Music & Dance

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).