Travel services for Off-the-beaten-path explorers
Author: Ligia
Hi! I’m Ligia—a Costa Rican travel planner, blogger and mom who loves to share this amazing country with others. My family and I wander Costa Rica, from hidden waterfalls to kid-friendly trails, so I know what makes a trip fun and enriching for everyone. With over 15 years in the travel industry I create custom itineraries that combine local experiences with the comfort and safety families need. I’m also a coffee lover, cat mom and nature lover. Join me in discovering Costa Rica’s real magic—beyond the beaten path and perfect for your family!
One very strange thing about San Ramon is its weather. If you leave San Jose and travel north along the Pan-American highway, you will notice an immediate change in the weather when you get to the top of the hill just beyond the town of Palmares: It suddenly feels slightly colder.
Some people love the weather in San Ramon! Some people hate it! We live in the tropics, so visitors often get surprised by the colder weather in San Ramon. The cold is thanks to altitude: at higher elevations, you experience lower temperatures.
Facts about the weather in San Ramon:
Temperature: 13 to 27 °C (55-80 °F) Altitude: 1057 meters above level sea (3468 feet) Daylight: 5:45 am until 18:30 pm
Rain in San Ramon
The rainy season starts in mid-May and lasts until November—similar to the hurricane season in the United States. We are lucky to have sunny mornings and rainy afternoons. Usually, it pours rain for a couple of hours after midday and then stops, so we have hot mornings and chilly nights. October is the worst month—it rains almost all day every day.
San Ramon: cool, misty weather
San Ramon is well-known because it is surrounded by a cool mist and fog at least part of the day for most of the year. People in Costa Rica recognize the town for this characteristic. However, the older people in town say to us younger generations that the weather in San Ramon is not the same anymore. They say now we have hotter days more similar to coastal towns like Puntarenas.
We always joke that when San Ramon is really foggy and misty, it looks like a “Ghost Town.” But we have learned to love it. Those rainy or misty days are perfect times to stay at home, have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and watch movies.
Depression of Desengaño (geology)
As an interesting fact, San Ramon’s weather is influenced by trade winds coming through the Desengaño Depression. A depression is a sunken area. Trade winds are winds that blow constantly toward the equator from the northeast in the northern hemisphere. The Desengaño Depression funnels the winds through Costa Rica’s Central Valley, bringing colder weather to San Ramon.
So that is the better and more “scientific” explanation about why San Ramon has this particular weather that you will find in some areas of the country like Monteverde, Zarcero, Poas Volcano, Barva. San Ramon also has a cloud forest and species of animals similar to Monteverde.
San Ramon can be a great option for those who want some warm weather, but aren’t looking to stay the whole time in the hot weather. During the mornings, you can experience some of the hot weather, but then it cools off in the evenings!
To finish, I will describe the weather in San Ramon as NICE AND WARM!
When I (Ligia) started working in tourism, one of my first jobs was as a volunteer coordinator. I was in charge of orientations and city tours to help volunteers to know the town of San Ramon. I was even the go-to tour guide for my friends coming to visit from San Jose!
This guide is based on the city tour that we have done with volunteers and tourists in the past. We decided to create a tour of downtown San Ramon that can be done on foot for free.
We recommend this tour for people who are staying in San Ramon or for those who are on the way to Arenal Volcano, Puntarenas, or Guanacaste. Add this tour to your trip to get to see one of the most traditional towns in Costa Rica!
Recommended starting point:
Sunday through Thursday: Church
Friday and Saturday: Farmers Market
Recommended finishing point:
Central Market
Duration:
approx 2 hours
Parking:
If you are coming by car, the main church provides a parking lot for a small fee. It is one of the safest places to park.
Let’s begin our tour!
We recommend starting at San Ramon’s “central park.”
Like most towns in Costa Rica, San Ramon’s central park is located in front of the main church.
If you come on a Friday or Saturday, we recommend starting at the Farmers Market (Search on Waze: Feria Del Agricultor San Ramon, Avenida 16, San Ramon).
