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San Jose Journals

San Jose for Just a Day

Best of IgoUgo

An October 2000 trip to San Jose by Tavia

Topiary Arches Photo - Zacero Church and Gardens, San Jose, Costa Rica More Photos
Quote: In San Jose for a day of business, I took advantage of my Saturday night arrival and joined a group tour into the mountains to visit a volcano and hot springs on Sunday. I loved it so much, I must return for vacation as soon as possible.
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San Jose for Just a Day Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
Spending a luxurious afternoon at the Tabacon Resort and Hot Springs, while later eating dinner and watching the volcano ooze red lava at night, was a perfect day. My meals at the restaurant of the Hotel El Grano de Oro were too delicious, I overate every night. And I enjoyed my whirlwind tour of the local bookselling trade in San Jose.Quick Tips: Your hotel can set up group tours for you into the mountains, rainforest, or other sites near San Jose.Best Way To Get Around: I took cabs everywhere as I was traveling for work and had no time to figure out anything else. When taking a cab from the airport to your hotel in San Jose, just jump in one of the official ones waiting out fron...Read More

Grano De Oro Hotel Best of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Hotel Grano de Oro"

Quote:
Staying at El Grano de Oro was truly a relaxing experience. The rooms are in a large house that seems to have been a hacienda or something at one time. Each room has windows facing a mini-courtyard with its own fountain and potted flowering plants, small palm trees, and garden statues. The constant trickle of water sound is soothing, as is the classical music that plays softly through a radio hooked up to the telephones in each room. My room had a minibar (but no room service, as for meals you are required to go to the hotel's restaurant) and the bed linens and bathroom toiletries were all top-quality. They even stamped the hotel logo into a folded corner of the toiler paper! T...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2001

Grano De Oro Hotel
Calle 30 Avs 2 Y 4
San Jose, Costa Rica
+506-255-3322

Quote:
Ranked one of the top 10 restaurants in San Jose on all points (food, service, decor), I ate here for practically every meal I had in San Jose. Sure it was convenient -- I was staying in the adjoining hotel. But, it was also so delicious that I had no urge to eat anywhere else. The waiters soon learned my name and were very attentive, taking an extra moment to talk to the single diners. Breakfast was marvelous; my favorite choice was the banana macadamia nut pancakes. I drank "mora" juice with every meal -- they fresh-squeeze the blackberries for the best juice I've ever tasted in my life. Dinner was elegant as well; I had a few seafood dishes and would recommend them over the other entre...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2001

Restaurante Grano de Oro
Hotel Grano de Oro
San Jose, Costa Rica
506 255 3322

Libreria Internacional Photo - Libreria Internacional, San Jose, Costa Rica
Quote:
I admit it with no shame: I am a bibliophile and am constantly running out of things to read while traveling. I find many travelers in the same boat, especially business travelers. This chain of four books stores (so far) has the best merchandising of books in Costa Rica, which at times exceeds the style of Barnes and Noble in the USA. Other locations are: San Pedro, (300m. west of Taco Bell, Barrio Dent tel 506 253 9553), Multiplaza (tel. 506 288 1138) and Rohrmoser (by El Fogoncito restaurant in Bulevar Rohrmoser 100 m. west and 25 m. south, tel. 506 220 3015). I mention them because I found no where to buy books (in any language in the San Jose airport, but at these four Librerias Internac...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2001

Libreria Internacional
Mall Internacional Alajuela
San Jose, Costa Rica
506 442 3800

Arenal Volcano Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Arenal Volcano from the Hot Springs"

Tabacon Resort Photo - Arenal Volcano, San Jose, Costa Rica
Quote:
My hotel reserved me a spot in a group tour run by Expediciones Tropicales. For US$75, they took us in a bus up to the Tabacon Resort and Hot Springs. The tour lasted the entire day, and included lunch, dinner, and admission to the Resort. Lunch was a traditional Costa Rican meal, not extravagant but fine. Along the three-hour drive up to the resort, we stopped at a coop store where we were given the chance to purchase local crafts if we so desired (including the much-touted ox carts). But finally we arrived at Tabacon, where we were given lockers and immediately got into our swimsuits for some relaxation time in the hot springs. The grounds of this resort are lush and perfectly landscape...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on February 3, 2001

Arenal Volcano
Near La Fortuna, 90 miles NW of San Jose
Alajuela Province, Costa Rica

Duck Duck Goose Photo - Zacero Church and Gardens, San Jose, Costa Rica
Quote:
Most visitors to the town of Zacero stop here along their way to another point, I'd imagine. Our tour guide pulled the bus over (on its way to La Fortuna from San Jose) to show us this church along with its remarkable topiary gardens. Although I would not recommend making Zacero a destination unto itself, it is worth it to stop and check out the topiary. Personally, I found it a bizarre and intriguing location for such a garden. Surreal, even -- as if Disney had sent gardeners here to train for reassignment in Orlando. However, the topiary work is admirable. The gardeners have created a path of arches that lead up to the church, as well as numerous animals that are cute or fearsome, depending on ...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on February 3, 2001

Zacero Church and Gardens
Downtown Zacero
San Jose, Costa Rica

About the Writer

Tavia

Tavia
New York, New York

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