Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [46]
Immediately west of the museum is the stark Plaza de la Democracia (Map; Avs Central & 2 btwn Calles 13 & 15), which was constructed by President Oscar Arias in 1989 to commemorate 100 years of Costa Rican democracy. The concrete plaza is architecturally dull, but it has recently received a needed cleaning and some of its elevated terraces provide decent views of the mountains surrounding San José (especially at sunset). On its western flank is an open-air crafts market (Click here).
MUSEO DE ARTE Y DISEÑO CONTEMPORÁNEO
Commonly referred to as MADC, the Contemporary Art and Design Museum (Map; 2257-7202; www.madc.ac.cr; Av 3 btwn Calles 13 & 15; admission US$3; 9am-4:45pm Mon-Sat) is housed in the historic National Liquor Factory building, which dates from 1856. The largest and most important contemporary art museum in the region, MADC is focused on showing the works of contemporary Costa Rican, Central American and South American artists and occasionally features temporary exhibits devoted to interior design, fashion and graphic art.
MUSEO DE JADE
You will find the world’s largest collection of American jade (pronounced ‘ha-day’ in Spanish) at this small museum (Map; 2287-6034; 1st fl, Edificio INS, Av 7 btwn Calles 9 & 11; admission adult/child under 11yr US$7/free; 8:30am-3:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) on the 1st floor of the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS; National Insurance Institute). The pieces are varied: expect to see display cases cluttered with translucent jade carvings that depict fertility goddesses, shamans, frogs and snakes, as well as some incredible pottery (some of which reflects Maya influences), including a highly unusual ceramic head displaying a row of serrated teeth. The craftsmanship is generally excellent and pieces are in a fine state of conservation.
PARQUE ESPAÑA & PARQUE MORAZÁN
Surrounded by heavy traffic and flanked by MADC and the Museo de Jade, the Parque España (Map; Avs 3 & 7 btwn Calles 9 & 11) may be small, but it becomes a riot of birdsong every day at sunset when the local avian population comes in to roost. In addition to being a good spot for a shady break, the park is home to an ornate statue of Christopher Columbus that was given to the people of Costa Rica in 2002 by his descendants, commemorating the quincentennial of the explorer’s landing in Puerto Limón.
To its west stands the recently remodeled Edificio Metálico (Map; cnr Av 7 & Calle 9), a century-old two-story metal building that was prefabricated in Belgium. The structure was shipped piece by piece to San José and today it functions as a school and local landmark. On the Parque España’s northeast corner is the Casa Amarilla (Map; Av 7 btwn Calles 11 & 13), an elegant colonial-style house that is home to the ministry of foreign affairs (and is closed to the public). The glorious ceiba tree in front was planted by John F Kennedy during his 1963 visit to Costa Rica. If you walk around to the property’s northeast corner, you can see a graffiti-covered slab of the Berlin Wall standing in the rear garden.
To the southwest of the Parque España is another park, the Parque Morazán (Map; Avs 3 & 5 btwn Calles 5 & 9), named for Francisco Morazán, the 19th-century general who attempted to unite the Central American nations under a single flag. Once a notorious center of prostitution, the park is now beautifully illuminated in the evenings. At its center is the Templo de Música (Music Temple; Map), a concrete bandstand that serves as an unofficial symbol of San José.
BARRIO AMÓN
North and west of the Jade Museum lies this pleasant, historic neighborhood (Map), home to a cluster of cafetalero (coffee grower) mansions constructed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In recent years, many of the area’s historic buildings have been converted into hotels, restaurants and offices, making this a popular district for an architectural stroll. You’ll find everything from art-deco concrete manses to brightly painted tropical