Costa Ricans, or Ticos as they call themselves, enjoy topes (horse parades) in nearly every town and city, a tradition that originated on the dry plains and cattle ranches of Guanacaste.

Ticos are renowned for their gregarious nature which is quite apparent during the numerous fiestas, street fairs and carnivals celebrated throughout the nation. These celebrations are an excellent insight to the culture and cuisine of the country, as visitors can sample "tipico" food, enjoy Latin music or watch a Costa Rican bull fight where the bull is never harmed.

Along the Atlantic coast, Afro-Caribbean cultures are apparent in the reggae beats, Calypso music and Patois spoken by the locals. While indigenous tribes now make up less than 2% of the country's population, Indian arts and handicrafts are preserved in museums and are sold on reservation tours.

San José, located in the Central Valley, became the cultural hub of the country with the construction of the National Theater in 1897. Within the past century, theater has become a favorite cultural activity among Ticos. The National Theater hosts a variety of operas, plays, ballet performances and orchestral symphonies.

Costa Rica is widely recognized for its wildlife and beautiful landscapes. However, if travelers look beyond ecotourism, cultural treasures can be found, whether in a reggae music festival, a horse parade, or an opera.

"Ticos" are what Costa Ricans call themselves, and what fellow Latin Americans call them. This affectionate nickname is rooted in the Ticos' tendency to add the diminutive "tico" to most words, as they often refer to people and things in terms of their smallness. As an example, "chiquito" which means small, becomes "chiquitico", or very small.

A high percentage of Costa Ricans are of European and mestizo decent. Most of the indigenous people of the area succumbed to diseases such as measles and the common cold carried into the country by the early Spanish settlers.

You will sense a great deal of pride in the people of Costa Rica, for they have formed a nation unique, not only to Central America, but to all the world. They have built a history of tolerance and prosperity by taking to heart positive lessons carried with them from the old world to the new.

For many of the years following WW II, Costa Rica stood almost as an island of tranquillity in a sea of civil warfare raging around them. In 1948, Costa Ricans proved their confidence in the stability of their nation by abolishing their army. Instead of recruiting regiments of infantry, they recruited platoons of forest rangers. Democracy is treasured by the people, as is the ideal of personal liberty, and violence of any kind is extremely rare.

All Costa Ricans were honored when, in 1987, President Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace for the high standard of ethics and understanding he symbolized as a representative of the people of this nation.

Nowhere will you find people more deeply committed to the preservation of its natural wonders. Theirs is a small country, yet they have within their borders no less one twentieth of the world's total biodiversity. To protect these treasures, they have set aside more than one fourth of their total land area as national trust, dedicating one acre in four to parklands and wildlife refuges.

Visitors are quick to note that the people of Costa Rica work very hard to develop the intellectual as well as the physical resources of their country. Books and newspapers are displayed everywhere, evidence that Costa Ricans have made of themselves one of the most highly literate nations on earth. No less than ninety-three percent of the people can read and write - meaning nine out of ten can feel partner to events taking place in their country and throughout the world, and can make intelligent, educated decisions regarding responsibilities to their nation and to Mother Earth.

Bull fighting- "Las corridas de toros" are a special part of the Costa Rican culture. The Ticos have taken this traditionally formal event and transformed it into what they call "Toros a la Tica". Los Toros started back in the early 1800's in the then capital city of Cartago, and were originally known as the "San Juan Fiestas". Similar to The Running of the Bulls in Spain, bulls were let loose in town, and the people would run with them. After running through the streets, bulls and runners would end up in the bull ring or "la plaza mayor" with the gates closed behind them. Ticos would travel from all over the country to watch the skilled and famous "toreros" conquer the bulls. The participants were rewarded with prizes, notoriety, and glory for fighting the bulls.