San Jose: Barrio Bites and Sights 4 hours Food Tour - Eat like a local

Throughout this awesome San Jose tour, your local guide will give you insights into local gastronomic specialties and share the best anecdotes of the city's history and local everyday life. You are sure to meet some of the local characters in the barrio and perhaps even get drawn into a conversation. You just never know what the night has in store!

Your guide will lead you towards Barrio Amon and Aranjuez, the pictures home to some of Costa Rica’s most historic buildings. Our first stop will be at a cosy little chocolate makers, where they just happen to dabble in excellent Caribbean cuisine on the side. We will try a selection of traditional Caribbean dishes alongside some fine Costa Rican chocolate — heavenly!

Our stroll will continue through the National Park and past the charming Atlantic Railroad Station until we reach Barrio Amon.

We’ll then navigate our way through a labyrinth of pretty backstreets that still retain their old-world ambience. We’ll then enter the Barrio Otoya, the multicultural heart of the neighbourhood, to admire its street art. We’ll also spot the creepy House of the 7 Hangings and find out why it has such a macabre moniker.

Next up is La Fabrica Nacional de Licores where you’ll learn about the popular pastime of producing homemade alcohol and why it used to be penalised. The locals’ favourite illegal tipple, guaro, which is made from sugar cane, used to be made in secret locales before being traded on the black market. We’ll pull up a chair here and try a few shots of our favourite local liqueurs.

Our walking tour will continue (possibly with wobbly legs!) past historical parks and iconic local buildings, along a walkway known by locals as the ‘Lady Path,’ where you’ll see more graffiti and find out the meaning behind it.

Then, because we think the best way to get to know San Jose is to eat like a local, we’ll do just that, with a visit to one of our (and the city’s) favourite contemporary restaurants, mixing the charm of a lively neighbourhood joint with delicious local food and a pinch of sophistication.

Your tour ends here but the night is young! Don’t hesitate to ask your local guide where to go next on your San Jose night out. Don’t forget either to ask for hints and tips on what else there is to see and do in the city during your stay.