Parque España is the loveliest of San José's downtown parks — a canopy of mature trees covers the square so completely that the noise of the city recedes. Parrots nest in the trees and screech through the mornings. The park is a meeting place for older residents and a midday escape for office workers from the surrounding government buildings and embassies.
On the south side of the park stands the Casa Amarilla, the yellow neoclassical building that houses the Foreign Ministry. The building's garden contains a piece of the Berlin Wall, a gift from the German government. Barrio Amón's best Victorian mansions are within easy walking distance, concentrated on Calle 7 and surrounding streets.