A vacation in San Jose, Costa Rica, can offer up much for its visitors. The province of San Jose is both diverse, and it is the cultural headquarters of Costa Rica.

San Jose province takes up much of what is known as the central valley region of Costa Rica. The capital of the country is San Jose, and many of the main areas of the province of San Jose are more or less suburbs of the city. These areas include San Pedro, Moravia, Hatillo, Escazu and to some degree Santa Ana, but they are referred to as districts and cantons more frequently than suburbs. The term suburbia, which is Spanish for suburb, comes with a connotation of being of a lower economic standard in Costa Rica than the terms district or canton.

In San Jose city, there are cultural centers, museums, theaters, universities, hotels, parks and much more. This is the area from which many social and theatrical events take place such as Noche En Blanco (the white night) or El Tope and Carnival. The metropolitan area has a population of about 288,054 people, and there are a number of businesses, restaurants, bars and cafes in the downtown area. The main street of downtown San Jose is Avenida Dos (2nd Avenue).

The province of San Jose, however, has much more to offer in terms of national parks, hotels, tours, adventures and resorts. The national parks of Braulio Carrillo National Park, Chirripo National Park, Carara Biological Reserve and Los Quetzales National Park all have singular experiences that might range from hiking tours to zip lining through the forest canopy. There are also smaller forest reserves throughout the province of San Jose that are worth exploring, as well.

San Jose has the highest population of all of the provinces making it the densest in terms of buildings, traffic and the comings and goings associated with urban life. Most of this is near the capital city, of course. The Juan Santa Maria International Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica, is the closest airport to the province of San Jose. Cerro Chirripo (Chirripo Peak) is the highest mountain in all of Costa Rica, and is located in the province of San Jose.

Some hotels in the province of San Jose include The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Carriari, Hotel Grano de Oro and Best Western Irazu Hotel & Casino. These hotels are of a higher price range, but there are many other hotels in the province that will cater to different economic levels.

Capital City: San Jose
Places of Interest: Museo Oro Precolombino (The Gold Museum), Teatro Nacional (National Theater), El Pueblo, San José, Jardín Botánico Lankaster (Lankester Botanical Gardens)
Hotels: The Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Carriari, Hotel Grano de Oro, Best Western Irazu Hotel & Casino
National Parks: Braulio Carrillo National Park, Chirripo National Park, Carara Biological Reserve, Los Quetzales National Park
Airports: Juan Santamaria International Airport.