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Dubbed Chepe (the nickname for someone named Jose) by its proud residents, San José is the beating heart of modern Costa Rica. From its chain restaurants and air-conditioned strip malls to high-rise offices and crowded city streets, it’s here that the country’s warm embrace with the West is most evident.

Unfortunately, globalization has left numerous Josefinos disenfranchised, and the capital faces several problems, including rising levels of poverty and crime. Not surprisingly, San José suffers from an undeserved ill reputation amongst foreign travelers. In fact, most visitors view the capital as little more than a necessary stopover en-route to the ‘real Costa Rica’.

Of course, San José is the real Costa Rica, and arguably more authentic than the manufactured tourist locales that dot the countryside. With a history stretching back to its humble origins as a backwater Spanish colonial village, San José has a rich cultural tradition.

Colonial buildings still stand amongst an otherwise concrete cityscape, and plays, dances and musical performances are preserved in the city’s theaters. The markets in San José are also extremely colorful, and a number of sophisticated museums are scattered throughout the city.

In the end however, what makes San José truly Costa Rican is the fact that the city is home to over one-third of the entire population. From the upper-class suburb of Escazú to the working class barrios on the edges of the city, San José is the truly the soul of the country. Although it may not charm and impress, it will most certainly awaken your senses.

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