Posts tagged Breathtaking Beaches
Backpacking Across Costa Rica
Oct 4th
Perhaps one of the most romantic, adventurous and exciting parts of growing up is taking a trip to Central America. The depth of experiences and the heights of excitement that this continent provides for young budget travelers and backpackers are simply awe-inspiring.
Costa Rica is one of the countries in Central America that attracts backpackers and enthusiastic travelers from all over the world. And it is hardly surprising, really, given the gamut of things to do and see here, from lying on the beaches to dancing in the cities. Costa Rica is defined by its beauty and its fun-loving attitude; traveling here is all about experiencing how life really should be lived.
Here, then, are some of the things that a budget traveler or a backpacker simply must experience while staying in Costa Rica.
The Beaches
With the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Caribbean to the East, Costa Rica is blessed with a huge number of absolutely breathtaking beaches. You do have to find them, however: Costa Rica’s more frequented beaches (such as those around San Jose) are also its worst. Far better are the deserted and isolated idyllic spots tucked away along its coastlines. So be prepared to travel a bit in order to find your perfect beach in Costa Rica!
Rafting in Rica:
For the adventurous backpacker, intent on doing something wild, a rafting trip down the Chorro Section of the Naranjo River is one of the most adrenaline-pumping activities the country has to offer. Not for the feint hearted, this wild rafting trip is an experience to reckon with.
If white water rapids are not your cup of tea, a rafting trip along the calm waters and beautiful surrounding scenery of the Penas Blancas river is probably a better bet.
Mountain biking:
Costa Rica is a mountainous place, which makes it great for mountain biking. Experienced bikers particularly enjoy the country’s volcanic areas, as they provide fun – if at times testing – rides. The dirt road that lies between the Irazu Volcano and the Turrialba Volcano is a particular favorite.
Explore San Jose
A trip to Costa Rica is incomplete without experiencing the capital, San Jose. This is a city that has the classic Central American flavor – evocative and vibrant; it will catch you in its net of color and spin you around until you’re immersed in its web of fun. Life here isn’t always an easy ride though; by day San Jose is as big and noisy a city as you will find in these parts. Still, the nightlife makes it all worthwhile!
While spending time here, San Hose hostels are probably the best place to put up in. Clean, comfortable, fun and cheap, they make for a good base form which to explore the city.
Hostel 1110, for example, is a long standing favorite with the backpacking crowd. Located near the Avenida Central, this hostel offers a wide range of facilities at a very decent price. Costa Rica Backpackers is also an ideal hostel for budget travelers and students who are backpacking in Costa Rica (especially those on the lookout for a party).
Costa Rica Weddings
Sep 20th
Costa Rica might seem like an isle of paradise for any visitor who steps on this land that was truly blessed by nature. Even if the country is nowadays a touristic place par excellence, people continue to live here according to their own old traditions and the weddings are generally not exception to this. For a truly perfect wedding all that you need in Costa Rica are the graceful sundresses, bare feet and lots of tropical flowers.
Costa Rica is a tropical paradise and the people call themselves “ticos”. The majority of them are Roman Catholic and they are deeply connected to their families. This is the reason everybody is invited to a wedding, from both sides of the families. There is no such thing as a small Costa Rican wedding, for everybody comes to be happy together with the young couple. As you can easily imagine, the wedding savings are probably the last thing to be applied in the Costa Rican culture.
Perfect Locations for the Weddings in Costa Rica
For numerous couples, the ultimate location for their wedding is of course the beach. There are so many breathtaking beaches in Costa Rica that a couple can choose. Jaco Beach is a stunning wedding location on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. For the north side, couples choose Tamarindo beach, for its beauty and romantic atmosphere. The weddings take place mostly on sunset, because the general atmosphere is incredibly romantic and the photos are astounding.
Other couples choose to get married in the rainforest instead of having a traditional wedding. This is a truly unearthly experience, since the rainforest jungle will transform the wedding into an adventure that the couple will remember forever. Monteverde Cloud Forest or Tortuguero National Park are two of the most popular locations for the rainforest weddings. Such a non-traditional wedding is of course frequently followed by a nonconformist honeymoon in a nature lodge.
When going to Costa Rica, you immerse yourself in a wonderful landscape full of amazing waterfalls. They are truly incredible and easy accessible for vehicles. For that reason, they are wonderful locations for weddings. Many couples choose to get married at the edge of the Arenal Volcano, where they take benefit from the amazing view of the spewing lava in the evening that offers a special and unusual glow to the ceremony.
The Costa Rican Wedding Traditions
People belonging to different cultures consider weird one of the most important traditions of the Costa Rican weddings. This tradition says that the bride has to wear a black silk dress and a veil. This is a symbol of the Costa Rican weddings and it does certainly mean joy, as opposed to the significance black has in the European and American cultures. The vestment worn by the groom is white and in the traditional weddings it is embroidered by the hand of the bride. This is a sign of love and respect and the tradition of embroidering the wedding vestments passes down from mother to daughter in the conservative families.
During the wedding ceremony, there is a tradition of exchanging thirteen gold coins on a tray or in an embroidered bag. The coins are offered by the groom to the bride and they are a symbol of the desire of the groom to support his chosen bride and start a family together with her. The number of the coins is a religious symbol of Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles.
The traditional Costa Rican weddings are accompanied by joyful Spanish music, since the people here love to dance and sing along to express their happiness for the young couple. The music at the Costa Rican weddings is not just about Spanish beats. The sounds that can be heard at wedding range from Latin music to the contemporary tunes or today’s hits. There are also island theme tunes or reggae bands that are specialized in wedding parties.
There is also plenty of food at the wedding party and the guests are thrilled to taste the delicious casados. This is a specific wedding meal that consists of mixed gallo pinto (beans) and rice. Some other courses that are usually cooked by the women in the family for the great wedding feast are tortillas, fried plantains, eggs, salad and a mixture of different meat types, like chicken, pork and beef.
The traditional Costa Rica weddings are festive occasions and there is no place for saving money on food or musicians. These are the core elements of a perfect wedding if the bride and groom choose to get married in the old traditional way.
The Non Traditional Costa Rican Weddings
More and more engaged couples from Costa Rica choose to plan a nontraditional wedding and avoid the stress and the hassle that comes together with the traditional crowded and loud weddings. The wedding day is up to the couple and they sometimes choose to have a simple ceremony together with a couple of friends and just a few members of the family. They choose the unusual locations mentioned before or just avoid being dressed according to the traditional dress code that has been used for centuries in Costa Rica.
A nontraditional Costa Rican wedding might mean a themed wedding. It is not generally the custom in Costa Rica to have such a party after the ceremony, but many couples think that it is more suitable to their personalities to drop off the old customs and adopt new ones. There are weddings where there are miniature wedding cakes instead of a great one and weddings where there are no flowers at all. The menu is completely different to some weddings, from homemade treats to sushi.
Costa Rica is a country where contrasts can be met when it comes to weddings. The old traditions and the innovative modern ideas of the young people exist in the same place and they offer countless possibilities for planning and organizing a wedding that will remain in the memory of all the guests for the years to come.
