Spending Time in San José
Depending on your arriving flight's origin, your trip may require a night (or part of a day) in San José, Costa Rica's capital.

For a primer on Costa Rican history, visit the Museo Nacional in the old Bellavista Fortress on the east end of town, where you can view exhibits from pre-Colombian pottery and sculpture to vintage religious and colonial pieces. Also, see the Mercado Artesanal, the outdoor crafts market on the west side of the Plaza de la Democracia (adjacent to the museum), for deals on handmade wood crafts and colorful hammocks. At night, head to Escazú, a tiny suburb west of downtown. There you'll find Posada El Quijote (from $94, double occupancy; 011-506-289-8401, www.quijote.co.cr), a Spanish-style bed-and-breakfast with views of the Central Valley. Enjoy dinner just across town in historic Barrio Amón, where Bakea (011-506-248-0303; closed Sundays) serves the city's top-rated cuisine. Housed in a vintage mansion, the restaurant features an international fusion menu, incorporating Latin American, Basque, Middle Eastern, and even Asian influences. Save a little room for dessert—in particular, the cahuitay caramelo, a gooey tart made of banana, chocolate, and butterscotch. After dinner, walk next door and stroll through the restaurant's art gallery.

Carolina A. Miranda is a reporter at Time magazine and the author of Lonely Planet’s Costa Rica guidebook.