Robert Lesser

The capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, has been a popular destination for expats from all over the world for decades. With direct flights from its international airport to many U.S. destinations, access to plenty of stores, art museums, theaters, outdoor organic markets, and plenty of community events it has many of the conveniences of cities in the first world.

Being the capital city it also has the highest concentration of businesses, which is a big reason why many people live here. It’s not uncommon for expats to move to San Jose, Costa Rica for a business opportunity or a work transfer. One of the benefits of living in San Jose is that it is a major transportation hub for exploring the natural beauty of Costa Rica.

Here is a list of trips that are under an hour and half car ride from the capital city of San Jose that can be experienced in a day.

Limoncito Beach

Samilia

Costa Rica is world famous for its beaches, and the popular beach town of Jaco, just an hour from San Jose, brings vast amounts of tourists particularly from the United States every year. The town of Jaco has a mixed reputation and has been criticized for being overly commercial and North American.

People who are looking for the peace and tranquility of some of the less tourist-frequented beaches in Costa Rica but only have a day away from work to explore should check out nearby Limoncito beach.

Limoncito is just 15 minutes from Jaco, and less than an hour and a half from San Jose central. The landmark for this beach is a luxury hotel called Punta Leona, but day trippers can enjoy the secluded white sand tropical beaches on their own.

Avid surfers will enjoy the clean, fun, easy waves in nearby Jaco where most of the country’s surf competitions are held.

Poas Volcano

Nate Hughs

This active volcano and its surrounding national park is considered one of the most breathtaking sites in all of Costa Rica and is just an hour drive from San Jose.

The main volcano crater is a mile wide and is a dramatic site with a sulfuric pool that emits bubbles and smoke into the air and an exceptional view of the surrounding area. In the crater is a stunning blue-green lake called Botos Lake.

The park itself is dense with vegetation and wildlife. There are many species of birds including the quetzal, the hummingbird, and the black guan. Marmots, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, frogs, and many insects can be spotted as well. The park is made of cloud forest, mountain rain forest, and of course the incredible craters.

On clear days it is possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from the volcano.

This park can be revisited many times as there are 68 miles of trails through coffee plantations, flower fields, forest, and crater lakes. It makes a great escape from the city when you have a short amount of time.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Steve Stevens

On the slopes of the Poas Volcano in the Central Highlands are the La Paz Waterfall Gardens. In addition to the five incredible waterfalls, these gardens boast the largest butterfly conservatory in the entire world, a frog pond, hummingbird gardens, and more.

There are three kilometers of trail that wrap around the waterfalls for optimal viewing. At the end of the trail lies the hummingbird garden with 24 species of hummingbirds. The butterfly conservatory has butterflies flying freely and you can observe their entire life process. There is even a lake where you can fish for your own trout.

Irazu Volcano National Park

Richard May

Another active volcano close to San Jose in Cartago, about an hour drive, is the Irazu Volcano and National Park. The park covers over 5,000 acres of immaculate primary, secondary, and cloud forest.

The volcano itself has several craters, but the most famous are the largest which is 900 feet deep and emits steam and the Diego de la Haya with a mineral rich lake that transforms in color from deep green to crimson red. From the top of the volcano it is possible to enjoy views of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The park terrain is rugged yet is still filled with wildlife including armadillos, foxes, owls, woodpeckers, coati, and hummingbirds.

Deciding to move to the city of San Jose makes exploring the incredible nature of Costa Rica a breeze. These are trips that can be done in a day, but if you have an entire weekend most places can be reached in three to four hours including some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.