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For this very first report on International travel I would like to present to you a series on the beautiful country of Costa Rica, land of “eternal spring.” It is called this because the weather for the most part in the central valley of San Jose’ (capital city) is 72 degrees year round, with a humidity under 75%. Another reason for bringing you this article first is because this is my wife’s homeland and I have visited it on numerous occasions. So let’s get started shall we?
History
A short history lesson to get you familiar with the region. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica), is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica, which translates literally as "Rich Coast". The native story is that Christopher Columbus landed in Costa Rica and saw the natives wearing a lot of gold trinkets around their necks and arms, and thought that the land was rich with gold, hence giving it the name “Rich Coast.”
The first European to reach what is now Costa Rica was Christopher Columbus in 1502. During Spanish Colonial times, the largest city in Central America was Guatemala City. Costa Rica's distance from this hub led to difficulty in establishing trade routes and was one of the reasons that Costa Ricans developed in relative isolation and with little oversight from the Spanish Monarchy ("The Crown”). While this isolation allowed the colony to develop free of intervention by The Crown, it also contributed to its failure to share in the prosperity of the Colonies, making Costa Rica the poorest Spanish Colony in Central America. Costa Rica was described as "the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas" by a Spanish governor in 1719.
Another contributing factor to this poverty was the lack of indigenous people used as forced labor. While many Spaniards in the other colonies had tribal members working on their land, most of the Costa Rican settlers had to work on their own land themselves. For all these reasons Costa Rica was by and large unappreciated and overlooked by the Crown and left to develop on its own. It is believed that the circumstances during this period led to the formation of many of the idiosyncrasies that Costa Rica has become known for, while at the same time setting the stage for Costa Rica's development as a more egalitarian society than the rest of its neighbors. Costa Rica became a "rural democracy" with no oppressed mestizo or indigenous class. It was not long before Spanish settlers turned to the hills, where they found rich volcanic soil and a climate that was milder than that of the lowlands.
Costa Rica joined other Central American provinces in 1821 in a joint declaration of independence from Spain. After a brief time in the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide Costa Rica became a state in the Federal Republic of Central America from 1823 to 1839. In 1824 the capital was moved to San José, but violence briefly ensued through an intense rivalry with Cartago. Although the newly independent provinces formed a Federation, border disputes broke out among them, adding to the region's turbulent history and conditions.
Historically, Costa Rica has generally enjoyed greater peace and more consistent political stability compared with many of its fellow Latin American nations. Since the late nineteenth century, however, Costa Rica has experienced two significant periods of violence. In 1917-19, Federico Tinoco Granados ruled as a dictator until he was overthrown and forced into exile. Again in 1948, José Figueres Ferrer led an armed uprising in the wake of a disputed presidential election. With more than 2,000 dead, the resulting 44-day Costa Rican Civil War was the bloodiest event in Costa Rica during the twentieth-century. Afterwards, the new, victorious government junta, led by the opposition, abolished the military and oversaw the drafting of a new constitution by a democratically-elected assembly. Having enacted these reforms, the regime finally relinquished its power on November 8, 1949, to the new democratic government. After the coup d’état, Figueres became a national hero, winning the country's first democratic election under the new constitution in 1953. Since then, Costa Rica has held 12 presidential elections, the latest being in 2006. All of them have been widely regarded by the international community as peaceful, transparent, and relatively smooth transitions.
San Jose (Central Provinces)
For part one of this series I will share with you the experience of the central valley región of the capital city of San Jose. San Jose and the Central Valley are, unsurprisingly, located in the center of Costa Rica. The Central Valley Tourism Region consists of the areas in and around the city of San Jose, including the Juan Santamaria International Airport, the province of San Jose and parts of the Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia provinces. Included are Costa Rica’s most populated cities – San Jose, Alajuela, Cartago and Heredia – as well as Irazu Volcano, Poas Volcano, Turrialba Volcano, Braulio Carillo National Parkand many other attractions.
Tourists to the Central Valley are also greeted with a plethora of options. San Jose offers museums, pre-Columbian culture, live music, a butterfly garden, colonial architecture, colorful markets, live theater and many other activities found in an urban capital. To the north, tranquil Heredia hosts Braulio Carillo National Park and Barva Volcano, two of the region’s greenest and most beautiful outdoor offerings.
West of San Jose, Alajuela promises spectacular views of Poas Volcano, rushing waters at La Paz Waterfall Gardens, one of the country’s best butterfly gardens and Zoo Ave, a wildlife rescue center and animal sanctuary. East of the capital, Cartago is home to Irazu and Turrialba Volcanoes, the best whitewater rafting in Central America, Costa Rica’s only pre-Columbian town and the exquisite Lankester Botanical Garden.
Though it has much to offer, the Central Valley is an oft-overlooked and underappreciated region. If you planned on just passing through, think again – the region’s extraordinary views, perfect weather, pulsating nightlife and rich cultural offerings await.
Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is quickly becoming the #1 tourist destinations of the America’s and has so much to offer a foreign visitor with its rich culture. It is relatively an inexpensive destination to travel to with airfare ranging from $250 - $750 round trip per person (depending on the season). Once you arrive you can find good to excellent accommodations to fit all price range. Costa Rica is also becoming a retirement haven with over 100,000 U.S. citizens who call it home. Rich culture in artisan, music, food, people and land will intrigue every part of your senses. You can find something to do that will tickles everyone’s fancy, like; touring ancient history, finding adventure swinging from the tree’s in the forest, white water rafting, exploring the wild life through the jungles, walking through breathtaking botanical gardens, mixing it up on the dance floor to the salsa, walking from shop to shop of exquisite handcrafted item, or working on a golden tan on the many beautiful beaches, and everything in between. It is a tropical paradise, and a vacation you will not soon forget.
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