Active Pursuits

Due to the chaos and pollution, you'll probably want to get out of the city before undertaking anything too strenuous. But if you want to brave the elements, there are a few outdoor activities in and around San José.

Parque La Sabana (at the western end of Paseo Colón), formerly San José's international airport, is the city's center for active sports and recreation. Here you'll find everything from jogging trails, soccer fields, and a few public tennis courts to the National Stadium. All the facilities are free and open to the public. Families gather for picnics, people fly kites, and there's even an outdoor sculpture garden. If you really want to experience the local culture, try getting into a pickup soccer game here. However, be careful in this park, especially at dusk or after dark, when it becomes a favorite haunt for youth gangs and muggers.

Bird-Watching -- Serious birders will certainly want to head out of San José, but it is still possible to see quite a few species in the metropolitan area. Two of the best spots for urban bird-watching are the campus at the University of Costa Rica, in the eastern suburb of San Pedro, and Parque del Este, located a little farther east on the road to San Ramón de Tres Ríos. You'll see a mix of urban species, and if you're lucky, you might spy a couple of hummingbirds or even a blue-crowned motmot. To get to the university campus, take any San Pedro bus from Avenida Central between calles 9 and 11. To get to Parque del Este, take the San Ramón/Parque del Este bus from Calle 9 between avenidas Central and 1. To hook up with fellow birders, e-mail the Birding Club of Costa Rica (costaricabirding@hotmail.com), which frequently organizes expeditions around the Central Valley and beyond.

Bullfighting -- Although I hesitate to call it a sport, Las Corridas a la Tica (Costa Rican bullfighting) is a popular and frequently comic stadium event. Instead of the blood-and-gore/life-and-death confrontation of traditional bullfighting, Ticos just like to tease the bull. In a typical corrida, anywhere from 50 to 150 toreadores improvisados (literally, "improvised bullfighters") stand in the ring waiting for the bull. What follows is a slapstick scramble to safety whenever the bull heads toward a crowd of bullfighters. The braver bullfighters try to slap the bull's backside as the beast chases down one of his buddies.

You can see a bullfight during the various Festejos Populares (City Fairs) around the country. The country's largest Festejos Populares are typically held in Zapote, a suburb east of San José during Christmas week and the first week in January. Admission is $2 to $5 (£1-£2.50). However, due to zoning and health and safety issues, the traditional Festejos Populares in Zapote were cancelled in 2006 and 2007. It's not clear if they will return in 2008 or not. In 2007, they were shifted to the nearby town of Guacimo. This is a purely seasonal activity and occurs in San José only during the Festejos. However, there are yearly festejos in nearly every little town around the country. These are spread out throughout the year. Ask at your hotel; if your timing's right, you might be able to take in one of these.

Golf & Tennis -- If you want to play tennis or golf in San José, your options are limited. If you're looking for a real local experience on some rough concrete courts, you can take a racket and some balls down to Parque La Sabana. However, the best facilities for visiting golfers and tennis players are found at Parque Valle del Sol (tel. 282-9222; www.vallesol.com), in the western suburb of Santa Ana. The 18-hole course here is open to the general public. Greens fees are $85 (£43) per golfer per day, including the cart and unlimited playing both on the course and driving range. The tennis courts here cost around $6 (£3) per hour. Reservations are essential. The golf course at the Cariari Country Club is not open to the general public.

Hotel Spas & Workout Facilities -- Most of the higher-end hotels have some sort of pool and exercise facilities. You'll find the best of these at the Marriott Costa Rica Hotel and Tryp Corobicí. If you're looking for a good, serious workout, I recommend the Multispa (tel. 231-5542), located in the Tryp Corobicí. Even if you're not a guest at the hotel, you can use the facilities here and join in any class for $15 (£7.50) per day. Multispa has five other locations around the Central Valley.

Jogging -- Try Parque La Sabana, mentioned above, or head to Parque del Este, which is east of town in the foothills above San Pedro. Take the San Ramón/Parque del Este bus from Calle 9 between avenidas Central and 1. It's never a good idea to jog at night, on busy streets, or alone. Women should be particularly careful about jogging alone. And remember, Tico drivers are not accustomed to sport joggers on residential streets, so don't expect drivers to give you much berth.

Swimming -- If you aren't going to get to the beach anytime soon and your hotel doesn't have a pool, you can use the pool at the Multispa facility at the hotel Tryp Corobicí (tel. 231-5542) for $15 (£7.50). Alternatively, for a real Tico experience, head to Ojo de Agua (tel. 441-2808), on the road between the airport and San Antonio de Belén. The spring-fed waters are cool and refreshing, and even if it seems a bit chilly in San José, it's always several degrees warmer out here. This place is very popular with Ticos and can get quite crowded on weekends. Unfortunately, you have to keep an eye on your valuables here, and the place is perenially run-down. Admission is $2 (£1). Buses leave almost hourly for Ojo de Agua from Avenida 2 and Calle 12.