San José Off the Beaten Path Tips by grandmaR

We arrived about mid-day on Sunday, and by the time we got to the hotel and checked in, we didn't have much time left for sightseeing. We took a cab (expensive) into San Jose to the Serpentarium at 1st Ave., 9 & 11 Streets. I figured the chances of encountering a poisonous snake were small, but I wanted to know what one would look like if I did run across a snake.

This was a VERY interesting place, and I enjoyed it very much, but then I'm not freaked about snakes. The website says: "Most notorious is the terciopelo, responsible for more than half the poisonous snakebites in Costa Rica. The menagerie also features boa constrictors, Jesus Christ lizards, poison dart frogs, iguanas, and an aquarium full of deadly sea snakes. There are also such exotic creatures as king cobras and Burmese pythons."

According to my information at the time, the serpentarium is closed Monday, but it was one of the few things open on Sunday.

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 / Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00

Admission: Approx. US$5, per person

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Phone: 005062554210
Website: http://www.costaricadiscover.com/info/serpentarium.htm

On the 11th floor of an insurance building is the Fidel Tristán Jade Museum, which has the largest collection of jade in the world - pre-columbian artifacts (mostly carved adzes and pendants but some rather rude ceramics too) and reconstructions. The museum also displays a archaeological exhibits of ceramics, stonework and gold miniatures.

It takes of the whole floor of the skyscraper and you get 360 degrees of views of the city.
Mon-Fri 9:00-3:00. When we went it was free, but I think there is now a small admission fee of $2 or $3.

9 Street, 7 Ave., INS Building, 11 Floor, San Jose across from the Parque España (Park of Spain). The elevator to the museum is off to the left side as you approach the main entrance. The URL has a map of the location.

(The second URL doesn't seem to be working ATM)

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Phone: 005062876034
Website: http://www.moon.com/planner/costa_rica/mustsee/fidel_jade.html
Other Contact: http://www.cr/arte/jade/musejade

Because we were in San Jose on a Monday, the Gold Museum wasn't open. So ... what else is open on Monday. Let's go to the Jade Museum and then to the Spirogyria butterfly farm. I had the Frommer's guide which mentioned where it was and I had the lady at the tourist center show me where it was on the map. But no one had ever heard of it - maybe it is different now.

A short taxi ride later, we were dropped off in the university district behind the zoo. The garden is at 50 east, 150 south from the main entrance to "El Pueblo" shopping center. Open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We had a hard time actually finding the garden entrance and wandered around quite a bit first.

We paid what I thought was an exhorbitant admission charge (something like $10 each). Then we saw a film about the butterfly life cycle (good for Bob who as an engineer didn't know any of that kind of thing) and went through the exhibition area and out into the garden. For some reason I had not expected that the gardens were covered. Inside were not only numerous butterflies but also hummingbirds.

We sat in the garden and watched the butterflies and hummingbirds and listened to the lions roaring below us at the zoo. After we had regathered our strength, we left and got a bus back to town where we had an icecream drink at Pops.

I think now there is a cafe at Spirogyria.

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Phone: (506) 222-2937
Website: http://www.infocostarica.com/butterfly/spiro2.htm