San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica and home to about half a million Costa Ricans, lies between volcanoes and mountains. San Jose offers a dual charm; There are picturesque villages and coffee plantations located in San Jose, while at the same time, there are also cosmopolitan areas that offer a variety of great bars and restaurants, museums, cafes, parks, and art galleries. San Jose offers a fun and energetic street scene comprised of artists, musicians, and street venders.

Since San Jose is the transportation center of Costa Rica and makes for a great jumping off point to the other sites of the country, like the beaches, the rain forests, the mountains, and the volcanoes. It is an ideal place for those wanting to study Spanish in a fun city that offers a cosmopolitan feel to it, yet also offers the opportunity to get away from it all right within the city as well as through transportation that passes through to the rest of the country.