Casa Ridgway is a small guest house located in San Jose, Costa Rica. It is operated by the non-profit organization, Centro de los Amigos para la Paz (CAP, Center of Friends for Peace). We are situated on a quiet street near the center of town, conveniently located near many popular attractions and activities. The guest house offers private rooms and dormitory bedrooms with shared bathrooms, at modest prices. A communal kitchen and patio-dining area are available to all guests.

A unique feature of our rooms is that some are dedicated to peace activist. Some of these activists include: Archbishop Oscar Romero, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Aung San Sun Kyi and Rufina Amaya.

In addition to supporting the operation of CAP, Casa Ridgway welcomes people from all over the world, and promotes peace through hospitality.

If you have any questions or to make a reservation please email us at:

hostel@casa-ridgway.com

Here you got an easy way to reach Casa Ridgway, reading this easy map below:

The best finds are the ones with the least glitter. On a quick trip back to San Jose (CR) to accompany my sister to the airport, the hotel we wanted was booked and so we made a quick switch to a random inn in the guidebook, La Casa Ridgeway, a house run by Quakers near the National Museum.

San Jose isn’t the most plush of cities, and at first glance La Casa looked shanty, the neighborhood worse, and I was pretty sure I’d switch hotels the following night. I was very pleasantly surprised. Not only has the place been clean and comfortable, I woke up to a complimentary breakfast of banana crepes and coffee, which was delicious, and accompanied by one of the nicest groups of people I’ve ever met.

Everyone at the breakfast table – Costa Ricans from all over the country – were doing some sort or noble work. Two men were trying to convince the government to ban certain toxic pesticides and educate farmers about the harmful effects of monocultures; another was starting a cultural center in Quepos to help kids stay away from drugs.

The woman making crepes, Isabella, an American who’s been in Costa Rica 20 years, helps run La Casa as a way to raise funds for the Quakers’ human rights and peace work. The list went on and on. Tonight, my last night at La Casa before I head back to the beach, I saw Batman: the Dark Knight at the local mall and then returned to my simple little room with this wood Ghandi carving above my bed. I felt grateful for all the real super heroes in the world. You meet them in the least expected places, sometimes over banana crepes.

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