As the capital and largest city in Costa Rica, San José is an excellent place to spend your time in the country. In part, because there is so much to do in the city, but also because it’s near the center of Costa Rica which makes day trips from San José a breeze.Generally, day trips are going to take at least an hour’s commute because of the terrain in Costa Rica. But there’s too much to see in Costa Rica to spend the whole trip in San José.