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Grano de Oro

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Hotel overview

Without doubt the most elegant place to stay in the city centre, the Grano de Oro offers period charm and excellent levels of service. Set in a converted mansion dating back to the early 20th century, the rooms vary considerably in size but feature excellent amenities. The hotel’s location in a quieter residential area of San Jose gives it a more tranquil feel, and the leafy roof terrace with Jacuzzi provides a tranquil outdoor space. Grano de Oro’s restaurant is one of the best places to eat in the city so we recommend booking a table for dinner when you arrive, even if you are a hotel guest.

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Quirky excursions

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Excursion

Food Tour at San Jose's Central Market

Founded in 1880, San Jose's Central Market (Mercado Central) offers a great insight into daily life in the capital. Exploring this bustling market on a two-hour small group tour,  your local guide will point out the wide array of tropical fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood, spices and other items that can be found here. You will meet some of the people who work in the market, watch fresh tortillas and empanadas being made, perhaps sample some delicious guava marmalade and freshly brewed coffee. The Mercado Central is also particularly well-known for its 'sodas' (small, informal restaurants), some which present in the market for more than fifty years. Many of these businesses have remained in the same family for up to four generations and their owners show great pride in this legacy, and there is a real sense of community here.

Excursion

La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas Volcano & Doka Coffee Estate

Your first stop on this full-day tour will be at the Doka coffee plantation, owned by a family with a long history of coffee cultivation in Costa Rica. During the tour of the estate, you will learn about the production process from start to finish include the harvesting of the beans, milling, grinding and roasting. Continue on to Poas, passing lush plantations and strawberry farms along the way. The ever-popular Poas Volcano is best known for its enormous and accessible main crater which measures one kilometre in diameter. You will have ample time to take in views of the crater lake and take a gentle hike to a nearby lagoon before travelling on to the final stop of the day. La Paz Waterfall Gardens offers three kilometres of walking trails which are well-marked and in good condition, making them easy to explore independently. The park features a butterfly observatory, a hummingbird garden, a serpentarium, a frog exhibit and a jungle cat rescue centre.

Excursion

San Jose Food & Cultural Tour

This interactive tour gives you a fascinating insight into life in San Jose. After a short walking tour passing through Parque España and the National Museum, you'll continue on to the San Jose Central Market,  the perfect place to learn about local traditions such as herbal medicines and grab a freshly roasted cup of Costa Rican coffee. You will then take local transport to the colonial suburb of Escazu, visiting an 80-year-old inn which offers a tasty selection of over 20 different Costa Rican tapas. After lunch, you will visit an artisan workshop renowned for its production of colourful traditional masks, before finishing the tour in a traditional bakery, popular for afternoon coffee with homemade bread. You'll also have the opportunity to make your own tortillas.

Excursion

Poas Volcano visit

One of the most visited volcanoes in Costa Rica due to its proximity to the capital, the Poas Volcano makes for a pleasant half-day trip from San Jose. The principal draw of this relatively small national park is of course the main crater of the volcano, one of the largest accessible volcano craters in the world. Be prepared for changeable conditions here though as the constant geothermal activity means wafts of sulphurous gases are usually prevalent, sometimes obscuring the crater and its impressive lake. There are also a number of short forest walking trails within the park which can be explored before you transfer back to the capital.

Excursion

San Jose Coffee Tour

On this half-day tour you will learn all about the production of one of Costa Rica’s most famous exports. You will be driven to a nearby coffee estate where you be shown various stages of the cultivation proves such as the initial planting, collection of the ripened coffee berry, the peeling process and also fermentation process of the beans. You will also visit the drying patios and the roasting hall where you will see and smell the different roasts produced here. There will be an opportunity to buy some local organic coffee and other typical souvenirs before returning to your hotel.

Excursion

Train, Cycling & Market Tour to Cartago

This fun and interactive tour will give you an insight into daily life in San Jose, which many visitors to Costa Rica don’t take the time to see. You will join your group at the central Parque España, one of the oldest parks in the city. Here you’ll meet your local guide, who will give you a bit of history about the park, as well as the surrounding buildings. You’ll take a wander across the street and admire the view of the Casa Amarilla, and then head onwards to the National Liquor Factory. Next you’ll take a quick 10-minute hike up into the hills of San Jose and arrive at the Atlantic Railroad, where you’ll hop on a train to head to Cartago. This scenic 45-minute journey will take you past the University campus, further out in to the mountains, and through the coffee plantations. Upon arrival in Cartago collect your bikes and take a gentle cycle through the streets of this beautiful town, learning all about its history along the way. Many of the locals travel by bike here, so you’ll fit right in! The tour will finish up at the Central Market, where you can sample some popular local snacks before hopping on a local bus with your guide, for the return journey back to San Jose.

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