The park is named in honor of Alberto Manuel Brenes, who was born in San Ramon. He was a biologist, botanist, taxonomist and Costa Rican artist.
If you stand in the center of the park facing away from the church, at the right side of the park you will see what we call the Kiosco. Almost every park in Costa Rica has a
Almost every park in Costa Rica has a staging area for performances or a place where people can gather. All presentations must be approved by the local government.
In addition the park represents the meeting point for people, for social activities, and for festivals.
It is the heart of the city.
You can do a circle around the park, and if you pay attention to the ground, you’ll notice a yellow line. the line has a square with dots that are used for the blind population of San Ramon.
The line has a square with dots that are used for the blind population of San Ramon.
Stop 2: The church
Crossing the main street from the park, you will see the San Ramon Parish Church. The church contains a lot of history dating back to 1885. 1885: Construction began, with crews using rocks and wood from surrounding areas. 1924: Then the construction was finally completed.
1928: After a lot of sacrifice, Casa Krupp from Germany sent the metal infrastructure to Puntarenas and the material was transported by oxcart all the way to San Ramon to complete the rebuilding process.
Go inside the church and you can take some pictures if you are discreet.
Surrounding the church, you will find many local shops, cafeterias (local food joints), ice cream shops, bakeries, restaurants, banks and supermarkets.
Then you can take the left exit, cross the parking lot and across then the street you will see the museum.
The church had to be rebuilt after a part of the temple was destroyed due to a forceful earthquake
Stop 3: José Figueres Ferrer Museum
The president Jose Maria Figueres Ferrer was born at this museum where was built in his house. He was a very important president for the history of Costa Rica, especially because he abolished the Costa Rican army in 1948. The museum is open to the community, offering a space for culture, arts and entertainment.
Schedule: Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 6 pm Entrance Fee: More information: http://centrojosefigueres.org/
After you’ve explored the museum, turn right out of the exit and walk to the corner where you will see the other museum just diagonal from the church.
José Figueres Ferrer – Ex-president of Costa Rica who abolished the army
Stop 4: Regional Museum of San Ramon
Created by the University of Costa Rica, the main goal of this museum is to promote the cultural patrimony of the town. The building is one of the oldest in San Ramon. Inside, you will see exhibits with detailed information about the history of San Ramon and the Costa Rican lifestyle in the old days. The biology department has a great permanent exhibition about sea turtles and giant sloths.
There is also a reading program run by the students of the university to motivate the kids of the area with reading habits and other activities that are in the cultural agenda of the museum.
The exhibits change regularly as the professors and students develop topics of social and environmental importance.
Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am until 6:00 pm (Closed for lunch 12:45 pm until 1:45 pm) Entrance Fee: You put the price in donations at the main door
After you are done with the visit then go to the left. Behind the museum, you will see the central market.
Giant Sloth – Permanent Exhibition of Museo Regional de San Ramón
Stop 5: Central Market
Each town in Costa Rica has a central market building where local commerce takes place.
Seems like during the week, you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables from local vendors, as well as cheap “sodas” (local restaurants with local dishes at a very fair price!)
If you want to eat where the locals eat, local sodas are a great place to end your tour around town.
Casado- At a typical Soda inside the market
Stop 6: Farmers Market
For Friday evenings and Saturday morning tours: We highly recommend exploring the local farmers market if you are in town and have the chance. You can ask a local for directions. From dowtown is few block up close to the University of Costa Rica.
The farmers market is the best place to immerse yourself in the local culture, with the local people. Producers from different areas come on a weekly basis to sell their products. You will see a variety of things that local people produce and sell. Try the tortillas that are there. They are delicious.
San Ramon Farmers Market – After recent years rebuilding
Ligia drinking her favorite drink at Farmers Market: “Mozote”
Finally, we hope this tour will give you a better orientation to Costa Rican culture. Also San Ramon represents the unique aspects of Costa Rica pretty well, and it does not take that long to explore, so it can fit easily in your itinerary.
Since San Ramon is not a big city, another advantage is it will save you the traffic and is a safer town than San Jose. However, if you can do both, it will be great because you will see the two lifestyles between the different cities.
At the end of the day, Costa Rica will be remembered not by the nicest architecture or cities, but by the people. As cheesy as it sounds, the Pura Vida lives in the heart of the Costa Rican people.
So take a look around San Ramon, and if you are in town, let us know! We would love to have a cup of coffee with you!
As a quick introduction of Costa Rican food, let’s begin with two main facts: 1. Costa Rican food isn’t overly spicy like Mexican food as many people think. 2. Yes! It is true that we eat a lot of rice and beans and have fresh fruits. Our food may not be as exotic as other countries’ traditional dishes, but there’s something decidedly comforting about Costa Rican food.
Read on to find out about our favorite traditional Costa Rican foods, and why they’re definitely not boring or bland:
Gallos (“Tortillas” and something else)
According to urban history, Gallos got its name from an ex president, Rafael Yglesias. His nickname was “Gallo,” which means rooster. He had lived in Europe, and right before presidential elections, he had the tradition to invite people for a meal. His cooks were trying to replicate the “Canapes” that are served in Europe. Canapes usually use bread or crackers, but the cooks used tortillas and beans to get as close to a canape as they could provide to the guests. Later, cooks started to change the ingredients, and now you can put cheese, meat, eggs in Gallos and and mix it in whatever way you prefer.
We learned more about the history of “Gallos” at Corso Lecheria, this plate is their specialty.
“Gallos”: Different styles of picadillos
Ceviche
You have probably heard about Peruvian Ceviche. Ceviche is raw fish cooked in lemon juice, but it is more than that. Costa Ricans have our own version of ceviche—in fact,most Latin American countries have their own version. Ceviche is best made with extremely fresh fish. The ingredients we use are: Onion, sweet pepper, cilantro, fish and we add ginger ale to marinate the ingredients and and lemon juice to cook them. These details make ceviche a very different dish from raw sushi. Many people feel safer eating ceviche, as its citrus preparation is believed to kill any diseases carried by fish. Finally, we put ketchup and mayonnaise or spicy sauce on the fish to get the final taste.
Gallo Pinto
There’s nothing that says “Costa Rican Food” like rice and beans. Costa Rican food often revolves around rice and beans, such as Gallo Pinto, a dish that translates to “Spotted Rooster.” Gallo Pinto is a dish that includes black beans at a three to two ratio to rice. It also has onions, garlic, and salt. People often add Salsa Lizano to get extra flavor. Sour cream can also be added. In the past, most jobs required hard physical labor, so a big breakfast with Pinto and coffee was crucial to get through the day.
Gallo Pinto with tortillas, plantains and … Meat!
Casados
Lunch is Costa Ricans’ main meal during the day, so we need a big lunch. “Casados” are rice and beans again but separated and accompanied by meat, salad and plantains. Chicken, pork and beef are the more popular meats. Other staples of Costa Rican food choices include fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and plantains and a variety of beans and rice.
The name “Casados” is because the relationship between the beans and the rice is like a marriage (Spanish: Casado). Also, an old Costa Rican story says that when the farmers at the fields meet for lunch time you can tell who is married and who is not. The married ones brought rice and beans and meat and salad while the single farmers only have a small gallo.
One of our favorite local places for eating “Casados” and “Gallo Pintos” is Cafeteria Flory in San Ramon.
Casado de Pollo and natural fruit juice!
Arroz con pollo
The famous Rice with Chicken. This dish is usually cooked using natural flavors like onion, pepper, garlic and cilantro (Costa Ricans love to cook with cilantro, btw). Then you add the chicken and rice with tomato sauce or annatto and voilà!!! Costa Ricans often eat arroz con pollo for dinner. It’s a quick and easy recipe that represents our culture in birthdays, parties or weddings. This dish can’t miss. It even became the joke and called it “arroz con siempre” (rice with always).
There are many more options for traditional Costa Rican food. It was hard to come up with the top five, but these are the ones I most encourage visitors to try to get a taste for Costa Rican food. Costa Ricans definitely love food. In our culture, love is expressed through the food. So I highly encourage visitors to try food in a local restaurant like a soda, where usually the cooks are ladies who cook with that homemade-mom love. If you want to find a good place for local food, just ask a taxi driver or someone in town which place is their favorite soda. Then check if the place looks busy during lunch time and enjoy the delicious food.
We hope that you enjoy it, and like we say here: Buen provecho!
Juan Castro Blanco is not too far from our hometown (San Ramón). It was the last National Park created in Costa Rica in 1992 with a total extension of 35715 acres (equivalent 14453 Ha). It’s considered part of the Arenal Conservation Area.
The park was set up in order to conserve a tract of primary and secondary forest that protects a series of important of water sources. I remember that I visited the park when I was in elementary school as part of field trip we were learning of the importance of water as a “renewable resource.” I didn’t understand at that time the importance of the creation of this national park. Understanding now that only 3 percent of the Earth’s water is freshwater, and only one-third of that amount is usable for drinking water, I am glad to hear about the fights of the neighbors and locals to protect this important water resource for our country.
Pozo Verde – Our day at Juan Castro Blanco National Park:
Getting there
We left San Ramón at 7:00 am and took the same route we would take to Arenal National Park. We passed Zarcero (the picturesque town with cypress trees with shapes), we stopped for our breakfast and kept driving to a town called Sucre. Here, we went to the right and started on a route surrounded by cows and farms going up for about 30 minutes until we got to the majestic mountain. We recommend 4×4 cars, especially if you are going in the rainy season. There is no bus to get there.
Location
San Jose de la Montana, San Carlos, Costa Rica
Facilities
They have a visitor center (pretty nice and new) but not rangers yet. You can use the restrooms. There seems that they have a parking lot next to the entrance but it is only for 4-wheel-drive cars, others just park on the side of the route. There is also a map that shows you the trails, and that’s it pretty much.
Trails
There are 3 trails. One says it will take you to the mines (35 km), but we didn’t pick that one because they highly recommend that you have to hire a tour guide and there is no trail literally the mountain close more and more you will need a machete to get there haha, no but really we don’t recommend without a guide. The trail we took begins by passing the bridge on the left. It is quite broad and easy to follow. In total, we walked about 3 km without much slope in a cloud forest similar to Monteverde, then we passed between mystical pastures with mossy stones and small springs of crystalline water.
Difficulty of the hike
Easy
Pozo Verde
We found a sign and took the left side of the trail and found the emerald-colored lagoon. The sunny day with the green-emerald lagoon and a huge mountain in the back made it inevitable to think that nature is awesome. My friend Gina and I were dominated by our mermaid instinct to jump into the water. It wasn’t the best idea because the water on the edges is muddy and stinky. (You need to be careful make sure you are a good swimmer because you will be in the middle of the mountains).
In the center of the lagoon, the blue color was stunning. If the water wasn’t so cold I would have stayed the whole day there. After our swim, we ate our snacks. We changed into dry clothes and started our way back. We explored a little of the other trail even though it was not recommended to do it by yourself. The journey back took us like 2 hours.
We finished by 2:00 pm and came back to civilization. Left the national park and had our late lunch in Zarcero because there aren’t many places to eat in the surrounding area. It recommends doing this hike if your are planning to visit the Arenal Volcano area, because this can be a half day tour.
Pozo Verde Lagoon
Pozo Verde from the air – Magic Lagoon
Video
What to bring
Sportswear, hiking boots I made with tennis shoes but some parts are muddy and slippery, snacks to do a picnic on the grass, bug repellent. During the rainy season, a rain jacket and boots will be good. *Optional: swimwear
Interesting Fact
Fewer than 1000 tourists visit the park per year. The park focuses more on conservation and research and they don´t even charge us. However, they are accepting donations for investigations and volunteer labor through a Cooperative Association led by the locals.The families in the surrounding areas are part of a network for rural tourism experience.
If you would like to have an experience like the one described above in nontouristy places or less crowded national parks, let us know the area is not that developed in tourist facilities but there are few options that you can stay or stop for lunch. We will be happy to help you to get there or even find more information for you as locals.
