World Tourism Day in San José: Visiting some of the city’s best attractions

The Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), which contains the capital of San José, is the most densely populated area in Costa Rica. We’ve covered fun things to do there before — from Feria Verde, to romantic activities, to nearby getaways. Below are more options for things to do in the city.

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San José hosted a celebration last Friday as part of World Tourism Day, an annual event when countries around the world raise awareness about the impact tourism has had on their communities.

The San José municipal government partnered with the National Chamber of Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism (CANAECO), the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Operators (ACOT), the Costa Rican Chamber of Restaurants and Allies (CACORE) and the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), to lead a historical rally in the National Park that highlighted the city and country’s role in the tourism industry. Tourism organizations and journalists were invited to participate.

“This initiative was born with the idea of showing people that it is also possible to do city tourism and to know valuable historical sites of our country,” executive director of CANAECO, Dayana Hernández, said.

The mayor of San José, Johnny Araya, emphasized that tourists come to Costa Rica for more than just the country’s beaches.

“Costa Rica is able to offer, thanks to its natural heritage and our landscapes, a complement of urban tourism since in the capital there is culture, history, commerce and above all, people, which is the most important added value that we can offer to the world,” Araya said. “The city is more attractive to other types of tourism, such as tourism for businesses and conventions, which diversifies the [tourism] sector and generates new product chains.”

After the speeches, four dancers wearing traditional Costa Rican dress put on a performance, which drew a crowd of onlookers passing through the park.

Organizers then directed a historical scavenger hunt throughout the city. Participants had a set of clues to locate 25 different historical buildings, monuments or statues throughout the city center.

Here are some of our favorites: