The {{lang, es, Calle de la Amargura ("Bitterness Street") is a four-block-long street located
in
San Pedro district,
Montes de Oca canton, and is one of the best-known zones near
San José city. ''La Calle'', as it is often called, is very close to the
University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica (Spanish: ''Universidad de Costa Rica,'' abbreviated UCR) is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro M ...
(UCR) and other important higher education centers.
Services
''La Calle'' consists of small stores, nightclubs, and bars, most of which are open every day. The area is mostly known for its extensive nightlife scene.
Besides its infamous
nightlife
Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, ...
(see below) it is frequented by UCR students due to the cheap food and photocopying services.
Name Origin
The name "Calle de la Amargura" is a reference to another street of the same name located in
San Lucas Island
San Lucas Island National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Isla San Lucas) is an island located off the Pacific shore of Costa Rica in the Gulf of Nicoya. It is part of the Puntarenas district of Puntarenas Canton of the province of Puntarenas.
Formerl ...
through which incoming prisoners at the dock had to traverse in order to get to the administrative building of the prison. Because the condemned knew they would not be able to escape after reaching the end of the road, an analogy was made for its counterpart in San Pedro, since this road is also long, full of distractions, and preceded the entrance to the
University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica (Spanish: ''Universidad de Costa Rica,'' abbreviated UCR) is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro M ...
, the final destination.
Nightlife
There are many bars and discos on the main road, known for their late night operations.
Crime
''La Calle'' is often thought to be a dangerous place at night. Drug dealing is a very common activity and police officers usually come heavily armed. Petty theft and pickpocketing are very common, and visitors are advised to carry few valuables. Suggestions for visitors would be to only bring an identification card and just enough money for drinks and a ride home, to stay in a group on the main road, and to not start any type of fighting or respond to any remarks.
External links
calleamargura.com covers art, over 5000 pictures and 250 articles of culture and society in Costa Rica.
San José, Costa Rica
Road transport in Costa Rica