A few months ago, Poas Volcano started with new eruptions that closed the park for several weeks. Government institutions are monitoring the eruptions of gas, vapor and ashes in the area.
For visitors, it is still safe to visit the zone, but there is a reasonable resistance to people going there, especially foreign tourists. Costa Ricans aren’t that intimidated by volcano eruptions.
We have had days recently when 3 volcanoes decided to make eruptions, but they were mostly steam and ashes, so yeah, no big deal!
We love this part of the country, so right now we want to support the area by joining with the local campaign the government is promoting to visit Poasito and Vara Blanca, the towns that are next to the volcano.
Tourist businesses from the area are concerned about how long the national park will be closed and the impact it will have on the economy and tourism.
More than just a volcano, the area represents a big part of Costa Rican culture.You get to learn about the main economic activities before tourism and other industries came. The Costa Rican economy was built pretty much on agriculture, cattle
The Costa Rican economy was built pretty much on agriculture, cattle farms and coffee. Also, the route through the area has a very scenic drive, with light-green rolling valleys set in between dark-forested mountains.
Corso Lecheria Tour
Rodrigo and I found the Corso Lecheria tour after we visited the Poas Volcano early last year (it wasn’t that active back then) with some friends from the US. We did a quick stop before we headed to La Paz Waterfalls. We just saw the strawberries and the cows and we definitely knew that we would have to come back.
Rural Experience
The initiative started between two local businessmen from the area of Poas. Since strawberries and milk are two of the main products that have sustained the area for decades, they decided to show people the behind-the-scenes process of how Costa Rica produces dairy and strawberries with the rich soil from the volcano.
According to the information provided, the tour takes place on the farm of approximately 220 hectares, which is the perfect setting for all the activity.
This property was acquired in 2004 with the purpose of milk production, with amazing results. It was not until 2012 were the doors were open to tourist.
What does the tour include?
In order to provide a fun day for the visitors the tour is divided into 2 sections:
The tour includes a rural ride around the farm, a view of the volcanoes Poas and Barva, a visit to the primary and secondary forest, two strawberries fields, a milking stall, and a mini farm.
Truck ride
The truck ride will take you to a viewpoint of the Poas Volcano. From here, you can observe the volcano if it’s clear. You can also see the cattle fields that are characteristic of the area.
Many people from San Jose find this ride interesting because they have never been on a truck or gotten to know the rural farming culture. Some of them mentioned the experience is like finding with their roots.
Viewpoint to observe Poás Volcano and Barva Volcano
Volcanoes attract millions of visitors every year, for different reasons. Perhaps one reason is that they are an example of the wilder side of nature and are impressive sights, just puffing out steam and smoke.
This makes this tour special as well, because the farm is located next to one of the most visited volcanoes in the country.
Milking stall
Maybe cows don´t sound like a lot of fun for some. We know that probably isn’t something that will stand out in your wish list of tours, BUT for tourists who want to know about Costa Rican culture or kids and locals who live in the big cities of Costa Rica, it’s valuable to see the process of dairy and beef production. It’s an activity that provides the foundation of our local economy.
Cattle ranching began in Costa Rica in the early colonial period. So the tour tries to keep that as part of our identity. The idea is you can take your own milk straight from the cow, or they put out chocolate for you to try. This is the best part for the kids definitely!
Natural regeneration of a forest
We were really excited to see the natural regeneration from cattle to a small patch of forest, Now, you can walk inside this trail and never imagine that the spot used to be an old milking stall.
The farm is trying to become a carbon-neutral business to reduce the impact of its carbon footprint on the environment. The trail takes around 300 meters (0.8 miles), so it is small but nice to see species of animals getting benefits from it.
Strawberry field
All along to Poas Volcano, you will see signs in the road for fresh “volcano strawberries.” At the farm, they took us to a well-planned strawberry plantation. We were amazed how big the strawberries grow in a controlled environment but with natural pollinators and pest control. It was very educational.
Restaurant
The concept of this restaurant is really typical but they offer more than “casados.”
They really focus on “Gallos.” They have the concept to bring the food from the farm to the table so you get to know what you are eating. We love that idea!
