It is without a doubt that if you are looking for a large variety of options when it comes to bar hopping and nightclubs you can definitely find something that will tickle your fancy. This is especially the case for the area of San Jose and other popular beach destinations.
You will find bars and nightclubs that range from a disco hall to the casino type setting. You will almost find a different type of bar on each corner in the largest city, San Jose during your vacations.
Price range can vary depending on the style you are seeking. In San Jose, the most popular Costa Rica destination you will find your high-roller cocktail lounges which will feature $4.00 beers. Then you can find the safe local small-scale bars where you can find you a nice cold “cerveza” for only 75 cents.
Back in the 90’s I know that the hottest location for single men to go was the Hotel del Rey’s Blue Marlin lounge. It was a very nice bar, extremely classy. However, it was affordable. I think of the biggest things that made this destination so popular was the fact that it was open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. This is attractive for the tourist who may want to party in the middle of the week while they are away from home. Since the scene was still so large in the middle of the week, it sustained its popularity year around.
In recent years though there have been a couple of other bars that have claimed their stake with the tourists and locals alike. The New York Bar is one of the newer bars in San Jose. It still has that new smell to it almost. However, it is still a fairly upscale one and you won’t be receiving really cheap beer here, if that is what you are looking for.
For the budget tourists who just want to hang out with their friends and drink cold cerveza’s at a cheap rate without sacrificing a good atmosphere then there are those bars out there that fit this category. I would highly recommend the Mariscar which is on the pedestrian walkway. It is in a fairly busy location and that means that it will have plenty of people in it so you won’t feel like you are the only ones there. At the same time, your beer will run you at a very inexpensive rate here in comparison to some other, more upscale bars throughout San Jose.
*For more options, you can check the Costa Rica Directory at Tico Times.