Parque Metropolitano La Sabana
Parque Metropolitano La Sabana (Sabana Metropolitan Park) is the largest and most important park of San José, a must-see visit. It is located in the city centre and is officially called Parque Metropolitano La Sabana Padre Antonio Chapui. It was named after him due to the enormous contribution that this Father made to the neighbours of San José by donating the land in 1783. The airport of San José previously occupied this land from 1940 to the beginning of the seventies.
La Sabana is a 72-hectare area dedicated to sports, culture, and recreation, located at 1,333 meters above sea level in the Mata Redonda district, in the central canton of San José. Due to its size and location, it constitutes the main and largest open space for public use in the capital, a park with multiple recreational options, rich in flora and fauna, and easy access. It was the priest Manuel Antonio Chapuí who donated the land and its surroundings in August 1783.
Things to Do
Athletics The most modern stadium of Central America and the Caribbean where the Costa Rican Soccer Federation plays. The park also holds the National Gymnasium, the María del Milagro París Swimming Pool, and the National Skating Rink.
Costa Rican Art Museum One of the most important fine arts museums of Costa Rica, a building with a neo-colonial style that has more than 3200 works. Inside it, you will be able to look at the creations of the great Cézanne, as well as Enrique Echandi, Margarita Bertheau, Lola Fernández and many more foreign artists. It also has a vast collection of Costa Rican traditional art.
La Salle Natural Science Museum The most varied collection of the endemic and exotic flowers and fauna of the world lies here. At the beginning of the tour, you will bump into a magnificent collection of dinosaurs, even with an impressive replica of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Besides, you can visit an extensive exhibition of taxidermy, a fossil´s collection and a huge number of butterflies.
Plan Your Visit
The park is located in the Mate Redondo District, in the central quarter of San José, in the west side of Paseo Colón Promenade.
Trusted Sources
TourisminCostaRica.org Instituto Costarricense del Deporte y La Recreacion