They have the concept to bring the food from the farm to the table so you get to know what you are eating. We love that idea!
By the way, we learned a new fact of history in Costa Rica food. We knew about the origin of the word “casados,”but not “Gallos.” Well, you learn something new every day.It seems that one president of the country had the tradition of inviting the people from a town to a meal.
He tried to replicate the famous Canapé (ˈkanəˌpē) but instead of the piece of bread and savory topping, he changed it for “tortillas and picadillo.” Rafael Yglesias was his name, but his nickname was “Gallo,” giving the origin to the name of the food.
We are really grateful for the time the farm administrator took to take us around. You can really see the passion and hard work behind the project. He has been there since the beginning, so that tells you how much he believes in this project.
The Corso Lecheria farm tour really represents our culture through the concept of rural tourism. Still without sacrificing the piece of convenience and service for visitors.
For us as locals, it encouraged us to get deeper in our identity and not forget also this part of our culture. After the tour, we were more inspired to honor the agriculture of our farmers that work their best in the fields to produce what we eat.
The tour is a good example for other initiatives around the country and the area. Even when they have been challenged by the activity of the volcano and the decrease of visitors to the area, they are really focused on representing our roots and economy in a real Costa Rican experience. Here is the information you’ll need to visit the place:
Corso Lecheria Tour
Address: Located in Alajuela on the road to Poas Volcano, 3 kilometers east at the detour to Poasito and Vara Blanca, in front of Villa Calas.
Map: (Their name used to be Freddo Aventura Rural)
Phone: (506) 2482-1024
Minimum of 4 people – Schedule: 9:00 – 11:00 – 1:30
From San Jose: 90 minutes from San José. Take General Cañas freeway (# 1) up to Alajuela. In Alajuela, it is recommended to take the route from the Courts of Justice on to Poas Volcano National Park. Take a detour towards Vara Blanca – Poasito and turn right until you reach the farm.
**** Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored blog. We truly want to support the area. So we’re really happy give a tiny help promoting projects like this one that line up with our vision ****
Tourists often ask me where they can see Costa Rica indigenous tribes.
When this happens, I always mention the fact that indigenous people make up less than 1 percent of Costa Rica’s population.
How much do you know about the history of your people and your DNA? Do you think it is important to learn about ancestors? If you visit a country, do you want to learn more about their history? I do.
Those of us who grew up in Costa Rica learned about our ancestors in school. We hear about our history all the time, but I never took studying my roots seriously until I visited an indigenous community for a traditional festival.
Imagine that you’ve been invited to a party where you don’t know anyone. I felt like that when Rodrigo proposed the idea for us to go to “The little devil’s festival”. I have heard about the festival, and it always sounded like a nice cultural thing to do, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When I started to research about the topic, most the information I found was in Spanish. So I thought it might be helpful to create an idea of what to expect from the festival so you can visit when you come to Costa Rica.
So let me tell you about my journey exploring my roots.
Location: Rey Curré
How to get there?
By Car
There are two ways to get here if you are coming by car.
Cerro de la Muerte (“Mountain of Death”) Route #2
From San José, take the Inter American highway and follow the signs to Pérez Zeledón. Keep driving until you get to Buenos Aires de Puntarenas and then keep going for about 30 minutes more on the same route # 2. Then when you get to Paso Real (main entrance to San Vito de Coto Brus) you need to keep going on the Inter American highway 7 km (10 minutes) more to Curré.
Costanera Sur Route (*We did this one)
From San José, take the 27 highway—the same one that you take to go to Jacó or Manuel Antonio.
You will pass the towns of Dominical and finally get to Palmar Norte de Osa, where you will see an intersection in Palmar Norte. Take a left, go 28 km Northeast, and you will see signs for Curré.
By Bus
According to the Facebook page REY CURRÉ YIMBA, you can take a bus from Tracopa Terminal (http://www.tracopacr.com) (22214214). You have to order your ticket to Curré through Cerro de la Muerte. DON’T TAKE ROUTE 27 IF YOU ARE GOING BY BUS. Buses leave from San José at 5 a.m., 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 6 p.m. Always double check the schedule before your trip because buses change all the time in Costa Rica.
