Local Attractions
Attractions Near Our San Jose Downtown -- Aurola Hotel
Stay at the Aurola Holiday Inn and experience all the flavor of this exciting Latin American capital city. Why hide out in the suburbs when you can be right in the pulse of the city center? Enjoy all of the comforts of home at our full service hotel, yet be just steps away from the all the local attractions that make San Jose a vibrant, metropolitan hub for Central American business and culture.
Enjoy the many concerts and festivals right outside our front door in Parque Morazon, or take a short and interesting stroll over to the Gold Museum, Jade Museum, National Opera House, Legislative Assembly or even the traditional Central Market and soak in your surroundings. Don’t travel to Latin America just to stay inside your room or visit a U.S.-style shopping mall; instead, enjoy a taste of the REAL Costa Rica by staying right downtown in the city center and absorb all of the enchantment this wonderful cultural capital has to offer!
The Holiday Inn San Jose Downtown – Aurola hotel is conveniently located in Downtown San Jose, near San Jose’s Clínica Bíblica hospital and many exciting local attractions. Whether in town for business or pleasure, you will want to visit the following San Jose, Costa Rica attractions near our hotel:
- Museum of contemporary art and design (Museo de Arte y diseño contemporáneo): Exhibits the newest trends in contemporary art and design of the Central American region, and also the link with other countries’ art and design. It’s a great way to learn about art from Costa Rica and Central America. Located in San Jose downtown, 5 minutes from the hotel.
- Jade museum (Museo de jade) : Displays a large collection of jade objects, handcrafted through different techniques by the Costa Rican native Indians. The museum also exhibits ceramic and metal works of great historical importance. Located in San Jose downtown, 5 minutes from the hotel.
- Gold museum (Museo de Oro): The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum has an extraordinary collection of gold objects that reflect the worldview, social structure, and jewelry of pre-Columbian people of Costa Rica. The collection consists of 1600 pre-Columbian gold pieces dating from 500 AD to 1500 AD. Located in San Jose downtown, 5 minutes from the hotel.
- National museum (Museo Nacional): Costa Rica's most important historical museum is housed in a former army barracks that was the scene of fighting during the civil war of 1948. Among the most fascinating objects unearthed at Costa Rica's numerous archaeological sites are many metates, or grinding stones. A separate vault houses the museum's collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry and figurines. Located in San Jose downtown, 10 minutes from the hotel.
- Museum of Costa Rican art (Museo de Arte Costarricense): The MAC has more than six thousand works in its collection that includes paintings, sculpture, photography and other national and international artists, dating from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Located in San Jose downtown, 20 minutes from the hotel.
- Children´s Museum (Museo de los niños): It is the first museum of this kind in Central America. It is a magical place for children and adults. You will learn through games about different topics such as natural science, the universe, music, recycling and technology, among others. The museum is located in the former Central Prison, an impressive brick structure built in 1906.
- Melico Salazar Theater (Teatro Mélico Salazar ): Melico Salazar Popular Theater is a public theater, declared cultural heritage. It’s one of the most important artistic places in the country, where high level performances take place in different disciplines such as music, teather, dance, multicultural events and traditional or contemporary classic manifestations. Its architectural beauty exposes the tendency of the Baroque style, surrounded by Corinthian pilasters, which enhance the reliefs adorning its facade.
- National Theater (Teatro Nacional ): It’s considered the city’s most beautiful historic building. Built in 1890 and inaugurated in 1897 with the Fausto Opera. It has a Renaissance architecture with the purest neoclassic style with Italian marble and an interior decorated with coffee harvest scenes.
- Central Post Office (Edificio de Correos) : It is a very significant building and the central post office of the city of San Jose. Built with reinforced concrete and eclectic style with strong French influence. It was built between 1914 and 1917, from the design of the Catalan architect Luis Llach. It is a monumental and elegant masterpiece. It also houses a Philatelic Museum, which contains a remarkable collection of stamps and postal history.
- Metallic building (Edificio Metálico): It was manufactured in Belgium in 1890 and shipped to Costa Rica in 1892. It was assembled and finished in 1896. The architecture is representative of the period of work with iron and metal. Designed by architect Charles Thirio. It currently houses a public school.
- Morazan Park (Parque Morazán ): It was built in 1887. It was here where people celebrated the New Year holiday in late nineteenth century and musical retreats took place. Thus in 1920 it was decided to invest in building the Temple of Music, which has almost perfect acoustics. The temple was used to give political speeches and even served for presidential investitures. Nowadays it houses groups from the National Symphony Orchestra to contemporary music bands.
- National Park (Parque Nacional) : It’s a green and beautiful resting place in downtown San Jose. In the center of the park there is the National Monument created in 1953, which is a symbol of the Central American struggle against the foreign invader and represents the five Central American countries.
- Spain Park (Parque España): It's a small and pleasant place to enjoy a sunny afternoon and listen to the bird singing of the different species that live on the trees tops. It has busts of national conquerors. It’s a great place to rest and relax.
- Central Market (Mercado Central) : The Central Market in San Jose dates from the early nineteenth century.The Market is a unique shopping center, which today houses over 250 different merchants. You can find everything from flowers, fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, clothing, house ware, food, etc. The Central Market is a must for travelers anxious to know the local culture.
