Festivals in Costa Rica: Fiestas, Bull Riding & Traditions

Perched on the wooden fence around a small-town bull ring in Guanacaste, surrounded by locals of every age doing exactly the same, we quickly realised we had the best seats in the house. There were almost no other tourists in sight, just a town turning out for its annual fiesta, and it was one of the most authentic experiences we have had in Costa Rica. Festivals in Costa Rica are where the country’s culture comes alive, from tiny village bull-riding fiestas like that one to the huge two-week blowouts of Palmares and Zapote. This guide covers the best of them, what to expect, when to go, and the bull-riding tradition known as toros a la tica that sits at the heart of so many.

Costa Rica Festivals at a Glance

Celebrating life and tradition is an essential part of the pura vida way. All year round, Costa Rican communities come together for fiestas that mix colourful parades, carnival rides, bull-riding and wonderful traditional food. Costa Rica is predominantly Catholic, so you will see religious elements in many celebrations, but Ticos also simply love to party, and schools, banks and many businesses close during the national holidays so everyone can join in. Here is the festival calendar at a glance.

What Is Toros a la Tica?

Toros a la tica is the Costa Rican take on bull-riding and bull-running, and it is the beating heart of the country’s biggest fiestas. The crucial difference from Spanish bullfighting is that the bull is never killed or stabbed. An amateur rider climbs on and tries to hold on for as long as possible; when he is thrown, a crowd of improvised “matadors”, anyone in the ring brave or foolish enough, taunts and dodges the bull before horse-riding cowboys lasso it and lead it calmly back to the stables.

You can see it at the televised Zapote fiestas in San Jose over the year-end holidays, at Palmares in January, and at countless small-town fiestas across the country, especially in Guanacaste. It remains controversial on animal-welfare grounds, though the no-kill format sets it apart from the Spanish corrida. The real danger is to the people: riders, runners and matadors are regularly hurt, and there are occasional deaths, so it is very much a watch-from-the-fence affair for most visitors.

Our Night at a Guanacaste Fiesta

Every year between December and January, towns all over Costa Rica host fiesta carnivals. Some, like the one we went to in Guanacaste, are small: a modest bull ring, a few rides, games, food stalls and a dance floor. Others, like the fiestas in San Jose, Zapote and Palmares, run for a full two weeks with concerts, parades and football, drawing millions of people from across the country.

“TORO NUMERO UNO!” boomed a voice over the PA as the five-piece mariachi band behind us broke into a drum roll. The gate swung open and the first bull leapt out, bucking to shake off its visibly amateur rider. A few seconds of oohs and aahs later the rider hit the dirt, the crowd erupted, and a dozen young men jumped down to play cat-and-mouse with the bull before three horse riders lassoed it and led it out. Act numero uno complete.

Each night we watched 10 to 15 bulls. Some were young and harmless, others aggressive and genuinely frightening. Over the years there have been far too many incidents at these rings, with serious injuries and even deaths from a bad fall or a wrong step. And yet some spectators crave exactly that adrenaline. Max was one of them.

Max grew up in Costa Rica and first sat in the middle of a bull-riding field at six years old. He has done it his whole life, so for the first eight bulls he was careful, staying near the fence and climbing back up the moment a bull turned his way. Then, a few rum and cokes in, he and his friends decided to play “blind chicken”: sitting on the grass in the middle of the ring with their backs to the gate, relying on the crowd to signal when to run.

The flaw was obvious in hindsight. By the time the signal came, it was almost too late. This bull was angry; it threw its rider in seconds and charged straight at the group. The others veered left, Max went right, and he was a fraction too slow. The bull caught him from behind, knocking him flat, then jumped clean over him and charged on toward the fence. For one endless second nobody knew how badly he was hurt. Then he was up and walking to the fence, shaken but grinning, with nothing worse than a scratch. He knew he was lucky, and so did everyone around us.

We went back the next evening, and again a few days later. Max went into the ring with a lot more caution and a lot fewer games, and there were no more scares, just laughter, entertainment and the slow pull of a town having the time of its year. When the bull-riding wrapped up each night, we stayed for the carnival games, the rides and, of course, the dancing.

The food alone was worth the trip, and the cheapest we have found anywhere in the country, priced for locals with no tourist markup. We worked our way through chicharrones, a Costa Rican take on chop suey, fried chicken, salted green mango and the local favourite, copos (a shaved-ice dessert). Beers were about 800 colones, just over USD $1.50, and with every round we felt a little more at home among the crowd.

The fiesta shut down at 11pm, but the night carried on as the crowd drifted to a hole-in-the-wall bar thick with merengue and the smell of rum. Somewhere between the dance floor and that bar is where we really fell in love with Costa Rican culture.

The Best Festivals in Costa Rica

Fiestas happen year-round, rain or shine. Here are the festivals worth planning a trip around, from the giant year-end fiestas to the regional carnivals and religious celebrations. It is worth checking the best time to visit Costa Rica to line your trip up with the ones you want to see.

Fiesta de la Luz (early December)

San Jose’s Festival de la Luz kicks off the holiday season with dazzling light displays, floats, live music and plenty of dancing. The parade sets off around 6pm, with colourful floats winding through downtown San Jose, and it is just the first of many festivities in a capital that knows how to party.

