffeeLong-running Costa Rican restaurant in central San José serving generous plates of meat, chicken or fish with rice, beans and salad, Tico-style ceviche, chicken soup and daily specials, with a covered patio.
• Museo del Jade y de la Cultura PrecolombinaTours & AdventureMuseum of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros with one of the largest jade collections in the Americas, plus ceramics, gold and stone sculpture in five themed permanent rooms and two rooms for temporary shows.
• Lolo Mora's Ice CreamFood & CoffeeTiny stall in the central market that has long sold one thing: a cinnamon-vanilla ice cream served in cups.
• Soda Tala #1 (Mercado Central)Sodas & Local FoodSoda Tala is a no-frills counter soda inside San José's Mercado Central, the 1880 market on Avenida Central, and it has been feeding locals for more than five decades.