In and around the capital

Most of the jewels of Costa Rica are to be found outside its cities, in the wealth of natural wonders that this tiny country has to offer. However, for those who prefer to explore closer to home, San Jose has shopping malls, museums, butterfly farms, galleries, night life, restaurants offering everything from fast food to haute cuisine, and botanical gardens.

The Gold Museum and Jade Museum give insights into pre-Colombian life and art.

The National Theatre, an architectural gem inspired by French opera houses and financed by coffee taxes in the 19th century, hosts performances by the excellent National Symphony Orchestra and visiting dance companies.

Compared to other capitals, San Jose is small and it is relatively easy to enjoy the attractions of the surrounding areas.

Half an hour to the north-east, there is one of the largest expanses of intact rain forest in Central America.

Half an hour to the north, In-Bio Park offers a tropical forest experience with an educational slant.

You can be on a Pacific beach in two hours - or a Caribbean beach in three.

An hour to the east, you can peek into the crater of an active volcano. An hour to the north-west, you can look across a valley to the green sulphurous lagoon of the widest volcanic crater in the world.

Three hours to the north-west, you can take an evening dip in the hot water of a river flowing out of a volcano while you watch its crater glowing in the dark.

You can visit an Arabica coffee plantation, have the whole process explained and do some tastings.

At Zoo Ave you can see many endangered species being cared for while they are being prepared for a return to the wild.