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 20 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 20 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

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
Lynn
16 November 2024
Three friends and I went on the walking food tour in San Jose with Maria as host. We couldn’t have been more pleased in the choices for all local dishes at various eateries. We had a lot of fun and I would recommend Maria wholeheartedly for this tour.Awesome San Jose Food Tour
Erin
21 May 2024
María is incredible. I cannot say enough good things about this incredible woman. She is a local artist with murals all over town. Her art is breathtaking/ stunning. She is quiet and kind. She took me to all the local restaurants she eats at and that accommodated my vegan diet. I would pay 5 times what I paid to go spend a day with this inspirational woman who is making the city beautiful one mural at a time! María is a rare gem. Local celebrity arist
Kathy
11 May 2024
We had such an amazing tour of San Jose with Maria! We met her near the National Museum then started our beautiful stroll through the city. Maria took us through the downtown area and pointed out the important buildings and gave us a brief history of the area. We stopped at a restaurant in a beautiful old home where Maria suggested some local foods and drinks. Everything was so good and it was fun trying new foods and eating like the locals. We continued our walk through beautiful parks and stopped at another restaurant for some more tastings. One thing we really enjoyed was finding out that Maria is a local artist and has done several murals in San Jose. We asked her to take us to see the murals and they were fantastic. I got a picture of her and I in front of one of the murals. We would definitely recommend this tour as a safe, fun way to see the city.Spectacular Introduction To San Jose!

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