Costa Rica is a desirable model for its sister Central American nations. The tiny nations offers public education through high school, and generous government-assisted loans are available to students wishing to attend college. Costa Rica has very low infant morality rate (average in cities is 8 per 1000) thanks to socialized medical services, an inconsequential suicide rate, average life span of 75 years, and a 93% literacy rate.
There is no army or military force of any kind, and universal health care has been in place for five decades. With a total area of just under 20,000 square miles, it is the second smallest country in Central America after El Salvador. At the coasts, temperatures usually reach into the high 80’s and 90’s during the season between December and March. Afternoon squalls are common and can cool the otherwise steamy air. Most ticos live on high central Valley of the Saints, so named because, like the capital, almost every city in the valley is named for a saint.
Before the Spaniards arrived, Costa Rica was home to many different independent tribes. The people were not necessarily Maya, Aztec, or Inca, but many had come from these great kingdoms. Perhaps it was the place fleeing refugees met and settled. Almost off of the people lived in agrarian communities, and established permanent settlements that are still being studied. There were local warriors and some of the same sacrificial rituals that were practiced further north were also observed in Costa Rica, but whether by design or accident, southern Central America was a buffer zone between the northern and southern empires. The region was never penetrated. Sculpture and ceramic figures in the National Museum proves there were talented artists and advanced cultures.
In 1502, Columbus landed at Quiribri Isle near Cariari (now Limon) and stayed for several days. When the local people showed his crew golg, he named the area Costa Rica (“rich coast”). It was really a misnomer though. The tiny tribes hadn’t accumulated anywhere near the vast wealth that later drew Spaniards to the bigger empires in the Americas.
Puntarenas is the main Pacific Costa Rican port. Restaurants and shops line the waterfront on the southern side of town (Paseo de los Turistas). Local vendors sell many hand crafted souvenir items. Puntarenas is a pleasant place and may have once been an attractive beach town, but there is little of historic interest and very little to see and do in the immediate vicinity of the pier. There is a coffee shop in the modern terminal that serves excellent cappuccino, espresso and other hot and cold Costa Rican coffee beverages. International telephones can be found inside the terminal building as well. For a bit local color, visit the Mercado or browse the shops along the paseo.
Sarchi Costa Rican craftsmen are known for their beautiful metal, leather, ceramic and tropical hardwood work. Costa Rican designs are mainly derived from Moorish styles. When the Spaniards arrived in America, Moorish oxcarts much like those that were eventually built and used to haul coffee to the coast, were used in Spain. Though they are mostly decorative now, they are still used in rural areas. Modern artisans paint colorful designs on trays, wall plaques, and oxcarts, ranging in size from miniatures to actual life size carts. The village of Sarchi, near San Jose, is a noted center for the items, and showrooms are filled with hand painted wooden pieces. Sarchi has grown with tourism into a fairly good size town. Passengers traveling to san Jose from the port normally stop at Sarchi.
San Jose Just a two hour drive from the port, the charming Costa Rican capital is the very soul of the “tico” nation. Although Costa Rica’s wealth came from crops and progressive government rather than gold, colonial atmosphere pervades the highlands capital. Nestled into the Valley of the Saints, the climate is agreeable and cool and even though San Jose is a center of commerce, “laid-back” elegance sets the pace and tone. Even in the nation’s biggest city, the friendly people always greet you with a smile and a pleasant nod. Keep close watch - residents are eager to please visitors and during your stay - no matter how brief - someone will surely go out of the way to make you smile.
Bustling central Plaza de la Cultura is San Jose’s cultural and commercial hub. The National Tourist Office and Grand Hotel are both nearby, Banco Central’s Gold Museum is adjacent to the tourist office. The museum is modern and well lit, and contains the largest collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry in Central America. Detailed diagrams explain the function of each item. There’s also a small sculpture museum, and a coin museum for numismatists.
Ticos are proud of their Teatro Nacional (National Theater), which is easily Costa Rica’s most enchanting colonial building. Facing Plaza de la Cultura, the sandstone exterior is enhanced with statues of Beethoven and 17th century Spanish playwright Calderon de la Barca. Carara marble columns fitted with bronze capitals and Italianate arched windows prepare visitors for the ornate frescoes showing coffee and banana production that adorns the main entry. The theatre opened in 1897 with a performance of Gounod’s “Faust”. The interior is rich baroque. Teatro Nacional was renovated and reopened after bearing some damage in a 1991 earthquake.
Museo National (Costa Rican National Museum) is well organized and maintained, and is devoted to Costa Rica’s pre-Columbian relics, period costumes, colonial furniture, and photographs, that document Costa Rican development. The complex was originally the colonial Buena Vista Fort, well named for the splendid view of San Jose that can be enjoyed from the grounds. The fort encircles a patio overgrown with beautiful plants and featuring some of the enigmatic pre-Hispanic boulders that are peculiar to Costa Rica. The museum is opposite Plaza de la Democracia, built to mark the November 1989 centenary of Costa Rican democracy.
Also known as the Jade Museum, Museo Marco Fidel Tristan has the world’s largest collection of American jade, and its priceless collection of other pre-Columbian artifacts are also well displayed. Many pagan fertility symbols are included, and the region’s distinctive cultural heritage is highlighted. On the 11th floor of the National Insurance Institute on downtown San Jose, a clear day presents a spectacular view of the surrounding central valley, volcanoes and both oceans.
thanks for all of the info--we will be there the end of the month. We booked the zip lining tour, DH really wanted to do that and do hope I will also enjoy it.
thanks for all of the info--we will be there the end of the month. We booked the zip lining tour, DH really wanted to do that and do hope I will also enjoy it.
Nancy, I hope you guys have a blast doing the ziplining. It is soooo much fun!
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Puntarenas, Costa Rica - Background
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Hi KK! Thanks ... good background info!
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