Where to stay

Apartotel La Sabana Pleasant, modern, low-rise hotel with a lovely foliage bordered swimming pool in a quiet street off Sabana Norte Park. A little distant from the centre but an extremely comfortable base for relaxing away from the bustle of the city, giving you all the comfort of a hotel alongside the freedom of an apartment. Sabana Norte

(Tel: 00506 2220 2422 or visit apartotel-lasabana.com)

Grano de Oro San José’s most sumptuous lodgings, hands down, a rather grand 21 room boutique hotel richly and elaborately decorated in swathes of period fabric, wood and glassware from the turn of the century home of the Pozuelo coffee family.

Very posh, rather old-fashioned. Highly esteemed and has a good restaurant.

Calle 30

(Tel: 00506 2255 3322 or visit hotelgranodeoro.com)

Hotel Colonial Pleasant, quiet, traditional style hotel with a wonderful cream and chocolate coloured facade from the 1950s, a fantastic colonnaded interior patio and two floors of comfortable rooms. Well situated in the centre opposite an excellent Argentinian restaurant. Calle 11

(Tel: 00506 2223 0109 or visit hotelcolonialcr.com)

Hotel Fleur de Lys Garish but fun neo-Victorian mansion style property offering 31 rooms. Well run, comfortable and very well positioned, near all of central San

José’s attractions and very competitively priced.

Calle 13

(Tel: 00506 2223 1206 or visit hotelfleurdelys.com)

Hotel Presidente Quirky modern hotel situated above a large clothes shop in the heart of the city. Well-appointed smart rooms, good staff and a great rooftop bar/restaurant. Central Avenida Boulevard

(Tel: 00506 2010 0000)

Sleep Inn Dreadful name belies a smart, modern hotel, part of the central downtown Colonial Casino complex. Slightly bland but extremely well positioned with a front view of the attractive, Eiffel designed school and its mature tree filled small park. Paseo las Damas

(Tel: 00506 2521 6500 or visit sleepinnsanjose.com)