Zapote Fiestas (late December to early January)

The Zapote fiestas, on the edge of San Jose, are the country’s biggest year-end party and the most famous stage for toros a la tica, broadcast live on national TV. Alongside the bull-riding there are amusement rides, concerts, food stalls and bar tents, and the whole thing runs from Christmas through the first days of January.

Fiestas de Palmares (mid-January)

This two-week festival in the small Alajuela town of Palmares is one of the most popular in the country. The second half of January brings a huge horse parade, bull-riding, live concerts and tent bars serving local beer and spirits late into the night. A town of just a few thousand swells with visitors from all over Costa Rica, so book accommodation well in advance.

Fiesta de los Diablitos (December 31 and early February)

A traditional Indigenous celebration held by the Boruca and Rey Curre communities, this three-day festival re-enacts the battle between the Boruca people and the Spanish through masks and costumes. It ends with food, fireworks and chicha, a homemade drink of fermented corn. The Boruca host it in late December, Rey Curre in early February.

Fiesta Santa Cruz (mid-January)

For over two centuries the people of Santa Cruz in Guanacaste have honoured their patron saint, Santo Cristo de Esquipulas, with street parties, dances and traditional food. The fiesta includes a religious procession of thanks and a traditional Indigenous dance.

Dia de la Independencia (September 15)

Costa Rica celebrates its independence from Spain with festivals in every town: street parties, parades and traditional dress. The highlight is the arrival of the symbolic Freedom Torch, carried by relay runners all the way from Guatemala. When it arrives the flag is raised, everyone sings the national anthem, and the celebrations run late into the night.

Guanacaste Day (July 25)

This national holiday marks the day Guanacaste was annexed from Nicaragua, and while it is observed across the country, the province itself throws the biggest party, especially in Liberia. Expect street fiestas, fairground rides, bull-riding, rodeos and El Tope, the famous horseback parade, plus food stalls full of traditional Guanacaste dishes.

Virgen de Los Angeles Day (August 2)

One of the biggest religious events in Costa Rica after Christmas and Easter, this day centres on the legend of a small statue of the saint, the Black Virgin, said to have reappeared each time it was moved. The statuette now sits in the basilica in Cartago, and draws millions on an annual pilgrimage, many walking for days to reach it.

Viva el Cafe Festival (February or March)

Quieter than the bull-riding fiestas but a treat for coffee lovers, this festival showcases high-quality beans from small farmers across the country, with tastings and a national barista competition. The venue and dates vary across several events.

Limon Carnival (October)

Probably the biggest street festival in the country, the week-long Limon Carnival on the Caribbean coast marks Columbus’s 1502 arrival and celebrates the region’s Afro-Caribbean culture with colourful costumes, calypso and reggae, and lively parades. It is one of the best ways to experience a very different side of Costa Rica.

Semana Santa (Holy Week): What to Know

Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter, is one of the most important times on the Costa Rican calendar, and it changes how the whole country runs. Local churches organise processions and families gather for traditional foods, but much of the country slows right down.

• Many businesses close from around Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday, with Thursday and Friday the quietest days.
• Alcohol sales are often restricted on the holiest days, so stock up ahead if you want a drink.
• Transport and accommodation fill up as Ticos head to the beach, so book buses, cars and rooms well in advance.
• Plan your food and activities ahead, as shops, banks and some restaurants will be shut.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is toros a la tica?

It is the Costa Rican style of bull-riding and bull-running where, unlike Spanish bullfighting, the bull is not killed or harmed with weapons. A rider tries to stay on, a crowd of improvised matadors dodges the bull, and it is then lassoed and led out. It is the centrepiece of fiestas like Zapote and Palmares.

Is bullfighting legal in Costa Rica, and is the bull killed?

The Costa Rican style is legal and the bull is not killed, which is the key difference from Spanish bullfighting. It is still controversial, and the genuine danger is to the human participants, who are occasionally seriously injured.

What is the biggest festival in Costa Rica?

The Fiestas de Palmares and the Zapote fiestas near San Jose are the largest, each running for around two weeks across late December and January with bull-riding, concerts, parades and food.

When are the Fiestas de Palmares?

Mid to late January, in the town of Palmares in Alajuela province. Book accommodation early, as the small town fills with visitors from all over the country.

What festivals happen in December and January in Costa Rica?

Fiesta de la Luz (early December, San Jose), the Zapote fiestas (year-end, San Jose), Fiesta de los Diablitos (December 31), and the Fiestas de Palmares (mid-January).

What should you know about Semana Santa in Costa Rica?

The country slows down from around Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday: many businesses close, alcohol sales are often restricted, and towns hold religious processions, so plan transport, food and accommodation ahead.

What are common Costa Rican holidays and traditions?

Independence Day (September 15), Guanacaste Day (July 25), the Virgen de Los Angeles pilgrimage (August 2), Limon Carnival (October) and the year-end fiestas, all blending Catholic tradition with the pura vida love of a celebration.

Final Thoughts

Costa Rica’s festivals are the quickest way under the skin of the country. Behind the beaches and the national parks is a culture that genuinely loves to gather, eat, dance and celebrate, and a small-town fiesta will show you that better than any resort. Whether you time your trip for Palmares, catch the Zapote bull-riding, or simply stumble into a village fiesta, it is worth saying yes.

When the music stops, there is a whole country to explore, from the best things to do in Costa Rica to the quiet corners off the beaten path. Have you ever fallen in love with a culture through its festivals?

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