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The heart of Costa Rica, the
Central Valley, boasts a nearly perfect climate, excellent museums,
drive-up volcanoes and fertile hillsides dotted with coffee plantations.
Within this fertile temperate valley live most of the country's people.
The Capital city of San Jose, is located at an altitude of 2,900' feet
above sea level, giving it an idyllic climate with temperatures that
vary from the mid-70's F during the day to about 60 degrees F at night.
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San Jose offers visitors a wide variety of activities
and a thriving nightlife with its many discos, bars, casinos,
fine restaurants, shops, and some very impressive museums sprinkled
throughout the city.
In the Plaza de la Cultura (Culture Square) a
fantastic collection of pre-Colombian gold artifacts gleam inside
the enormous vault of the Gold Museum. To one side of the Plaza
is the beautiful National Theater, a national pride and architectural
jewel that last year celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Attending a performance by the National Symphony
Orchestra, one of Latin America's best, is a highlight to any
tour. A few blocks away, on the 11th floor of the National Insurance
Building (INS), is the Jade Museum, with the largest collection
of pre-Colombian jade in the Americas.
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Topping the list, literally,
of things to do around San Jose are the drive-up volcanoes: Poás and
Irazú, towering 8,870 and 11,260 feet, respectively, above sea level.
Among the lovely towns of
the Central Valley, one of the most popular is Sarchí. Long at the center
of Costa Rica's oxcart production and more recently, home to a thriving
crafts industry, Sarchí attracts visitors looking for local handcrafts
and souvenirs.
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Hotel
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