Other information
Duration of the trip: To give you an idea, the trip took us around 6 hours (with about 1 ½ hours of rest time for restrooms and lunch). So I would estimate that it takes approximately 5 hours from San José. Of course, it will be closer if you decide to stay in Manuel Antonio or Dominical area.
Approx. Distance from San José:290 kilometers – 150 miles
Best dates to go: The festival in Rey Curre usually takes place during the last week of January or the first week of February.
What to expect?
On a sunny Saturday of January, we drove down south to enjoy the Festival of “Little Devils.” We arrived around 1:30 p.m. It looked like a party with music and people outside. We quickly found the spot where the afternoon session was going to start at 2:00 pm. After parked the car and started to follow the crowd, which included people from town, visitors like us from other parts of Costa Rica, foreign tourists, journalists, and photographers (Rodrigo included). We were all there to observe the games, so we just mixed with them and went with them from house by house.
The dance
The dance and the place with the millenary dust under the summer sun produce almost a hypnotic effect on the visitors that immerse themselves in a 500-year-old ancestral tradition.
There are two actors in this game: “The little devils” represent the indigenous people, warriors against “the bull” who represents the Spanish conquest.
According to the anthropologist Jose Luis Amador (Revista Herencia Vol. 18, Núm. 1 (2005); Amador, the Game of the Diablitos is the traditional party of the Boruca people.
In it, the Boruca are symbolically reborn year after year. The Game of the Diablitos takes place at the end of December in the community of Boruca and at the end of January in the community of Curré. It is an auspicious occasion to know aspects of Boruca culture. However “the little devils” are much more than a game. This game/drama/ancient ritual tells a story that has the following parts:
Birth of the diablitos
Appearance of the bull
Fight, walks and stops between the bull and the devils
Tomb of the devils
Flight of the bull
Rebirth of the devils
Pursuit of the bull
Capture of the bull
Death of the bull
Triumph and celebration of the devils
People mentioned that after the festival, people end up with injuries like bruises and cuts. In the worst cases, some of the players get a broken nose or get knocked unconscious.
After the dance finishes in each house, 18 previously selected families from the community give the devils and the visitors a drink called “Chicha.” It is disrespectful if you don’t drink if they offer, so make sure that you bring a plastic cup, or get your “Guacal” (calabash gourd) to drink out of. They sell those as part of the crafts that they created.
The Chicha
To define it in the best way, I will transcribe the oral description that was given to me by Margarita Rojas: “[Chicha is a]” natural drink based on corn extracted from the plant, which the next day is semi-dried, then wrapped in a banana leaf and expected to begin to sprout.
When it becomes a plantlet, it is ground and converted to some sort of paste, then is mixed with water in a large bowl. Then they add sweet sugar cane and leave it for 2 days. When served, ice is added. It has a soft taste, but be careful.” Chicha is alcoholic. The chicha is given by the families that opened their doors to the dance that day.
The masks
I’ve seen the Fiesta de los Diablitos masks in most of the souvenirs stores around the country. They are made by indigenous people and represent the animal of the spirit.
But really there is a lot behind the mask. The Boruca style is different than other indigenous communities. They use masks made from balsa wood that probably has been manufactured by each of them with their particular motivation. The lively painted masks are intended to infuse fear in the opponent.
They have faces of wild animals. The characters in the festival have large eyes with“gangoche” (gunny sack)bodies and banana leaves until the ground. We saw a kid putting his clothes (leaves) and they told us that this is a very private moment that needs to be respected (like when you go to the bathroom for #2. LOL).
As the day passes, the game intensifies. Even the children, in tiny masks, try to fight with the bull. It was so interesting to me to see the kids learning about the tradition. They also have their turn to measure forces with the invading giant or play an instrument.
Accommodation
The game was almost finishing and then we were planning to go back to Uvita to spend the night because I couldn’t find a lot of information about accommodation in the area.
