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Drinking and nightlife
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San JosAŠ's nightlife is gratifyingly varied, with scores of
bars
and
live music
venues. That said, a couple of the most popular venues of recent years, including the splendid Casa Matute, have had to close because of strict anti-noise regulations (curiously, these are only enforced for live music venues, as opposed to taped salsa blaring at 7am from your neighbour's room). Many bars change character drastically come Friday or Saturday, when they host jazz, blues, upcoming local bands, rock and roll, or South American folk music. Ticos aren't known for burning the candle at both ends - with the exception of the studenty bars in San Pedro, most places close by 2 or 3am; earlier on Sunday.
Most young Josefinos , students and foreigners in the know head to Los Yoses or San Pedro to drink. In Los Yoses , Av Central features a well-known "yuppie trail" of bars, starting roughly at the El Cuartel de la Boca del Monte , with its mobile phone-wielding contingent, and finishing at RAo , a hugely popular American-style bar with an outdoor terrace. San Pedro is obviously geared toward the university population, with a couple of very studenty bars. It's worth experiencing one of the city's discos : even if you don't dance, you can watch the Ticos burn up the floor DAŠjA Vu is the place of the moment, while for traditional salsa , merengue, cumbia and soca try La Plaza, Cocloco, Las Risas or Infinito . Cover charges run to about US$4, though the big mainstream discos at El Pueblo charge slightly more than places downtown.
You need to be 18 to drink in Costa Rica. Even if you're well over age, if you look even remotely young, bring a photocopy of your passport as
ID
. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Costa Rica,
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