Discover the culture
     of monteverde &the region

Monteverde is a very diverse community. It has been exposed to multiculturalism for longer than most other communities in Costa Rica. Quakers arrived in the area in the 1950s, but also Germans, Nicaraguans Chileans, among others, have been integral components of our history.

Also, the fact that half the population in Monteverde is, and has been for a very long time, primarily English-speaking, has bred generations of bilingual people in Monteverde. This, in turn, has made the community more susceptible to diverse international influence (the language barrier is weak), and made for a surprisingly diverse, some would say cosmopolitan, community. Even though most of the culture in Monteverde has become quite contemporary, traditional elements still persist.

We invite you to explore our community, to discover all the uniqueness of its people, but always with cultural sensitivity and respect.

Cultural Traditions

Fiestas!

The fiestas, or festejos populares are fairs held in virtually every town in Costa Rica. Fiestas are usually done in benefit of the local schools or church, and consist of festivities ranging from 2 days to 2 weeks! There is usually an opening and closing dance in the town hall, a ¨reinado¨(where judges select a young queen to represent the town), and a horse parade. If you happen to be in town for our fiestas, be sure to go visit them. You will find typical food and music, and you will get a glimpse into one of the most typical traditions in our country.

Topes

Topes are horse parades that also happen in virtually every town in Costa Rica. They are usually short and go through the main streets of a town or city. The biggest ones are in San José and Palmares where hundreds of people bring their best horses to show them off to the crowds. They are usually pure-bred, show horses. In Monteverde they happen twice a year, but the surrounding towns will hold them too, so if you are interested in seeing them, inquire with us and we will inform you of the dates.

Cabalgatas

Cabalgatas are longer collective horse rides, sometimes even 10-15 km, that are held usually in rural areas and done in benefit of public schools or town comittees. They usually involve cross-country riding through valleys, rivers and pastures. The cabalgata will have several fixed stops where the crowds gather up to cheer the riders with music and food and sometimes home-made guaro. It is a nice way to experience off the beaten path areas of the country.

Semana Santa

Holy week in Costa Rica is very important and unique. Aside from the religious festivities such as processions and ash Wednesday mass, during Semana Santa in Monteverde, people usually hold large picnics with family and friends, usually in beautiful pastures near rivers and creeks. Typical food for this picnic includes chiverre (a type of sweet summer squash) empanadas, and tamal mudo which is corn tamal filled with refried black beans and hard boiled egg. Alcohol is not permitted in Costa Rica on holy Thursday or Friday and red meat is strongly discouraged by the church. However, a growing number of Costa Ricans have now abandoned the moral codes of Catholicism and keep it only as a tradition.

Holy week is a national holiday for government workers. For private sector workers, only Thursday Friday, Saturday and Sunday are given off work. In the rest of Costa Rica, people usually flock to the beaches and spend this time with their families.

Art

in the past few decades, Monteverde has developed a wide tradition of arts and crafts inspired in the biodiversity of the región.

One of the most iconic figures in these arts is of course the resplendent quetzal, the star of the Monteverde Cloud Forest. You will also find many crafts inspired in the late golden toad, believed to be extinct since the 1980s and seen for the last time in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. And the list continues.

You can find embroidered clothing in CASEM, womans coop near the cheese factory. Inquire at the front desk for more information.

Natural Fibers and recycled paper

In Costa Rica, paper made with natural fibers has become a trademark. Banana paper, coffee paper, mango paper, etc.

It is very sustainable, since trees don't need to be cut down to make the paper, and most often, the paper is made with materials that are waste from the harvest. You will find many souvenirs made out of these natural fibers as well as recycled paper.

You can find examples of these in the little shop in our front desk and in the paper recycling bags in your room. These are made by Eco-Bambu, a cooperative of local women who make bags, paper, notebooks and other beautiful and useful things from natural fibers that they process themselves.

Precious woods

The forests in Costa Rica have a tremendous variety of tree species with fine, beautiful hard wood. Some of the most beautiful are Cocobolo (Rosewood) and RonRon. Even though we do not encourage buying products made with trees that have been logged, this rarely happens nowadays in Costa Rica. With a single branch of rosewood, artisans make hundreds of beautiful souvenirs. These are usually made with the wood of fallen trees or branches.