West of downtown, Avenida central opens up into a wide boulevard, Paseo Colon, sloping gently uphill to Parque Sabana de Metropolitano. Paseo Colon epitomizes the modern mayhem of San Jose with its billboards, supercharged neon advertisements, and pandemonium of honking traffic culminating, eventually, in the pacific counterpoint of leafy Sabana.

The west end of Paseo Colon bumps up against Parque Sabana de Metropolitano, with grassy expanses, tree-lined jogging trails, and a miscellany of sports facilities. The bucolic, yet dishevelled retreat overlays the old airport, and the former terminal is today the Museo de Arte Costarricense, displaying many of the nation’s finest artworks, ranging from per-Columbian artifacts through robust contemporary pieces.