Snapshot
Costa Rica at a glance
- Capital
- San José
- Population
- 5,160,700
- Area
- 51,180 km²
- Calling code
- +506
- Schengen
- Not in Schengen
- Tap water
- Not recommended
- Passport rank
- View mobility score and coverage
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North America · Travel essentials
Explore San José, Limon and Alajuela. Check local travel essentials, save places and plan journeys between cities.
Snapshot
A place to start
Choose where you’re going. Find places to visit and check the weather.
Largest settlements in the available GeoNames snapshot (2026-09-06); population dates and city boundaries differ. GeoNames · CC BY 4.0.
Explore San José
Find a museum, a place to eat or an arrival airport. Save the places you want to come back to.
See straight-line distances from you. The map stays focused on your destination.
Your next stop
Driving estimates do not include live traffic. On-foot, bicycle and public transport directions open in Google Maps. A place’s map pin may not be its visitor entrance.
Place details and source links are available below the map.
Map: OpenStreetMap contributors. Country outline: Natural Earth, overview only.
Explore mapped places within 5 km of San José. Hours and access are shown only when recorded.
9 places to explore. More places may be available in the city.
National Theatre of Costa Rica is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
La Sabana Metropolitan Park is one option for your time in San José. Consider this for a break between the busier parts of your day.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.

San José Central Market is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.

Metropolitan Cathedral of San José is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.

Museo del Jade is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
Edificio Herdocia is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Opening hours and access details may change. Confirm with the venue before travelling.
Before you step outside
Temperature, rain, wind, sunrise, sunset and a seven-day outlook.
Full city weather → · Open-Meteo, Forecast updated when requested.
Think in the local currency
Open the currency calculator →. For planning; card and cash exchange rates can differ.
Arrive with a little context
15.1 km from the city centre · straight line
Compare scheduled-service airports near San José. Distances are measured in a straight line; your journey by road or public transport will be longer.
Live flight times are not available here yet. Check the airport’s official board before travelling.
SJO airport information ↗| Airport | IATA | Distance to city | Plan the next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobías Bolaños International Airport | SYQ | 6.5 km | Airport website ↗ |
| Juan Santamaría International Airport | SJO | 15.1 km | Airport website ↗ |
| Quepos Managua Airport | XQP | 54.8 km | Airport website ↗ |
| La Fortuna Arenal Airport | FON | 80.4 km | Airport website ↗ |
| Limón International Airport | LIO | 116.4 km | Airport website ↗ |
| Nosara Airport | NOB | 171.8 km | Airport website ↗ |
OurAirports · Public Domain. Airport transfer tool →
San Jose · MRPV
5138 × 75 ft
ASPSan José (Alajuela) · MROC
9882 × 151 ft
ASPQuepos · MRQP
3609 × 36 ft
ASPLa Fortuna · MRAN
2625 × Unknown width ft
ASPNot recorded
Limón · MRLM
5906 × 98 ft
ASPNicoya · MRNS
3281 × 59 ft
ASPTravel reference only; not for aviation navigation.
Get around with confidence
Load the available mapped lines. This is a route map, not a live departure board.
OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL. Route coverage and stop ordering can be incomplete.
Explore the mapped bus, rail, metro, tram and ferry lines serving San José. Available modes depend on the local network. Check today’s departures and tickets with the operator.
Keep exploring
Browse 9 ideas for San José — from things to see and do to food and places to stay. Check current details before booking or visiting.
National Theatre of Costa Rica is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
La Sabana Metropolitan Park is one option for your time in San José. Consider this for a break between the busier parts of your day.

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.

San José Central Market is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.

Metropolitan Cathedral of San José is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Museo Nacional de Costa Rica is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.

Museo del Jade is one option for your time in San José. Check exhibition times before setting aside a museum stop.
Edificio Herdocia is one option for your time in San José. Open the map pin, check visitor access and decide where it fits in your day.
Trip notes are written for MyTripTools from place names, categories and mapped details. Use “Find more” above for nearby food and stays. Maps and supplemental place details: OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL. Check details with the venue.
Your travel toolkit
Use Costa Rica as the passport and Costa Rica as the destination.
Check routeOpen a pre-filled converter for trip money planning.
FXCheck city weather, climate averages and seasonal conditions.
MonthlyCheck plug type, voltage and frequency before packing devices.
PlugSee country-level tap water guidance for travellers.
SafetyFind alpha-2, alpha-3, calling code, currency and capital.
CRRegions