Independence Day Celebration

For those of you that were lucky enough to be in Costa Rica on September 15, you will have been able to witness the official national holiday of Independence Day. This holiday is in observance of Costa Rica and all of Central America gaining its freedom from Spain in 1821.

Independence Day is celebrated throughout Costa Rica by morning parades in every city and town. I was located in Tres Rios, a suburb outside San Jose for this year’s festive parade. Myself, along with what seemed like the entire town of Tres Rios lined up the sidewalks to cheer on, support and observe their children marching through the streets.

You won’t find the military marching in these parades though since Costa Rica abolished their Army in 1949, but what you will find is the Costa Rican flag being held high with pride, boys and girls of all ages displaying their cultural values in the form of traditional dance, costumes, scenes from their way of life and of course, music from the marching bands. Each school represented a different cultural theme and here are just a few examples. One school demonstrated the old style of transportation which is a colorful oxcart being pulled by oxen, another school had the boys dressed in bull costumes while the Toro tried to hustled the bull back into the cage, another school had the children dressed in traditional dresses and suits while they showed off some of their dance steps. There were children also representing the coffee plantations and the banana plantations which are the main sources of income for Costa Rica.

It was very easy to see by the smiles on the children’s faces as they passed by that they are very proud of their heritage, culture and their country. Watching the Independence Day Parade was a great way to start the day!

If you would like to come to Costa Rica and observe for yourself this wonderful country, please call us at 1-800-460-0847. We would love to tell you more about all the possibilities that await you for your next vacation.

Children's Museum

Have younger children? Not sure what to do with them? Take them to the Museo de los Niño’s (Children’s Museum) located in San Jose, Costa Rica. Here you will find hours of entertainment while educating them at the same time. This building used to be a prison house but has now been renovated to house hundreds of interactive learning activities for children and adults.

Included in the 39 different sections are: the Universe, Electricity, Computers technology, Radio and Television Technology, Ancient Egypt, Light and Color, Aviation, Costa Rica Life, The Human Body and recycling, just to name a few. My son’s favorite section was the Casa De Las Torrejas where a house is on a slant and you have to balance yourself to keep from falling. It is a mind game that plays with distortion and orientation. Another favorite of his was the Universe section. It shows everything within our solar system, the planets and stars, walking on the moon, and how it all works together. This is definitely a hands-on learning center where children do not even realize they are learning!

So if you are in San Jose and looking for something that the whole family can enjoy, I definitely recommend the Children’s Museum. Most of it is in Spanish, but there are guides that will help with translation. My son doesn’t speak Spanish yet and he still had a great time!

Admission is rather cheap, 1,100 Colones ($1.90) for Adults and 800 Colones ($1.40) for Children and Students. You can enjoy a great lunch while you are there for around $2.50 per person. The Museum is open Tuesday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For your next vacation, let Chiquita Tours design a package for you and your family! We can make it enjoyable for children and adults alike! Contact us today to see what other fun and exciting options are available for families with children.

Destination Wedding in Costa Rica

With the help of Chiquita Tours, Emily and Dennis exchanged
wedding vows in the Beautiful beach town of Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Twenty-four of their family and friends were present for the ceremony and a week full of fun, sun and excitement!

After sharing with Dennis and Emily everything there is to do in Costa Rica, they elected several activities for everyone to participate in. They chose white water rafting down the Rio Balsa with class II/III rapids, volcano hiking with hot-springs soaking, and canopy zip-lining thru the cloud forest. Several people even went on a last minute ATV tour. The rehearsal dinner the night before was held on a magnificent sailboat where everyone was able to snorkel, watch for dolphins and enjoy the sunset. The guests and wedding party stayed at Volcano Lodge in La Fortuna the first 3 nights, and at The Parador Boutique Hotel and Spa in Manuel Antonio for the remaining 5 nights.

After consulting with Emily and Dennis on the colors of her flowers, ceremony location, decorations, chair coverings, cake flavor, dinner menu, bar menu, and music selection, Chiquita Tours took it from there to make her day and unforgettable one. The beautiful ceremony was held at the Palapa on the grounds of The Parador Boutique Hotel and Spa. The Palapa is a tiki-style hut which is nestled on a hill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was decorated with exotic flowers, rose petals on the ground , and covered chairs. As Emily walked down the forested trail, you could hear the sounds of the waves breaking as the acoustical guitar music was played.

Emily chose to have one long beautifully decorated table for everyone to sit at with a row of mixed exotic flowers trailing down the middle. The chairs were decorated with Lime Green sashes that matched the table runners. Candles lit the night air and the breeze from the ocean was inviting. The delicious dinner buffet that was served included Turkey with Cumberland sauce, Beef Tenderloin and Chicken Blanquette. The photographer , John Williamson, was there to catch everything on film. The D.J. played all their favorite songs as they danced the night away.

If you are looking to have a Destination Wedding in Costa Rica, give us a call. Whether you want a private wedding with just the two of you, or a larger one with friends and family, we will design a package with your preferences to meet your budget and style. We can take care of all the big and little details needed so you can have the perfect, romantic and unforgettable wedding of your dreams!

Basketball in Costa Rica

The Bowling Green State University Women’s Basketball
team and Fans from Ohio just finished off an exciting 9 day exhibition tour to Costa Rica. While starting the games off in San Jose at the Liceo de Costa Rica, the team defeated Seleccion Nacional , the University of Costa Rica and Bodega Radio. The last game was played and won in San Ramon where the team was also able to participate in a kids clinic. The fans were at every game cheering on their team.

While playing in San Jose, everyone stayed at the elegant Real Intercontinental Hotel. This large, upscale hotel sits across the street from the MultiPlaza, where you can shop or dine without having to go too far. In San Ramon, they enjoyed their own little casita at the Villas Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel. This hotel received a ‘2 thumbs up’ rating from the fans as this hotel is nestled within botanical gardens surrounded by an 840-hectare (2000 acre) private cloud forest reserve.

When not playing on the court, or relaxing in their hotel, the team got their adrenaline pumping by white water rafting down the Pacuare River outside of San Jose. The fans took a less aggressive approach and went on a day trip to the exuberant cloud forest of Poas Volcano. On this fun filled day, they were able to observe the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles. They also stopped at the Doka coffee plantations to learn first- hand how coffee is produced here in Costa Rica. They then headed towards the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to see the White Magic Waterfall (which is the most spectacular waterfall in the area) and the La Paz Waterfall Gardens.

Chiquita Tours also organized the week with other exciting activities like canopy zip-lining through the tropical park at Turubari. Here they were able to walk across hanging bridges, hike the Indian trails with primary forest and giant centuries-old trees and ride the 620-meter long Aerial Tram. Later in the week, a relaxing Safari Float down the beautiful Penas Blancas River enabled the fans to observe the wildlife here in Costa Rica. They encountered howling monkeys playing in the trees, poisonous dart frogs and even a toucan! At the end of the day they relaxed in the thermal hot springs at the impressive active Volcan Arenal.

So if you are looking for a great vacation and some excitement, Costa Rica is the place to come. Chiquita Tours can organize everything from the best hotels to stay in, transportation, restaurants, and all the exciting adventures you want to fit your lifestyle and budget.