Costa Rica (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Matthew Firestone [49]
SPIROGYRA JARDÍN DE MARIPOSAS
Another great spot for kids is this small butterfly garden (Map; 2222-2937; www.infocostarica.com/butterfly; adult/child US$7/3; 8am-4pm; ), which houses more than 30 species of butterfly – including the luminescent blue morpho – in plant-filled enclosures. Visit in the morning to see plenty of fluttering. An airy new cafe serves fresh juices, sandwiches and salads. The garden is 150m east and 150m south of Centro Comercial El Pueblo, which can be reached on foot (about a 20- to 30-minute walk from downtown), by taxi, or by bus to El Pueblo, where there is a sign.
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La Sabana
West of downtown, the bustle of the city’s congested center gives way to private homes, condo towers and shopping areas chock-full of Ticos. At the heart of this district lies the sprawling Parque Metropolitano La Sabana, a popular recreation center – and a welcome patch of green amid the concrete of the capital.
At the time of writing, many of the park’s installations were undergoing needed remodeling.
PARQUE METROPOLITANO LA SABANA
Known simply as Parque La Sabana (Map), this 72-hectare green space at the west end of the Paseo Colón was once the site of the country’s main airport. Today it is home to two museums, a lagoon, a fountain and a variety of sports facilities. It is also home to the Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), where international and Division-1 soccer matches are played (it will soon be replaced by a bigger stadium that, at the time of writing, was under construction in the northwest corner of the park). During the day, it’s a great place for a stroll, a picnic or a relaxed jog. On weekends, it is packed with picnicking families and kids playing ball.
At the eastern entrance to the park is the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Map; 2256-1281; www.musarco.go.cr; Parque La Sabana), in a Spanish-style structure that served as San José’s main airport terminal until 1955. In the midst of a top-to-bottom remodel (reopening in late 2010), the museum features regional art and other exhibits.
On the other end of the park, near the southwest corner, is the Museo de Ciencias Naturales La Salle (Map; 2232-1306; adult/child US$2/1.50; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm Sun; ), which has an extensive collection of dusty stuffed animals and minerals. The exhibit has definitely seen better days, and although some of the animals look like they’re about to disintegrate, you’d be hard pressed to find a more bizarre display of taxidermy. It’s in the old Colegio La Salle (high school).
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ACTIVITIES
Parque Metropolitano La Sabana (Map; 2284-8700) has a variety of sporting facilities, including tennis courts, volleyball, basketball and baseball areas, jogging paths and soccer pitches. Pickup soccer games can be had on most days, though you’d better be good: Ticos can sink a drop shot by age seven. There is also an Olympic-sized swimming pool for serious lap swimmers (again, call ahead – it was under construction in 2010). If you want to swim with the kiddies and your hotel doesn’t have a pool, head to the Ojo de Agua springs in San Antonio de Belén, a popular swim spot for Tico families (Click here).
Golfers can hit the greens at the Parque Valle del Sol (Map; 2282-9222, ext 218/9; www.vallesol.com; 1.7km west of HSBC Bank, Santa Ana; 18 holes with a cart per person US$94; 6:30am-6pm Tue-Sun, 8am-6pm Mon) in the nearby suburb of Santa Ana, while adrenaline junkies can opt to take the plunge with one of the daily bungee jumps off the 80m-tall Río Colorado Bridge in Grecia organized by Tropical Bungee (www.bungee.co.cr; 1st/2nd jump US$65/30) – Click here.
TALK LIKE A TICO
San José is loaded with schools that offer Spanish lessons (either privately or in groups) and provide long-term visitors to the country with everything from dance lessons to volunteer opportunities. The schools listed have been operating since at least