Banking hours, which are at least 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., are covered above.
Government and professional offices are usually open from 8 a.m. to 5
p.m., though some government offices close at 4 p.m. Shops are generally
open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., though some still observe the long lunch
hour-closing from noon to I or 2 p.m. Downtown San Jose used to close
up at midday Saturday and reopen on Monday. These days, more stores
observe weekday hours on Saturday, and a few are open on Sunday. Some
restaurants close on Sunday, some on Monday; check before you charge
off in a cab.
A note on daylight hours. Since Costa Rica is near the equator, it does
not have the seasonal variations in daylight hours that lands to the north
have. If you get up with the sun, you will be getting up between 5 and 5:30
a.m. Darkness falls between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. year-round.

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