COSTA RICA HISTORY

“Honey, why do you get to have all the fun and go to Costa Rica without me?”

“Hey, I’m making history here!”

Yep, even Columbus had some marital frustrations. The history of Costa Rica begins with Christopher Columbus.

Long before there were luxurious tour boats, this fellow kept sailing between Europe and the New World.

And, in 1502, he discovered---and named---Costa Rica.

After all, there were already people here but, to us Westerners, a story is always better when we can say we discovered something.

Guayabo: The Lost City of Costa Rica

What movie did you like most? “1492” (bet you never saw it) or “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (bet you did)?

We all know about the lost Aztec and Maya cities.

But, did you know that just two hours’ from San Jose lies a city hidden in the rainforest? Maybe 10,000 or even 25,000 people lived here for at least 2,500 years before Columbus "discovered" the rich coast.

Gee whiz, looks like there’s some Costa Rica history before we discovered this gem of a place.

Intrigued about the lost city of Guyabo? I bet you are. On your Costa Rica vacation, pay a visit the city lost in time, Guayabo, click here

Sixteen Tons

I don’t know what he got but I do know what sixteen tons will bring you in Costa Rica. A Diquis Ball.

Take a look at a peculiar piece of Costa Rica history.

And, nobody knows why they were made, though I have a theory.

Giants made ‘em for sporting events and competed against the Atlanteans until Atlantis collapsed into the sea just off the coast of Costa Rica (wasn’t this on the Discovery Channel?).

Some of these theories are a hoot, Disquis Ball, click here Maybe you ought to come to Costa Rica and see them for yourself on your next Costa Rica vacation.

Pura vida!

History of Tortuguero National Park

60 years ago, a Florida professor, Archie Carr, armed only with his pen, focused conservationists on the plight of the sea turtle and led to the creation of Costa Rica ecotourism and the largest green sea turtle reserve in the western hemisphere, called Tortuguero National Park.

History of Costa Rica: Most Miserable Colony

Not all early tourists liked Costa Rica much. Indeed, in 1519 the Spanish Governor of this little colony called it “the poorest and most miserable Spanish colony in all Americas.” Faint praise, indeed.

But, he had a point. Gold to the north of Costa Rica, gold to the south of Costa Rica. Here, not so much.

Slaves to the north, slaves to the south of Costa Rica. Here, not many. Damned inconvenient, I’d say.

But, to be fair, it wasn’t all Costa Rica’s fault. Lots of Indians died from European diseases. Pretty selfish, all in all.

No gold, no slaves, the most miserable Spanish colony in all the Americas.

What does this spell?

Democracy. How?

Simple, actually.

With no gold or an ample supply of slaves, this "miserable" colony was settled by little farmers who had to till the land themselves. Isolated from the rest of Spain’s colonies, the settlers had to get along. Everybody was poor but equal.

To understand Costa Rica history you need to begin with dirt-poor folks.

This little idiosyncrasy, almost nobody to oppress or exploit, coupled with miserable poverty requiring lots of hard work, led to egalitarianism.

In 1821, Costa Rica declared independence from Spain and about 30 years later declared itself the Republic of Costa Rica, a democracy.

It all made sense because, after all, egalitarianism had pretty much been the order of the day for some 300 years.

The Making of a Hero

His story is forever intertwined with an American, a would-be conqueror who wanted to create a slave-state.

It's the story of Costa Rica's defeat of William Walker and the Battle of Santa Rosa.

The Story Behind Costa Rica's Abolition of its Military

It's a great story of two enemies and a civil war that forever changed the history of Costa Rica.

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