San Jose Costa Rica nightlife is one of the most vibrant and exciting from the whole country, a great way to meet new people, make new friends, and have a lot of fun during your trip to this amazing country.

I guess you’re not traveling to Costa Rica just for having fun because this country is famous for its wildlife and amazing sceneries, but it is a pity to leave this Central American country without getting a flavor of Costa Rica clubs San Jose or Jaco if you are heading to the beach.

Considered by many people the heart of Costa Rica nightlife, San Jose has many pubs, bars, and clubs where tourists, expats, and Costa Ricans party till morning.

Together with other beach towns like Jaco or Tamarindo, San Jose is one of the best places to head to if you want to party and meet new people.

The most popular nights to get out are Fridays and Saturdays but many clubs and bars are open during the week and host popular events like ladies’ night.

Leave your flip flops and swimming suit in the room and dress casually for a memorable night out with your friends.

Grab a sweater with you as the night might become chilly in San José and Central Valley so be prepared to dress up after a long night in the club.

I drop below a list of the best clubs and pubs from San Jose so that you know where to head to on your stay in San Jose.

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San Jose Costa Rica nightlife, clubs in San Jose

Cuartel de la Boca del Monte

One of the trendiest places from San Jose is definitely Cuartel de la Boca del Monte, once a modest spot that did not stand out with anything.

Today is a hotspot for youngsters looking to have fun and party with live music on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, great cocktails, and high-class services.

This is a great place to go for a tasty snack, good music, and cocktails as there are more than 200 different cocktails in the menu to choose from.

Be careful as the bar has a dress code so don’t go in flip flops, shorts, and jeans if you want to enter this location.

Club Vertigo

Definitely one of the best dance clubs from San Jose is Club Vertigo, a popular place among local artists and people with money that likes to party hard.

DJs spinning the disks with the latest techno, house, and hip hop music make you jump from your seat to the dance floor and dance all night and guarantee you a unique experience even for the most demanding ones.

The club is considered among the best from Central America and it hosts parties with international live DJs and has one of the best sounding systems in the world.

Costa Rica nightlife San Jose is nothing without this club so we strongly recommend you to try it as it has just updated its sound system with a new one for higher sound quality and more fun.

There are even special night events like hip hop and Reggae night on Fridays and each Thursday they have the Deep House night for house music lovers.

The Public House Irish pub

San Jose Costa Rica nightlife scene of bars and clubs is richer with another beautiful place known as The Public House Irish Pub that should remind you of an Irish Pub from Europe but actually, it is just the name.

Modern and traditional elements combine together while the drink menu is quite impressive with many signature cocktails like Maracuyazo which is a shot of orange chiliguaro with maracuya or Nutella Martini, a sweet treat with a twist.

Besides the cocktail menu, there is also a Costa Rican craft beers menu so you will have the chance to taste almost all the beers that are made in Costa Rica and to find out more about craft brewing in Costa Rica.

Locals and tourists hurry to this pub for its positive atmosphere, great drinks, interesting decor, and indie rock music, a popular place for nightlife in Costa Rica San Jose.

These are the new essentials you have to pack for your trip

Jazz Cafe San Pedro

Once known as the best place from San Jose were to listen to high-quality live music, especially Jazz, Jazz Cafe San Pedro still remains an emblematic place for the night owls.

For those of you interested in listening to good music, eating tasty food, drinking a good beer or cocktails, and chatting with friends all in the same place, we strongly recommend Jazz Cafe San Pedro.

The club is located in a neighborhood with the same name, San Pedro, and offers to its guests a great restaurant and a bar where they can sip a drink and listen to live music.

There are different shows each night and famous singers like Mike Stern, Diego Urcola, Frank Gambale and Scott Henderson are just some of the names that performed in this bar.

An interesting mixture of tourists, Costa Ricans, and expats can be found here and it is quite a crowded place especially during weekends so make sure you get a seat at the fiesta before everything is booked.

Little Theatre Group

Another emblematic place for San Jose Costa Rica nightlife is Little Theatre Group is a great place for a night out with your family.

You can watch here English and Spanish productions here and it is one of the oldest troupes in Costa Rica with more than 60 years of activity.

The high quality of shows they produce continues to attract thousands of spectators each time they have a show and the team manages to put in scene 4 different shows each season.

Just to have an idea about the quality and the level of the shows I can tell you that among the past shows played by this group are: The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie’s and Tuesdays with Morrie by Noel Montagano’s.

The most interesting is just about to come: not only professionals play the roles but also amateur actors are chosen.

So there is a very interesting mixture between the maturity and knowledge of the professionals and the enthusiasm of the amateurs.

To be sure that you will get a seat at any of the plays, we strongly advise you to book and pay for everything in advance, to secure your seat.

Castro’s

The home of Latin music, Castro’s is one of the most interesting Costa Rica night clubs in San Jose, a place where all types of music come together.

You can listen to salsa, reggaeton, and electronic music in a single place but the focus is mostly on Latin music.

Don’t expect to go to a fancy club so don’t dress like a VIP, take a casual outfit and something comfortable in your feet so that you can dance the whole night.

You will get free snacks and a wide range of cocktails and drinks so you will most probably find what you are looking for.

Special prices and promotions to different drinks attract tourists and Costa Ricans anxious to party and have fun the whole night without breaking the bank.

El Pueblo

El Pueblo is a very popular attraction among tourists and locals, a great place to make new friends and have fun, listen to good music and eat a traditional snack.

What I liked most here is the atmosphere, a positive vibe from morning till late in the evening, and the Spanish colonial architecture of the buildings.

Start your tour in El Pueblo with a shopping session as there are many shops from where you can buy souvenirs and presents for your beloved ones.

Choose a restaurant that fits you most and eat some traditional Costa Rican food and then let the party start in one of the spots from the area with lots of good music and a great vibe.

Things come to life just after 10 p.m so you have enough time for a shopping session and a great meal before heading to the dance floor.

There are many DJs that play good music in the area and different types of music so that everybody has fun and dances till late in the evening.

As there are more disco clubs located close to each other you can hop from club to club until you will find one you will like most and decide to spend the whole night there.

Accommodation close to San Jose Costa Rica nightlife

Gran Hotel Costa Rica Curio Collection By Hilton, a wonderful hotel located close to San Jose downtown, the only hotel declared historical and architectural monument from the whole country.

The hotel is surrounded by museums, plazas, restaurants, and bars and has one of the most beautiful interiors in the country

Another option for your stay in San Jose close to bars and museums is Hotel Cultura Plaza San Jose Costa Rica is located close to the National Theatre and the best attractions from San Jose and features clean rooms and a great breakfast.

Conclusion

The wildest parties usually take place on Fridays and Saturdays when expats, Costa Ricans, and tourists hurry to San Jose clubs to party, meet new people and have fun till late in the evening.

Put on some casual clothes and head to these amazing places to see how these Latin American people party and have fun.

In Costa Rican clubs and bars the most common music that is played is hip hop, house, reggaeton, merengue, salsa, cumbia, and the rock music of the 80s and 90s.

The opening hours to different clubs and bars vary and some of them have special offers on certain nights like lady’s night when ladies drink for free or bonuses for showing up before 9 p.m.

The clubs usually get crowded after 11 p.m and most of them are opened until 2 or 4 in the morning so prepare yourself for a long and entertaining night.