Things to Do with Kids in San José, Costa Rica

San José is most families' airport stop on the way to the coast, but it is worth a night and a day if you can manage. The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum on Plaza de la Cultura is genuinely interesting for kids 8 and up; the gold artifacts plus the underground vault setting work as a real museum experience, not a tourist trap. GOGO Planet is the indoor play space that handles a half-day off the rainforest for younger kids. Librería Internacional on Avenida Central has an English section worth a stop. Pasta Pronto Express y Catering is the casual sit-down that does not blink at family chaos. The Central Market is a true sensory experience and a good lunch stop. The real action is outside the city: Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific (4 hours by car), Arenal Volcano (3 hours), and Monteverde Cloud Forest (4 hours) are the three coastal and mountain anchors. Pro tip: rent a 4WD only if you are headed to Monteverde; the rest of the country's tourist infrastructure runs on regular cars and shuttles. The shuttle services from San José hotels to the main destinations are the cheap option ($55 per person each way) and beat the rental-car insurance math for short trips. Bring kid-strength repellent for any forest hike.