The capital and largest city of Costa Rica. It is located in the center of the country on a mountain plateau called "El Valle central" at an elevation of about 1,170 meters above sea level. Modern San Jose is packed with office towers, shopping malls and fast-food restaurants.
Most of the main streets have been converted into boulevards where a masses of people walk to work, or just hang around listening to music and chatting.
San Jose is still the hub of Costa Rican life.