It's the vacations
Easter's just around the corner, and the whole country's about to get into the swing of things!
Easter
During Easter week (Semana Santa), the country is packed with large-scale Catholic processions. Historical re-enactments, in the form of parades through the streets of the main cities, punctuate the days of this Semana Santa (Holy Week). The sounds of the drums and trumpets of the Roman legions echo through the streets.
Easter is also the time when most Costa Ricans go on vacation, especially to the Pacific coast. It's a time for families to get together and celebrate this special week. Processions and parades flood the streets of the country's towns and villages.
Among the most famous processions are those to Tres Rios in Cartago, Santo Domingo in Heredia and San Joaquin De Flores in Heredia.
The highlight is the processions on Thursday and Friday... they bring together masses of faithful and see extras recreate scenes from the Passion in period costumes. A truly authentic and enriching vacation experience!
A special feature of this period is that from Wednesday to Friday, the sale of alcohol is prohibited throughout the country, whether in supermarkets, small grocery stores (pulperias) or bars.
Where to go for Easter in Costa Rica?
Costa Ricans take advantage of their vacations to visit Pacific beaches such as Tamarindo,
Santa Teresa or even
Manuel Antonio. Caribbean beaches are also very popular, with the beaches of
Cahuita and
Puerto Viejo de Limon who have their own preferences. You can still try to find available hotels, but it's going to be an uphill battle.
Author: Vincent Le Vigouroux
