Costa Rica: Culture

On arrival at San Jose's international airport, you will be met by a local representative for Borton Overseas and transferred to your hotel.

Welcome to Costa Rica!

This morning,  explore the city of San José with the guidance of a local expert.  

Once oriented, the afternoon is free for you to walk the city on your own.  Considering visiting some local museums, such as the Gold Museum located beneath the Plaza de la Cultura, a museum focused on the social and cultural development of the pre-Columbian indigenous tribes and featuring a collection of hundreds of pieces of gold created by those tribes. Or the Museum of Jade and Pre-Colombian Culture by the Plaza de la Democracia. The museum building itself has an architectural component that simulates the concept of a block of jade divided in half. It holds a collection of around 7,000 objects from the pre-Columbian era, including those made of jade, ceramic, and stone, in addition to a collection of art and ethnography.

The Central Market is also worth a visit.  Try to find  Lolo Mora's ice cream shop for some delicious, traditionally-made ice cream.

Begin the day with an invigorating hike up a volcano!

You'll be driven to Irazu Volcano National Park, home to the tallest volcano in Costa Rica (just over 2 miles high).  The active volcano has a long history of eruptions. Many geological features are protected within the park's boundaries, including Hermosa Beach, the Principal and Diego de la Haya craters, and the Sapper formation -- the highest point in the massif, from which both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts may be seen.

Your hike takes you up to the rim of the volcano for a peak down into Irazu and views of its lunar landscape, swept by chilly winds. It's a memorable experience not to be missed!

For a unique experience of the cultural kind, this afternoon you'll visit the Basilica de los Angeles,  Costa Rica's most important church.

The basilica was built in honor of the Virgen de los Angeles --the patron saint of Costa Rica-- in 1635. The current building is Byzantine style and was constructed between 1912-1930. It was declared an historic architectural heritage site of Costa Rica in 1999. Each year on August 2, the feast day of Virgen de los Angeles, hundreds of thousands of Costa Ricans make a pilgrimage to this site to profess their faith; this is one of the country's most important religious events.

The plans for today include a visit to our largest archaeological site, the Guayabo Monument, and a walk in CATIE with it's hundreds of plants from around the world.  Make sure you taste all the exotic fruits at the end of the tour!

Guayabo National Archeological Monument comprises a group of pre-Hispanic architectural structures made of river stones, which were built of a period ranging from 1000 BC to 1400 AD.  There is also a wildlife area within the monument that protects a remnant of evergreen premontane rainforest.

CATIE -- Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center-- is located in the shadow of the active Turrialba Volcano and is dedicated to research and education in agriculture and the management, conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources. It's home to hundreds of different plant species, with  more than 4,000 plants. On a guided tour, you'll walk through the colorful gardens and learn about various flora species, ranging from  exotic flowers and medicinal plants to tropical nut and fruit trees, accompanied by the sounds of birds.  The tour concludes with the chance to sample some of the seasonal fruits grown on the grounds.

Today you will drive to the village of Sarchi, the arts and crafts capital of the country. Of particular interest here is the painted ox cart.

Originally used for hauling coffee beans, the ox cart was simple and practical in design, and functioned as the only form of transportation for many families. Nowadays, the ox cart is a famous symbol of Costa Rica's traditional past, and the carts sport bright colors and fancy painted designs. Sarchi is the only place left in the country that still makes the carts, thanks to a local community of woodworking craftsmen.

You will have the opportunity to try your hand at recreating the intricate designs on a miniature version of the ox cart, which you'll get to take home as a keepsake!

Afterwards, continue on to the nearby village of Naranjo to learn about the history and importance of coffee in Costa Rica, as you follow the process from plant to table.  Coffee production is an important industry for Naranjo, which produces most of the coffee for the entire province of Alajuela. Learn how the beans are grown, harvested, and roasted by locals whose families have grown coffee for generations, and taste the fruits of their labor (yes, coffee is a fruit!).

Food is an important component in culture, and sampling local foods is a delicious way to learn about Costa Rican culture!

You'll visit the Central Market of Naranjo to purchase the ingredients that you will the use to make lunch at Doña  Elida's home.  She will teach you, step-by-step, how to prepare a typical Tico dish, using local products and the herbs from her garden.

If you happen to visit during the weekend, we suggest joining the party!  Visit Viejillos, a discoteque dance club, and dance to Latin music with the locals!

Time to go home!

A private transfer takes you to the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose in time for your departure flight.

Buen viaje!