How to Have a Romantic Christmas In Costa Rica
Have you ever considered spending your Christmas holidays at a place you consider paradise? And to top that off, imagine standing under the mistletoe with the love of your life.
Christmas is nearing us and that means vacations and expensive hotel rooms due to the peak season. In Costa Rica, it’s especially exciting. This country is more renowned for its untamed forests and diverse fauna, but the Roman Catholic locals are the reason why the holiday is celebrated so enthusiastically.
Which means by the time December comes, Costa Rica will be filled with Christmas decorations, activities, festivals and food.
This sounds like a perfect place to be during the holidays. So if you are wondering how to spend your holiday in Costa Rica, don’t worry. We got you covered.
Festival de la Luz in San Jose
If you’re planning a trip to Costa Rica, then you should attend the Festival de la Luz in San Jose. In December and January, Costa Ricans have a plethora of fiestas, parades, rodeos, bull runs, street parties, and dance festivals to celebrate Christmas.
In the second week of December, the lively, boisterous, and dazzling Festival de la Luz in San Jose kicks off the festivities. A large parade marches from Paseo Colon to El Parque de la Democracia, with over 1500 musicians and volunteers putting on a show that will be remembered for a long time.
- Where to stay in Costa Rica during the Festival of Light
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Irazu Hotel & Studios
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Gran Hotel Costa Rica, Curio Collection by Hilton
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Hilton Garden Inn San Jose La Sabana
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Adventure Inn
Prices range from $95 to $136. Booking early will have a possible discount. If you book last minute, not only will the prices increase due to the Festival, it will also increase because of the holidays. Not to mention there will be a lot of people to compete prices and rooms with.
It’s warm in Costa Rica during winter.
Because Costa Rica is a tropical country, they enjoy their December with warmer temperatures. Break away from the snow and general cold of the winter season and travel to Costa Rica for that beach holiday.
Costa Rica, tucked right in between the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean’s shorelines, is known for its ideal location. Beach goers love this country simply because of this fact.
The beaches here are varied and diverse, but each with white or volcanic black sand flanked by their own palm trees. Then there are the naturally rough beach coves that are protected by the natural vegetation. Whichever kind of terrain you prefer, Costa Rica has it.
There is a perfect beach setting for everyone, from mega beach resorts to untouched shorelines.
Overall, it’s a nice break from the cold that usually entails when winter is here. In Costa Rica, you get to wear thin clothing without freezing your butt off. Beaches are hot and warm, perfect for a sexy beach date with your lady. The pay off is how pretty everything is.
Who says Christmas has to be enjoyed the traditional way?
- Gorgeous beaches to pick
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Manuel Antonio Beach, Manuel Antonio National Park
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Tamarindo Beach, Guanacaste
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Conchal Beach, Guanacaste
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Dominical Beach, South Pacific
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Costa Ballena (Whale Coast), South Pacific
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Nacascolo Beach, Papagayo Peninsula
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Montezuma Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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Santa Teresa & Malpais Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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Samara Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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Nosara Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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San Juanillo Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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Ostional Beach, Nicoya Peninsula
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Punta Uva Beach, Southern Caribbean Coast
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Manzanillo Beach, Southern Caribbean Coast
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Flamingo Beach, Guanacaste
See how Costa Ricans celebrate and decorate Christmas.
Locals love decorating their homes using flowers when it’s time for the holiday season. Instead of the usual Christmas decor, they prefer putting up wreaths made out of cypress branches, red coffee berries and bright ribbons. The halls, shops and cities are also decked in festive lights.
Costa Ricans also place great importance on nativity scenes. The one scene they love making is the pasito, which means Portal. Families work together to set it up, with the traditional figures such as Jesus, Mary and Joseph, as well as the animals and the wise men. They then put small toys and some fresh fruit as offerings.
Also, knowing what is the best way to travel in Costa Rica will help you get around too. Buses are the ideal way to go around Costa Rica because they are reliable, accessible, and inexpensive. It runs often through San José, the country’s capital. It is not advisable to drive alone because some roads are dangerous (speckled with potholes and ambiguously marked intersections).
In Costa Rica, you get gifts from Niño Dios instead of Santa.
Just like in America, Costa Rica also has a gift-giving saint to look forward to. Niño Dios is to Costa Rica what Santa Claus is to America. Instead of our jolly red-clad bearded man, we have Baby Jesus, which is what Niño Dios (or Child God) roughly translates to.
He is the one who brings gifts to the good children. He is supposed to give gifts on the night before Christmas, after parents put a baby Jesus figurine in their pasito.
A huge feast comes after a huge mass.
Costa Rica is a religious country, and this is even more evident in how they celebrate Christmas Eve. During that time, they wear their best clothes and go to churches to attend the midnight mass. They call it Misa de Gallo.
After the mass, they then go home and have dinner. Their midnight feast is what most foreigners look forward to since it is filled with Costa Rican cuisine. This includes plantain-wrapped chicken and pork tamales, roast pork with rice or mashed potato, and pastries.
Christmas doesn’t end on Christmas day.
Christmas doesn’t stop on December 25. The fun, at least, doesn’t end on that day.
In Costa Rica, there is the Tope Nacional de Caballos horseback parade to look forward to. And it is one of the most important traditions in the country.
There will be expert horsemen that travel to the capital as they parade their horses. It is a national event that is viewed all through the country.
It’s not your typical date idea, but if your girl is Costa Rican, she will appreciate it if you celebrate this day with her. Since it’s an event in her home country, she will like the fact that you take interest in something she grew up with. So you not only get to have fun, you also score points with her.
Christmas doesn’t have to be spent in the usual tradition that you’re used to. There are so many facets of Christmas you can open your eyes to, especially when you’re with a woman from Costa Rica.
