María José

A local artist with a storyteller heart

  • I live in San Jose
  • I speak English, Español
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 15 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

María José

I am an illustrator and muralist from San Jose who enjoys touring the city, looking for inspiration in it and looking at it through the artist's eyes. I have painted large murals in historical spaces and I have made art exhibitions in iconic places of the city, I have 10 years of being an art teacher and illustrating books by national and international authors.

I am a lover of the history of San Jose, and photographer and musician as a hobby. I also love good food and discovering magical places.

  • I live in San Jose
  • I speak English, Español
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 15 hours

Book one of my offers in San jose

Let's explore San Jose together! As your local guide, I'll show you the best of San Jose on a private & personalized tour for you.

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Reviews

Chris
1 September 2025
I have three criteria for a great food tour. It should take me places I wouldn't have found via Google reviews, it should give me a window to the city's culture, and the guide should bring an interesting personality. This tour, while a bit pricey, absolutely delivered on all three. Maria was excellent company throughout the day, her intimate knowledge of the local art scene greatly enhanced the tour, and she picked great bites that felt very authentic and true to city's culture. The food selections focused on what every day Costa Ricans eat rather than high end culinary one-offs. We very much enjoyed this approach and left feeling like we had been given the chance to connect with the city through its food.Great host, great tour
Henry
19 June 2025
María José was amazing, and she made sure to answer all our questions. She is a wonderful human being and a pleasure to learn from. We walked away happy to have learned so much about San José and Costa Rica in general, and sad that our tour had ended. If you are lucky to have her as your guide, we have no doubt you will have a fun and meaningful experience too.A wonderful experience!
Jennifer
16 June 2025
MaríaJosé y Alberto were such gracious hosts! They did not give up on us despite the communication within the app not working. They took us to some of their favorite spots. We saw many highlights of Tican history and culture (including some of MariaJosé’s incredible murals) and learned more than one could read in a book. We would never have been able to experience the depth and breadth of San José without their expertise and entusiasmó. Muchicimas gracias por todo. ¡Pura Vida!The secret life of San José
Wendy
15 May 2025
We had a wonderful morning with Maria, enjoying the interesting flavours of Costa Rica as well as seeing some of the sites of the city. The ice cream flavoured with interesting spices was a highlight. The tour was made all the more special by Maria and her engaging personality. There was also plenty of food, so make sure you start the tour hungry!Fun food tour in San Jose.
Diana
8 March 2025
We struck gold with Maria. She was friendly, knowledgeable and gave us a wonderful taste of San Jose, its landmarks, its culture and history.She’s also a talented muralist and showed us a number of murals around the city. And when we asked if we could see some of hers, she obliged! So impressive and I would recommend her highly to anyone visiting the city. We LOVED Maria as our guide!
Susan
10 February 2025
First of all, come hungry! The 10 food items advertised in this tour are no joke. This is a food tour of delicious "comida tipica" (traditional Costa Rican dishes) led by local muralist María José. Her knowledge of contemporary CR culture, arts, and politics adds depth to the tour. María Josés English is excellent AND she was happy to let us work on our Spanish by talking with us in both English and Spanish. We were lucky to be able to see several of her murals and to talk with her extensively about her obra and her methods of making art. María José is a very engaging and knowledgeable tour guide. Her flexibility, depth of knowledge, and engaging personality made It worth the cost of taking this private tour. Do it! And don't forget to come hungry!Fabulous Food Tour with Local Artist
Heike
28 January 2025
Thank you for everything! We can recommend María as a tour guide. The exchange before and after the tour was great! Thank you for the possibility giving us a first impression of San José and asking for our wishes!Perfect!
Jen
26 January 2025
Maria did an excellent job with our tour. We had only 2 hours one afternoon and had two kids with us. She somehow managed to tell us about history, current events, taught us some cultural tips, and showed us some beautiful spots. She balanced the needs of our children (start with ice cream, stop to run around a park, get balloon animals from a clown) and grown ups (historical, political, geographic questions). We even saw two parakeets and a bobo! Finally, Maria showed us two of her murals. She is such a talented artist!Great tour!
Susan
19 January 2025
We’ve done lots of food walking tours in all kinds of cities. We got to try a variety of delicious local dishes while learning about the cooking traditions, the people of San Jose and seeing some of the beautiful murals which Maria has painting. Don’t eat before and you will be very full by the end. Fabulous afternoon with Maria
Richard
7 January 2025
We had a nice 3-hour tour in San José, with Maria as our guide who truly brought the city to life. From the moment we met, it was clear we were in good hands. Our guide's knowledge of the culture, and hidden gems made the experience feel personalized and authentic. We got to explore local markets and taste traditional foods, everything we looked for. We even had the chance to visit the National Museum. The stories shared along the way added a unique, local flavor to the tour. I recommend this experience for anyone looking to get a local approach of San José!Just as expected

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