Art & Culture

★★★ Carretas — The Colorful Ox Carts (UNESCO)

The painted ox carts (Carretas) are Costa Rica's most famous cultural symbol and have been a UNESCO World Heritage since 2005. Originally built in the 19th century as a means of transporting coffee, the painting of the carts evolved into an art form: each region had its own pattern, and farmers competed for the most beautiful cart.

Today, the Carretas are mainly decorative, but the tradition lives on: In Sarchí, the center of Carreta production (30 km northwest of San José), you can visit the workshops and watch as the carts are meticulously hand-painted. The Fábrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro is the oldest workshop — in operation since 1923. In front of the place stands the largest Carreta in the world (Guinness Book). A miniature Carreta as a souvenir costs from 5,000 CRC — the most authentic keepsake from Costa Rica.

★★ Boruca Masks

The Boruca are one of the few remaining indigenous peoples of Costa Rica. Their most famous tradition is the Fiesta de los Diablitos (Festival of the Little Devils), celebrated every year from December 30 to January 2: a ritual battle between "Diablitos" (the Boruca, represented by hand-carved masks) and the "Toro" (the Spanish bull — symbol of the colonizers). In the end, the Diablitos always win — a symbolic reversal of history.

The hand-carved and brightly painted Boruca masks made from balsa wood are coveted collector's items and cost 20,000–100,000 CRC (35–170 USD) directly from the carver, depending on size and effort. In souvenir shops in San José, you pay three to five times as much. In the Boruca community (Province of Puntarenas, 4h southeast of San José), you can watch carvers at work and buy masks directly.

★ Cimarrona Music

The Cimarrona is a traditional brass band that plays at fiestas, bullfights (Tico bullfights are bloodless — the bull is not harmed!), and religious festivals. The music is loud, cheerful, and infectious. In the rural regions of Guanacaste and the Central Valley, you hear it especially around September 15 (Independence Day) and at the "Fiestas Cívicas" (folk festivals with bull runs, rodeo, and dance).

Contemporary Art Scene

San José's art scene is small but growing. The main points of interest:

• MADC (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo): In the former liquor factory, it showcases contemporary art from all over Central America. Free entry!
• Museo de Arte Costarricense (MACC): In the former airport terminal in Parque La Sabana. The best collection of Costa Rican art from colonial times to today.
• Barrio Escalante: The creative hotspot: galleries, cafes, street art, and gastronomy in old mansions. Every first Thursday of the month, there is a "Gallery Walk" through the city's galleries.
• Street Art in San José: In recent years, artists have taken over the city's walls — especially in Barrio Amón, Barrio Escalante, and along Avenida Central. The murals tell stories of nature, indigenous culture, and Pura Vida.

Costa Rica loves to celebrate — from religious holidays to bullfighting festivals:

The Most Important Holidays

★★ Fiestas de Zapote (December–January)

Between Christmas and early January, the suburb of Zapote (San José) transforms into Costa Rica's largest folk festival. Main attraction: the Toros a la Tica — the Costa Rican bull run, where brave (or drunk) volunteers enter the arena and run from a free-roaming bull. Unlike the Spanish corrida, the bull is NOT harmed — the injured are always the people. It is chaotic, loud, boisterous, and absolutely Costa Rican.

★★ La Romería (August 2)

The pilgrimage to the Basilica in Cartago on August 2 is Costa Rica's most emotional religious festival. Over two million people — almost half the population — walk to the Basilica on foot to honor "La Negrita" (the Black Madonna). Many walk the 22 km from San José, some on their knees. The road is lined all night with pilgrims, food stalls, and a unique atmosphere of devotion and festivity.

★ Envision Festival (February/March)

On the beach of Uvita, the Envision Festival takes place every year — a mix of music, yoga, art, and sustainability that attracts visitors from all over the world. Comparable to Burning Man, but in the rainforest instead of the desert. 4-day pass from 350 USD.

Costa Rica's music scene is a reflection of the country: diverse, joyful, and infused with Caribbean rhythms.

Calypso Limonense

The Calypso Limonense is Costa Rica's very own music style — a variant of Trinidadian Calypso developed by Afro-Caribbean immigrants on the Caribbean coast. The lyrics are humorous, socially critical, and often sung in Creole English (Mekatelyu). Calypso is played with banjo, guitar, and drums and has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2017 — the first Costa Rican music tradition to receive this honor.

The most famous Calypso musician was Walter "Gavitt" Ferguson (1919–2023), considered the "father of Costa Rican Calypso," who lived and played in Cahuita until old age.

Reggae, Reggaeton & Soca

On the Caribbean coast, Reggae dominates — Jamaican rhythms that came with the railroad workers and have become deeply rooted in the culture. In Puerto Viejo, you hear Bob Marley from every bar, and local reggae bands play at sunset on the beach. Soca (Soul + Calypso) is the party music of the Limón Carnival.

In the rest of the country, Reggaeton dominates — the Latin American bass sound that came from Panama and Puerto Rico and is now heard everywhere: in buses, taxis, restaurants, and clubs.

Punto Guanacasteco — National Dance

The Punto Guanacasteco is Costa Rica's national dance — a lively couple dance from the province of Guanacaste, accompanied by marimba and guitar. The dancers wear traditional costumes, and the dance playfully tells of courtship between man and woman. It is seen at folk festivals, especially around July 25 (Annexation of Guanacaste).