Costa rica which state

About Costa Rica. Knowing about Costa Rica before you go! Contact Us. One of the rarest flowers in Costa Rica is the Osa pulchra, a relative of the humble coffee plant. These flowers are so rare, some horticulturalists believe there are fewer than 50 plants living in the wild, and although some specialists have attempted to grow these elusive plants in artificial environments, the Osa pulchra is native only to Costa Rica and isolated regions of Panama.

On most of these official holidays dias feriados , banks, public offices and many businesses are closed. Here is a listing of the most important official holidays that are celebrated in Costa Rica:.

Costa Rica is much more than just beautiful beaches and breathtaking tropical landscapes. Once here, you can explore the culture, different traditions and festivities its citizens celebrate. During the past few years several local government entities have sponsored massive cultural events to attract locals and travelers, and create positive atmosphere of multicultural exchange. Knowing about semana santa and other main events will give you a great head start.

The following are the three biggest cultural celebrations in Costa Rica besides Christmas, where you can experience some of the local spirit. A complete list of all national holidays is also available so you can prepare.

Traditions run deep during this special week, and everyone enjoys their much anticipated time off work. The actual holiday during this week is celebrated on the Thursday and Friday before Easter Sunday. Most Costa Ricans have at least those two days off, however, schools and many others enjoy taking the entire week off to spend time with their families and friends.

During this festive week, many Ticos head for the beaches to enjoy some sun and relaxation. Since many religious followers fast during this week or at least on Good Friday , they make wonderful homemade tamales and enjoy more seafood than usual.

Banks and businesses will be closed Thursday and Friday, and public transportation is limited. In the tourism industry, everything runs as normal since this is a very popular time for people to visit Costa Rica. Throughout most of the country, alcohol is not sold from midnight on Ash Wednesday until midnight on Good Friday.

It is actually against the law to sell or serve alcohol on Thursday and Friday during this week, so most Ticos make sure to stock up during the week, before all the liquor is locked up. In , the state has started allowing some cantons counties to make their own decision about selling alcohol, so we might see this tradition fade away soon. According to local folklore, the statue kept miraculously reappearing at the same site where it was originally found, so the locals decided to build a shrine on the very same spot, and it has remained there until the present day.

Nearly two million Costa Ricans walk the Prior to the celebration you will see thousands of pilgrims walking from all corners of the country and sometimes other areas of Central America to get to Cartago. Some streets can be very crowded and traffic may be completely shut down in specific areas of the city.

However, this is something that mostly affects San Jose and Cartago. You also may see peregrines in the days after August 2 nd. Private services usually run normally, although public institutions and schools are off for the day. Unlike other countries in the region where armies perform pompous parades, Costa Rica celebrates its declaration of independence from Spain by organizing student parades. The country is also home to hundreds of mammals including bats, and insects, such as vibrant butterflies and leaf-cutter ants.

Birdwatchers may get a glimpse of the endangered colorful quetzal bird, blue-footed boobies, scarlet macaw, and toucans. The national flower is the orchid. There are over 1, species of orchids in Costa Rica. Every four years, Costa Ricans elect a president, vice president and members of the Legislative Assembly. There are three branches of government: Executive, legislative, and judicial. The Spanish came to Costa Rica and colonized the area in It was a Spanish colony for about years.

In , Costa Rica declared independence from Spain, jointly with several other Central American countries. Women and people of African descent gained the right to vote in All rights reserved. Personality Quizzes. Funny Fill-In. Amazing Animals.

Key dates in Costa Rica's history:. Spanish colonization begins in By , Spain has established the colonial capital of Cartago. A bloody day civil war ensues and a temporary government led by socialist landowner Jose Figueres emerges.

He wins a second term in Costa Rican Presidency.