However, after a quick stop to the restroom, we found that they were selling traditional food in the area, so we decided to make a stop for coffee and taste the traditional food.
We can have called that moment a coincidence. Or, looking in a more mystic way, the vibes took us to this house. The people there were the nicest people ever. They fed us and offered a very reasonable price for us to put up our 2 tents and spend the night on their patio.
We met other visitors from the surrounding areas and even our new friend Daniel, who was doing a work away in Costa Rica and had the great chance to explore the area. It was the best day ever having one of my first experiences in an indigenous community and doing rural tourism that will benefit that family. Staying with the family was an awesome way to finish the day. We stayed the next day to explore the museum and enjoy more things to see around the area. It is a beautiful place.
My impressions about my journey into my roots
My heart was touched by the people’s humility and the fights of these people who don’t want their roots to disappear. I always felt welcome. So going there was like visiting a port that took me to deep waters to explore the roots of my country. In conclusion, I realized I have more in common with my roots than I expected. The Indian pride is imprinted on my breath and carved in my skin. I will always remember the images of a people who struggle every day to preserve what belongs to them. It’s a pure image of the force for continuing to belong.
My idea with this blog is to share my experience but also to invite you to explore your roots. In Spanish, we have a phrase that says: “to know where we come from is to know where we go.” If you come to Costa Rica, feel free to contact us. I will be happy to assist you to take a trip like the one that I just described. Please share your thoughts in the comments.
We love exploring Costa Rica during weekends (that’s why this blog exists), so we thought it would be fun to invite people to join us. We met up with some friends on a Saturday at 5:00 a.m and headed to the Bajos del Toro area.
Bajos del Toro is about 1 hour and 40 minutes from San José, so it is a perfect distance to break the routine during a weekend without getting too exhausted. You could go there for the day and still having energy to go to a concert that evening. Bajos del Toro is close to the Poas Volcano, so it is a great area to visit on the same day as Poas. Or if you are going to the Sarapiqui area, you can pass through here. Read More about Breaking the routine: Del Toro Waterfall, Bajos del Toro
Here is one of my favorite places to enjoy the typical food. It´s a rustic but very welcoming restaurant.
It´s a small and rustic but very welcoming restaurant in the middle of the cloud forest mountains.
One of my favorite things to do is eat…. I know there are probably thousands of people in the world who love to eat! One of my favorite styles of food is typical food …. especially when it tastes fresh and is made with love from mom.
I loved the crafts and traditional ornaments of Costa Rica, such as old coffee cups and candy molds.
You could tell they had been used in the past; which adds extra value and makes us feel that a bit of history is kept alive there.
You can learn about the traditions and visiting restaurants is such a help to local families to keep our roots alive and to pass on something to the next generation.
So…. who is Mrs. Flory? Floribeth Araya Perez or just Doña Flory, is a neighbor of La Paz of San Ramon, she has had this small restaurant-diner for 10 years, after years of effort and struggles it has become a family business and a well-visited place for the residents of San Ramon and foreigners who are visiting the area.
The warmth and helpful people working in the Soda will make anyone feel as if they were part of the family.
On the menu, you can find Casados(which are traditional Costa Rican dishes that include rice, beans and a meat of some kind), minced meat soup, chicken soup and more.
Helpful information
How to get there?
By Bus:
First, go at the local bus stop that is in front of the Mercado de San Ramón.
From there you can ask a person in one of the local stores to show you specifically where the bus to La Paz is located.
Then once on the bus you can tell the driver you are going to Bajo La Paz and you want to get off at the Soda Flory, the driver knows where the Soda is.
The trip usually takes about 40 minutes, because the bus stops often (well… too often). The landscape is full of mountains and passes through several rural areas where coffee and sugar cane crops can
By Rental Car or personal vehicle
Hours
Tuesday to Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 pm
Groups
You can book a more private space for tourists groups or large families. If this is the case is better to call ahead and let them know probably will be a good tip to take into consideration. We have seen birthday celebrations and locals doing their parties there.
What else can I find?
Birds: They have a feeding place for birds. From the tables, you will see a variety of birds that you can photograph.
