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Swiss Travel Service (Map Click here; 2221-0944; www.swisstravelcr.com) This long-standing agency offers a three-hour walking tour of San José that hits all the key sites. Their offices are inside the Radisson Europa, 250m west of Centro Comercial El Pueblo.

TAM Travel (Map Click here; 2527-9700; www.tamtravel.com; Los Yoses Travel Center, Calle 39 btwn Avs Central & 8; per person US$35) This reputable agency organizes half-day walking tours of the city, along with travel throughout Costa Rica.

For a directory of specialty tours beyond San José, Click here.

SAN JOSÉ IN…

One Day

Start at the city’s most beautiful building, the graceful Teatro Nacional, a theater that dates back to the 19th century. Take time to enjoy a sip of espresso and a pastry at the theater’s atmospheric cafe (Click here) before heading around to the east side of the Plaza de la Cultura and ducking in to the Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática, which catalogues the country’s pre-Columbian gold treasures. From here, stroll northeast through the Parque Morazán to the Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo, Central America’s most prominent contemporary arts institution.

Snack at one of the area’s pleasant terrace eateries, such as Café Mundo or Kalú (Click here). Afterwards, stroll through historic Barrio Amón, browsing shops such as Kiosco SJO, Galería Namu and eÑe. For the evening happy hour, circle back to the Parque Morazán for a cocktail at El Morazán, a historic bar with park views.

Two Days

On your second day in town, get a primer on Costa Rican history at the Museo Nacional and explore the neighboring Mercado Artesanal for crafts. From here, head west on bustling Av Central to the Catedral Metropolitana, where Ticos still pack the pews for daily mass. Afterward head northwest to the Mercado Central, where you can shop for T-shirts and Costa Rican coffee. If you like to eat cheap, this is an ideal spot for lunch.

In the evening, head east to Los Yoses and San Pedro, where you will find some of San José’s best neighborhood eateries (Click here) and bars (Click here), as well as the city’s most esteemed venue for live music, the Jazz Café.

Three Days

If you are ready for a day trip out of town, consider a pilgrimage to the historic Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles in Cartago, where the penitent arrive on their knees or arrange for a tour of the coffee farms that surround the idyllic mountain village of Orosi. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try a day-long river-running trip in the vicinity of Turrialba (see boxed text) or peek into the craters of the Poás (Click here) or Irazú (Click here) volcanoes. Families with small children will enjoy an excursion on the Rainforest Aerial Tram, which glides along lush cloud-forest canopy within sight of birds and monkeys.

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FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Festival de Arte Every even year, San José becomes host to the biennial citywide arts showcase that features theater, music, dance and film. It’s held for two weeks in March. Keep an eye out for information in the daily newspapers.

Día de San José (St Joseph’s Day; March 19) San José marks the day of its patron saint with mass in some churches.

Festival de las Carretas (Oxcart Festival) Takes place every November, and is a celebration of the country’s agricultural heritage. The highlight is a parade of oxcarts down Paseo Colón.

Festival de Luz (Festival of Light) A month after Paseo Colón’s oxcart parade is the Christmas parade, marked by an absurd amount of plastic ‘snow.’

Las Fiestas de Zapote (December 25 to January 1) If you’re in the San José area between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, you absolutely have to visit this week-long holiday celebration of all things Costa Rican (namely rodeos, cowboys, carnival rides, fried food and a whole lot of drinking). The celebration, which annually draws in tens of thousands of Ticos, takes place at the bullring in the suburb of Zapote, just southeast of the city.

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SLEEPING

Accommodations in San