San José, Costa Rica - City tour with Mercado Central, Cathedral, National Theater and Street Art

We take a walking tour through the center of San José, the vibrant capital of Costa Rica. On Avenida Central, at Mercado Central, and around Parque Central, we immerse ourselves in the city's bustling atmosphere. The Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana), the Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, and the National Theater (Teatro Nacional) bear witness to the city's rich history. At Plaza de la Democracia, we see one of the famous stone spheres before discovering the street art of Calle 17. Our tour ends at Plaza de las Artes. We begin our tour in the center of San José on Avenida Central, a lively pedestrian street. Alongside shops of all kinds, we encounter numerous works of art! With "Al Viento" and "La Chola", the artist Manuel Vargas has created a monument to the women of Costa Rica. Even the stray dogs haven't been forgotten, as evidenced by Francisco Munguía's "Monumento al Zaguate". Fernando Calvo's "Monumento a los Presentes" stands in front of the Central Bank and commemorates the rural population. And Edgar Zuñiga's "La Estatua del Barrendero" in Parque Central is a tribute to the city's street cleaning service. Founded in 1880, the Mercado Central (Central Market) on Avenida Central occupies an entire city block and is a magnet for locals and tourists alike. Here you can find everything from fresh fish, meat, colorful fruits and vegetables, fragrant herbs and spices, to live animals, and of course, handicrafts and souvenirs. We let ourselves drift through the labyrinth of narrow streets with over 200 stalls. You could also fortify yourself at one of the traditional "sodas" (small restaurants), but we just have some ice cream from Lolo Mora, a delicious tradition since 1901. Parque Central, the city's oldest park, has been a popular meeting place since the 19th century. From the elevated kiosk, we have a lovely view of the Teatro Popular Melico Salazar, built in 1928, across the way. Next to the park is the Catedral Metropolitana, the city's main church, with a mix of neoclassical, Greek Orthodox, and Baroque architectural styles. Just a few steps away is the city's architectural gem: the Teatro Nacional. Opened in 1897, the National Theater is a symbol of Costa Rica's economic rise through coffee exports. The theater's opulent interior is already evident in the café. A beautiful spot for a stylish break! We continue on to the Plaza de la Democracia y de la Abolición del Ejército. Here stands a monument to José Figueres Ferrer, the then-president of Costa Rica, who abolished the Costa Rican army here in 1949. On the east side of the square is the National Museum, a former fortress and military garrison. It's unfortunately closed today, but at the entrance we see one of the mysterious stone spheres from pre-Columbian times. Behind the National Museum is Calle 17, a kind of open-air gallery with large-scale murals and graffiti. Interesting, but unfortunately quite damaged in places! To conclude our tour, we stroll through Barrio Chino. Since its official opening in 2012, the large entrance gate has marked the beginning of Chinatown with its Asian restaurants and shops. We end our tour at the Plaza de las Artes, a culturally active square where John Lennon is seated on a bench! And in front of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad on the east side of the square, we see the Virgin Mary, as the patron saint of aviation. Then it's time for our trip to San José International Airport! Our Costa Rica trip is over, and we're flying home. And, of course, our connecting flight to Nuremberg is cancelled, causing us a delay of some hours. We should have prayed to the Virgin Mary for help! You can find the GPS track of the walking tour here: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/276... For more information, please turn on the subtitles in the video. If you enjoyed it, please like and subscribe to the channel so you don't miss anything. More videos from our stay in Costa Rica can be found here:    • Costa Rica   Visit in March 2025 Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:44 Avenida Central 01:18 Mercado Central 06:32 "Los Presentes" by Fernando Calvo 07:52 Parque Central 09:03 Catedral Metropolitana 10:38 Teatro Nacional 12:36 Plaza de la Democracia 13:35 Street Art in Calle 17 15:06 Chinatown and Plaza de las Artes 16:11 Outro