Cultural Tours in Costa Rica
Heart-pounding adrenaline adventures, eco-oriented nature exploration, and sun-soaked beach or pool relaxation are the usual go-to activities for a traveler in Costa Rica.
But did you know this tiny Central American country can also serve up a healthy dose of culture and history?
Would you like a glimpse into modern, Costa Rican life? Perhaps you want to travel back to the time of the coffee barons and fanciful architecture? Or learn to ride like a cowboy and make sugar-cane juice with only the power of oxen to help you?
We can show you all this in Costa Rica and help create a far deeper experience for you when you come to this country we call home.
Costa Rica’s cultural tours are not your average outings. They don’t take you to the fringes of local culture, but instead, they wrap you up in the sights, sounds, and experiences of the nation’s past and present.
A great way to bridge Costa Rica's past and present is on a coffee tour. Climb into the mountains surrounding the Central Valley into the heart of coffee country, and see how the famed Grano de Oro put Costa Rica on the map many years ago.
You'll see coffee’s evolution from seed to cup – and taste a few roasts along the way as your guide relates coffee’s long and storied history in Costa Rica. Don't forget to bring back some coffee for your friends and family back home!
Costa Rican Cowboys
Amid the languid heat of Guanacaste's grassy cattle country, another cultural icon awaits: the Costa Rican sabanero, or cowboy.
Saddle up and ride across vast ranches with your sabanero guide and harvest sugarcane with a traditional trapiche, or manual mill (powered by oxen, not you!). And afterwards, wind down the way Costa Rican cowboys have for decades: with festive dancing, traditional eats, and a cool brew.
Cultural Enjoyment
We know you're coming here for the beaches, rainforests, and nature. That's what Costa Rica is all about. But it's worth checking out our cities, too, even if only for a little while!
Take a walking tour of San José with an expert guide telling you stories and showing you great places to eat while exploring our markets. Stroll the streets of Liberia, the capital of Guanacaste and learn that city's unique history.
History buff? Explore Santa Rosa National Park in Guanacaste and see the hacienda where the 1855 Battle of Santa Rosa took place.
Snapshots of Life in Costa Rica
And if you don't have time for a dedicated tour, that's okay. Our cities are walkable and easy to check out on your own.
Swing by San José's National Theater, where marble and gold-leaf combine in a building worthy of any European city. Enjoy a coffee in the cafe there, or across the plaza in the Gran Hotel.
Hike the Rincón de la Vieja National Park and see some cowboy culture for yourself. You’ll be hard-pressed not to spot a Costa Rican cowboy, riding his horse against the horizon’s backdrop.
Stop in any restaurant and order a café chorreado: Costa Rican coffee, brewed through a traditional coffee filter – the tastiest java you’ve ever sampled!
Whether you want an official tour or want to experience Costa Rica culture on your own, feel free to speak to us. We live here and love sharing all aspects of our lives in Costa Rica, especially all things cultural.