San Jose – Heredia – Alajuela – Guanacaste – Puntarenas – Limon – Cartago
The city is one of the youngest capital cities in Latin America and is the center of all political and economic activities in Costa Rica. To that end, is often referred to as the cradle of commerce, art and architecture for the country.
The weather in San Jose is described by many as enjoyable, with a dry (December to April) and a rainy season (May to November). There are numerous museums, theaters and historical buildings, and activities for the entire family.
Climate:
The province of San Jose includes areas representative of practically every climatic regime possible in Costa Rica since its territory extends from almost sea level at several points near the central Pacific coast up to the country’s highest peak, Mt. Chirripó, at an elevation of 3,820 m. Additionally, a small portion of the province protrudes down the very wet eastern slopes of the Central Volcanic Cordillera in a section of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Thus, the entire range of temperatures and rainfall patterns that affect Costa Rica can be experienced somewhere in the province. Nonetheless, the majority of the province of San Jose is blessed by a moderate climate where nothing more than a sweater or lightweight jacket and an umbrella are all the protection from the elements you’ll ever need. This mild climatic region lies in an altitudinal band between 700 and 1300 meters above sea level and is under the influence of a distinct dry season from mid-November through mid-May and a corresponding wet season during the remaining half of the year — the characteristic weather pattern for essentially all of the nation’s territory on the western side of the continental divide.
History:
The province of San José is the most populated of Costa Rica’s seven provinces and is the seat of the nation’s capital, the city of San José. In the early years of the Central Valley’s colonization (1560’s), families began spreading west from the village of Cartago, and one of the first places settled was the valley of Aserrí (to the south of what is now the city of San José). Some 170 years later, in 1736, the authorities ordered the inhabitants of the valley of Aserrí to move to a site known as “Boca del Monte” and to this end erected a church dedicated to Saint Joseph, which was finished in 1738 — on a site which is across the street from the east side of what is now the Central Bank. The parish became known as “San José de la Boca del Monte en el Valle de Aserrí”. Due to problems with lack of water in the immediate area around the church, however, the inhabitants of Aserrí refused to move to the new site. In 1751, water was finally piped to the area, also known as Villa Nueva, but the residents of Aserrí still had to be almost forced to at last move to the new town.By 1824, the population of San José had grown to more than 15,000 and a year earlier the city had become the capital of the newly independent country — this came after a brief civil war over whether to remain independent (a view backed by residents of San José and Alajuela) or become a part of the Mexican empire (supported by the citizens of Cartago and Heredia). Following the victory of those favoring independence, the capital was moved from Cartago to San Jose.
National Parks:
1) Braulio Carrillo National Park
2) Chirripó National Park
3) Carara Biological Reserve
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