What type of music moves your body and soul? Can you groove to reggae and sway to tropical, house, drum and bass, or can you swing to Cuban, Spanish folk, cumbia, salsa, meringue, reggaeton, mambo or the cha cha? If not, you can lose your two left feet – there are plenty of places offering dance lessons in a country that dances more than it walks!

El Pueblo (“The Town”), located in the Northeast side of downtown San Jose, is the ideal hotspot for even the most seasoned nightlife rovers. Decorated like a Spanish colonial village, this behemoth structure holds over 100 gift shops, art studios, bars, restaurants, clubs and discotheques. With that kind of selection, you’d better be ready to party from sundown till first light!

To get the scoop on the latest groove, pick up a copy of the English daily paper “Tico Times” and the “Weekend” section will let you know where travelers and locals mingle. You can find disco, movie and live music offerings in the “Viva” and “Tiempo Libre” sections. Also, the ICT Information Building near the Plaza de La Cultura will give you the skinny on the local concert and Costa Rica nightclub scene.

San Jose’s Club Vertigo is a European club that is said to hold 850 dancers and attracts internationally-acclaimed electronic music DJs like Sander Kleinenberg, Deep Dish, Danny Howells and Infected Mushroom. It is definitely the place for VIP’s and out-of-town visitors who dream of Ibiza!

Discotheque Infinito features three dance floors and bars where you can meringue or salsa the night away. If you wish to visit an authentic “fiesta”, you can drop by the Cocoloco dance club. Another popular haunt, The Planet Mall Disco inside San Pedro Mall is a veritable riot of sounds and colors with 2,000 dance fiends gyrating to loud music and bathed in world class lighting. El Cuartel de la Boca del Monte also attracts San Jose hipsters in large numbers.

Tango dance producer Maria Julia Berde once commented on AM Costa Rica News, “The Tango sums up the feelings of a people – the pain, the happiness, the irony and the roughness of life.” For the more sedate crowd, the Tango Bar is a hidden dive reminiscent of Tango’s glory days. The accordion player takes requests and the bar is packed full of local flavor that is hard to find in some of the more glitzy discotheques and delicious local cuisine. Techno, Latino and Top 40 rock music caters here to a diverse crowd. You will simply loose yourself in the amount of beer you can get for $2 and if you need to make an escape, you can literally do just that by catching the slide running from the second story down to the exit!

For singles bars, revelers can check out El Cuartel de la Boca del Monte in the East end. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays bring in live music to keep the artsy and adventurous souls moving. Also, El Tobagan has a dance floor with bands playing live music for those travelers who aren’t afraid to bust a seam moving to some Spanish style music.

The Big Bazaar at Tamarindo Beach is a cult favorite among night clubbers and has been dubbed “the massive beach party”. Sand, bonfires, booze, tropical ai… what more could one ask for on a Saturday night? Party Miami style! You can find a few neat bars down at Jaco Beach as well.

If you’re a die-hard insomniac, you can continue wearing your boots out by dancing at the El Tunel del Tiempo until 10am.

There are even eateries that are open 24/7 and include La Parisian, Chelles, Manolo’s, Pollo Frito Pio Pio and the restaurant on Amado or Soda Tapia. There are more than twenty casinos located in San Jose alone and if you have a gambler’s winning streak you can head out to any of them!

Gay and lesbian nightlife can be found at La Avispa for pool playing or a modest dancefloor and at Déjà vu for drag shows and the loudest techno/up-all-night partying and the Kasbah, a restaurant/bar/internet café.

Costa Rica hosts a number of “Gringo Bars” (or American bars). Mac’s American sports bar is good for the wayward traveler who is looking for a little bit of home. With great food, drinks, sports memorabilia and TVs playing international games, you’re bound to feel comfortable. Also try the trendy Hotel Presidente’s News Café, the All Star Bar and Grill, the New York Bar, the Monkey Bar or the Dunn Inn Hotel.

For a swankier hangout, the Jazz Cafe and The Shakespeare Bar offer jazz music and NY-style ambiance. The patio at the Hotel Grano de Oro is the perfect place for a relaxing cocktail, similar to the relaxing promise of a spa-like escape offered by the Arenal Volcanic hot springs.

Plug. So if you are contemplating indulging your senses and soaking yourself in Costa Rica nightlife, think about asking Costa Rica real estate agents who can be your ticket to some of the best parties in the Costa Costa Rica

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