San José Food Tour: Is It Worth It?

For many visitors to Costa Rica, the capital city of San José isn’t at the top of their bucket lists. Even though staying in this centrally located city allows travelers to take all kinds of quick day trips, it can be somewhat of a turnoff compared to the lush jungles, pristine beaches, and dazzling waterfalls elsewhere in the country.

Because a lot of the chatter online about San José was mostly “meh,” I was up for a challenge and curious about what the city had to offer. I booked a food and culture tour for my first day there, hoping to find out what there was to like about San José — and boy, did I find it.

The San José Food Tour: What to Expect

I knew going into the tour that there would be a focus on food, culture, and history. But prior to my arrival in Costa Rica, I’d only tried the classic gallo pinto, i.e., rice and beans. If that doesn’t tell you that my knowledge of Tico (Costa Rican) cuisine was limited, I should say that I also had no idea about the variety of fruits and vegetables available in the country. Also, full disclosure: I knew almost nothing about Costa Rica’s history before arriving too. So I showed up for my tour as basically a blank slate.

An expert local guide with all the answers

When my guide arrived at the meeting point in front of the National Theater downtown, it was impossible not to notice that I was the only one on the tour! I was excited to have a one-on-one experience, because I am, admittedly, that girl who asks way too many questions.

We headed right to Mercado Borbón, which my guide explained was one of the biggest open-air markets in the country. I love a good market, so we got down to trying everything right away. First, he showed me a couple of fruits that I’d never seen before. One of them was called mamón criollo, which made me giggle because it literally means “creole sucker” in English. (In Costa Rica, everything that is criollo means it’s from there; everything from outside of the country is chino, aka Chinese, even if it doesn’t actually come from China.)

The best coffee, empanadas, and other snacks

I didn’t expect to be fed so well, but my guide continued to hand me one delicious treat after another. I had an amazing cup of coffee and a fresh empanada in Mercado Borbón, then some fruits and coconut water in Mercado Central next door. All the while, I got the lowdown on the historical significance of both markets, as well as the different cultural influences that…