San Jose Local Secrets

As an organization that sends thousands of students abroad each year, CEA has captured a list of local secrets - a collection of discoveries from our students, resident staff, as well as other locals - that make this city unique. We hope you will find the information helpful and, at the very least, an interesting read.

Jazz Café

Named by Latin Trade the "Best Bar in Costa Rica" in 2005, the Jazz Café offers quality music and a vibrant atmosphere. They have live jazz music several nights a week and bring some of the most well-known and talented Costa Rica musicians to play there. The Jazz Cafe is located in San Pedro Próximo al Banco Popular en San Pedro and is open 2 p.m. - 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

El Pueblo

El Pueblo is a Spanish colonial-themed entertainment complex with several shops, restaurants and clubs. You can shop, dine, and dance in this same complex, walking from one locale to the next. This is a popular student hangout, for both international students and locals. Study abroad students will be surprised to find out that disco is, indeed, alive and well at clubs that don't start shimmying until 9 p.m. and keep the tempo grooving until 2 a.m. This was one of the most popular areas for young people to mix and mingle.

Café Mundo

Café Mundo is excellent restaurant in San Jose with plenty of vegetarian dishes, freshly baked whole grain breads and organic ingredients – situated in a Colonial mansion decorated with art deco, wrought-iron chairs, an open-air veranda and a small garden. One room boasts the artwork of Costa Rican artist Miguel Cassafont. An eclectic menu offers plentiful dishes, including vegetable tempura, crab cakes and chicken satay. Visitors also can enjoy such Costa Rican standards as patacones (fried plantain chips) and fried yuca.