San Isidro - Perez Zeledón in San Jose Province

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Perez is a very active and very large town in the Province of San Jose. Its main businesses involve agriculture and therefore you are likely to see cows, horses, and other livestock. Perez is very quiant and the people are very friendly. Perez is a great place to go to have a very enjoyable time. During the day the town is a bustling metropolis and at night it converts into an even more exciting party scene as everyone in the town seems to go out all together to the same places on the same nights for dinner and dancing!

Click here to see Fun Facts about San Isidro!

If you can read Spanish, click here for detailed information about events in San Isidro.

WHAT TO SEE & DO:

-Take a walk around town, people watch, take part in night life.

- Watch a local soccer match at the stadium.

- Get your teeth cleaned, there are hundreds of excellent dental clinics to chose from and the low prices will amaze.

- Chirripo National Park November to April is the best time to hike Costa Rica's highest point, a hike which can take several days depending on your condition. On clear days one can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

- Expo Perez Fair in February has a small town country fair feel where visitors can see local livestock, partake in fair activities, and of course drink local beer at anyone of the temporary 2 story bars that are put up and filled with live entertainment and dancers.

- Día de Boyero which is held in May and features an ox and cart parade where visitors can enjoy the uniquely and very colorfully painted oxcarts.

-Las Quebradas Biological Station

Fiesta of the Diablos in February in the Boruca Indian village of Rey Curre that lies a few kilometers south of the town center. This traditional festival is an excellent place to support native culture and buy traditional Boruca Indian hand-crafted masks and decorations.

- The Cushingos Bird Santuary located in Santa Elena just 15 minutes southeast of San Isidro is a 142 hectare paradise for over 300 different species of birds. This used to be the home of Dr. Alexander Skutch, a famous bird watcher, and is now run by the Tropical Science Center.

WHERE TO STAY:

Accommodations here are pretty decent and affordable with a number of hotels scattered througout the town. On weekdays is when most hotels are full due to all the business that takes place in the tpwn so sometimes finding a room can be an issue. Here are a few:

RESTAURANTS:

There are several delicious places to eat in Perez!

Here are some of our visitor's favorite spots:

- La Georgina: on the highway just 40 minutes before arriving in Perez where you can see hummingbirds while you drink a nice cup of Costa Rican coffee freshly brewed.

- El Mercado: in the center of town if you are an adventurous soul and like to be around lots of people they have some of the best and most affordable places to eat.

- La Cascada Bar & Restaurant: is by far one of the most popular joints in town. If you would like some second floor open air dining, great snacks, appetizers, and ambience this is the place. Many people get together here also to do business or to watch a local soccer match. Needless to say it is always hopping.

- Café Las Delicias: for great sweet treats, amazing coffees, and other delicias for your inner sweet tooth.

- Don Beto's: for fresh and good seafood dishes.

- Piccolos and El Tenedor: great pizza places.

Try anywhere, one really can't go wrong looking for seafood, great typical food, there are tons of great pizza places simply enjoy!

HOW TO GET THERE:

Take the Pan American Highway from San Jose towards Cartago. Continue along the Pan American highway about 3 hours.

San Isidro de El General is located just 120 km southeast of San Jose through the mountains on the cerro de la muerte highway.The English translation is literally "death mountain," but do not let this detour a trip to Perez, just be very careful when driving.It is a beautiful drive with breathtaking views and several great stopping spots for a quick snack and coffee.

In the past the road claimed many lives and was in poor shape as were the cars so many more accidents occured on this two lane highway. The road can be dangerous because it is very a very windy mountain paved road and sometimes it can become very foggy through the passes of the Talamanca Mountains. The path is also prone to dense fogs, potholes,mudslides, heavy torrential downpours on its steep cliffs. In fact, on the highest peaks there is a noticable temperature change, as the air becomes very chilly.

San Isidrio is also just 29 km or 45 minutes from Dominical Beach located in the Puntarenas Province.