According to simplyyellowpages, the capital of Costa Rica – San Jose was founded in the 18th century at an altitude of 1155 meters above sea level. The climate here is the most comfortable for recreation. The architecture is very diverse, from traditional Spanish motifs to modern solutions. The center of the city is the Plaza de la Cultura. From all sides it is surrounded by beautiful buildings, especially the building of the National Theater, which is considered the most beautiful theatrical building in Latin America. Not far from the National Theater rises the building of the National Museum. The main museum of the country has a rich exposition that tells about the life of ancient Indian tribes, their gold jewelry is also shown here, and in many jewelry stores in the capital you can buy exact copies of these jewelry. The museum is also interesting, located underground, in the very center of the city, which presents the most complete collection of gold objects of Indian peoples. The best place to relax in the city is undoubtedly the National Park, which can be compared to an oasis in the middle of the desert. On the territory of the park rises a monument made of white marble in honor of the heroes of 1856 who died defending Costa Rica from foreign invaders. Southeast of San Jose lies the province of Cortago, famous for its extensive coffee plantations and sugarcane plantations. The city of Cortago until 1823 was the capital of Costa Rica and its main religious center, however, to this day, not a trace remains of the main religious attractions of the city, since the earthquakes of 1841-1910 completely destroyed the city center. About the glorious past, only the Cathedral of Cortago and the Basilica “Our Lady of the Angels” reminds, which annually in August from all over the country attracts thousands of pilgrims. There are also interesting places outside the city, for example, the heart of the famous Orsi Valley – Mirador Sanchiri. The whole valley is densely covered with a beautiful green carpet of vegetation, mostly coffee trees, and in the city of Orsi itself there is the Museum of Religion and Antiquity, which will also be interesting to visit. Being in the east of Costa Rica, you should definitely stay in an interesting town – Limon. The city is full of various markets and wonderful beaches. It is best to go to Limon on October 12, when the annual traditional carnival takes place here. Just an hour’s drive from Limon lies the Natural Park “Veragua Rainforest” with its huge entertainment program.
National cuisine of Costa Rica
As in all countries of Central America, the national cuisine of Costa Rica is based on the traditions of the Indian and Spanish peoples. The basis of many dishes here are legumes, mainly represented by beans, rice, vegetables, meat and a wide variety of herbs. However, there are slight differences in the culinary traditions of Costa Rica from the cuisine of neighboring countries, namely, that the spices here are not used in the dish itself, but, as a rule, are served on the table in the form of separate sauces. The side dish is most often represented by fried platanos bananas or a mixture of rice and vegetables, which is served with meat dishes. As for meat dishes, special attention should be paid to various soups: beef soup, offal soup, etc. It is also worth trying stew with vegetables, rice with chicken and beef pies. The proximity of the ocean has influenced that on almost every table there are seafood dishes, usually baked fish or boiled fish in lemon juice. One of the most delicious seafood dishes is the original rice pilaf with crabs. The climate of Costa Rica is well suited for growing many types of vegetables and fruits. In addition to the usual mangoes, papaya and passion fruit, here you can try other exotic fruits – mamones, anona, etc. In most cases, soft drinks are prepared from fruits.
