San Jose rarely gets picked as a honeymoon or wellness stop, but for travelers building a trip around Costa Rica’s food, art, and coffee culture rather than the beach, it earns a night or two. Xandari Resort & Spa sits in the hills above Alajuela, a short drive from the airport, with individually designed villas, gardens laid out by the owner-architects, and a spa built into the same hillside — it’s the kind of property that makes a first or last night in the country feel intentional rather than just transitional.
Travelers who base here for a day typically spend it at the Jade Museum and the Central Market downtown, or on a coffee tour in the surrounding hills — Costa Rica’s central valley is where most of the country’s best coffee is actually grown. Xandari’s own restaurant, using produce from its grounds, is worth planning a dinner around rather than heading back into the city.
One or two nights is the right amount of time here — San Jose works best as bookends to a longer itinerary through Arenal, Guanacaste, or the Osa Peninsula, not as a standalone destination.
Hacienda Altagracia
