Place: San Juan de Dios Hospital
Location: WWM7+HX San José, San José Province, Costa Rica
Phone: +50625478000
Hours: Open 24 Hrs
Admission: Not applicable
Website: Not readily available
History: Founded in 1845, San Juan de Dios Hospital is the oldest medical facility in Costa Rica. In 1865, the hospital’s administration was entrusted to the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, a Catholic congregation dedicated to caring for the sick and poor.
These nuns were recognizable by their black habits with white collars and distinctive white cornettes resembling paper boats. Over the years, the hospital has maintained much of its original architecture, with long, historic corridors that have become the backdrop for numerous local legends.
Hauntings: One of the most enduring tales is that of “La Monja del Vaso de Agua” (The Nun with the Glass of Water). According to legend, a nun named Sister María once denied a dying patient’s last request for a glass of water.
Overcome with remorse after the patient’s death, her spirit is said to wander the hospital’s halls at night, offering a glass of water to patients. It’s believed that those who accept the water experience miraculous healing, though many are too frightened by the apparition to do so.
Other reported phenomena include sightings of a tall man in black with a wide-brimmed hat in the Hematology section, a levitating woman in red, and a friar who allegedly hanged himself and now roams the corridors.
Patients and staff have also reported encounters with an elderly woman who advises postoperative patients to get up to prevent health deterioration before vanishing into thin air.
Additionally, there are accounts of phantom nurses and doctors, including the renowned Dr. Ricardo Moreno Cañas, whose spirit is invoked in healing rituals involving a glass of water, a white rose, his photograph, and a written plea for recovery.
Other eerie occurrences involve mischievous duendes (goblins) that pinch and bother patients, faucets that dispense blood instead of water, ghostly children in the old Pediatrics wing, and wheelchairs and gurneys moving on their own.
Howls have also been heard on the third floor, where early heart transplant experiments on dogs were conducted.
Personal Experiences: Specific documented personal experiences are scarce, but numerous anecdotal reports from hospital staff and patients have circulated over the years, contributing to the hospital’s haunted reputation.
Paranormal Activity Rating: High (Frequent activity)
For a visual exploration of the haunted history of San Juan de Dios Hospital, you might find the following video insightful: