About Costa Rica and the Area

DATES: Courses start the first Monday of each month; other dates on request
*2008 Holidays (no class): Jan 1, Mar 20-21, Apr 11, May 1, Jul 25, Aug 15, Sep 15, Oct 12, Nov 2, Dec 8, 25, 31

Alajuela

The northwest central valley town of Alajuela is Costa Rica's second city. Alajuela has a busy downtown area and a slightly warmer climate than nearby San Jose. The International Airport is just one kilometer from the town. A provincial capital, Alajuela's red domed cathedral completes its central square and park which, during the heat of the afternoon, is the perfect place to hang out and people watch. The city market takes up an entire city block where both locals and visitors can get a good deal and every year on April 11th the town celebrates Juan Santamaría day with a large parade through town and a public carnival and dance in and around the central park.

San Jose

San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, is home to several excellent museums and many of the country's best hotels, restaurants, and nightlife options. The city's other great assets are its location and mild climate as San José enjoys pleasant weather year round and stands in a broad fertile bowl ringed by jagged mountains, some of which are active volcanoes. Downtown, the grid-plan streets are lined with an pastiche of mirrored high-rises and elegant bungalows; in the affluent suburbs at the eastern and western ends of the city, middle-class Ticos (as Costa Ricans call themselves) tend their tidy gardens, while sprawling barrios stretch to the north and south.