Souvenirs (Artesanías): In San Jose there are several specialized places where you can find all kinds of crafts, gifts, art, clothing and jewelry. Plaza de la Democracia (5 minutes from the hotel), La Casona (5 minutes from the hotel), and Calle de los Souvenirs (Moravia 20 minutes from San José).
- Pacific Marine Park (Parque Marino del Pacífico): You will have the opportunity to observe species such as crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, and pelicans. They have an aquarium with different species of marine animals: sea anemones, crabs, clown fish, nurse sharks, seahorses, among others.
- Turtle Island (Isla Tortuga): You will enjoy a lush natural beauty and a sanctuary for seabirds, has white sand beaches, and flora and fauna of our Central Pacific.
- Veragua Rainforest (Bosque Lluvioso Veragua) : Is a natural reserve and adventure park. Extension of La Amistad International Park, it´s the largest conservation area throughout Central America. You will enjoy of: the forest, trails, cable cars and canopy tour.
- Inbio Park (Inbio Parque) :This park offers a great variety of birds, orchids, heliconias and bromeliads, a butterfly garden and an aquarium. In InbioParque you will see poisonous frogs, bullet ants, boas, caimans, turtles, iguanas, tarantulas, sloths and other native species.
- Arenal Volcano and Hot Springs (Volcán Arenal y Aguas Termales): This impressive volcano has an almost perfect cone of 5.43635 ' feet high, is the youngest and most active volcano in Costa Rica. Is active since 1968, when it erupted after being dormant for 400 years. It also has hot springs from the veins of the majestic volcano, where you can enjoy the warm mineral waters and waterfalls.
- Sarchí: Sarchi is famous for its beautiful handicrafts and souvenirs. One of the symbols that characterize this town is the famous oxcart, national symbol that has represented Costa Rica’s history for many years.
- Metamorphosis Butterfly house (Mariposario Metamorphosis): You will find butterflies of various kinds and all colors. You will learn the process of production in the place and how a larva turns into a beautiful butterfly. You will enjoy the interaction with the butterflies and take pictures.
- Lankester Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico Lankester): This botanical garden is 10.7 acres in size and has a great collection of most important orchids in the world. In this garden grows more than 15000 specimens scientifically documented. If you are interested about this subject, this is an excellent place to visit.
- Bungee Jumping Naranjo (Salto de Bungee): The Bungee jumping in the Colorado River Bridge is listed as one of the best places in Costa Rica for those lovers of extreme sports. It has a depth of 80 meters, and has a lush beauty.
- Pacuare River Rafting (Rafting en el río Pacuare): The Pacuare River is one of the best white water rivers in Central America for rafting, reaches Class V in difficulty. During the tour you could see beautiful vegetation, jaguars, ocelots, monkeys, sloths and an incredible variety of birds.
- Reventazon River rafting ( Rafting en el río Reventazón): The Revetazon River is a 9 mile trip; rafting difficulty is classified as class III. Vegetation in the zone is beautiful, you will see sugar cane fields, coffee plantations, macadamia trees, ending with a large sugar cane factory.
- Poas Volcano (Volcán Poás): You will have the opportunity to look into the crater from a balcony. Poas Volcano is still showing signs of activity and has a huge crater of 0.807782 miles across and 300 meters deep, with a hot lagoon of sulfur with fumaroles.
- Irazu Volcano (Volcán Irazú): Irazu Volcano has a long history of eruptions and eruptive cycles. It is an area of great hydrological importance. In it are born several rivers that feed the basins of the Chirripo, Reventazon, Sarapiqui and Grande de Tárcoles rivers.
- Turrialba Volcano (Volcán Turrialba): Is the second highest volcano in Costa Rica; its peak is situated at 3340 m altitude. It has three craters: the central, east (on which you can walk) and the west.
- Mahogany Park (Parque Mahogany): It is located in a privately owned biological reserve, one of the very few places where you can observe adult mahogany trees, which are endangered species. You will have the opportunity to get to know the forest, from a different perspective.
- Braulio Carrillo National Park (Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo): The Braulio Carrillo National Park contains several important geological features such as Barva Volcano, Honduras River, Patria River and Sucio River. The park is divided into three main areas: Zurquí, Quebrada Gonsalez and Barva. You will enjoy of an unforgettable experience.
- Cafe Britt Tour (Tour Café Britt): Britt Coffee Tour takes place on a plantation in Heredia. It’s a fun way to learn more about the best coffees’ in Costa Rica. Discover the history and processes to develop this delicious drink.
- Rain forest aerial tram (Aerial tram en el Bosque Llluvioso): Tourists will ride the tram in an exciting excursion through the rainforest canopy; also can enjoy the hanging plant gardens and the hidden animals among the tall tropical trees.
- La Paz Waterfalls (Catarátas de la Paz): This is an unforgettable experience, where there are many aspects that you will enjoy such as: five waterfalls, rain and cloud forest, safe trails, up to 40 bird species, butterfly gardens, and many other features.
- Carara National Park (Parque Nacional Carara): H as two life zones and a variety of bird species. In this area lives one of the largest remaining populations of wild scarlet macaws of Costa Rica. An experience where you can enjoy Costa Rica’s forest and its wonderful and unique species.
- Guayabo National Monument (Monumento Nacional Guayabo): Guayabo is the largest and most important archaeological site that has been discovered in Costa Rica. The buildings characteristics point to South America and Mesoamerican influence, because Central America has the position of “land bridge”. It is an interesting place to learn about Costa Rican roots.
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