Old Fashioned Culture

Last Friday evening we visited Pueblo Antiguo, just outside the capital city of San Jose. Pueblo Antiguo is a recreation of a Costa Rican town from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Here they have restaurants, horses, cows, a church, and trains on rails that are reminiscent of the charming towns within Costa Rica in the late 1800s. The village of Pueblo Antiguo offers many events such as masquerades, circus parades, folk dances, and tours that seek to preserve the original culture of Costa Ricans.

 As soon as we arrived at Pueblo Antiguo I could immediately feel the colonial-like qualities of the town. Our guide was dressed up in costume and shared with us the premise of Pueblo Antiguo and some history of traditional Ticos back in the 1800s and early 1900s. After a brief tour we had the wonderful opportunity to see a traditional Latin American dance show. The costumes were beautiful and the traditional Costa Rican music was very lively. After we enjoyed the show the dancers brought people from the audience on stage to dance; they were filled energy and enthusiasm. Then we all made our way to dinner where we enjoyed a typical Costa Rican meal and watched as some of us had the opportunity to learn a traditional Spanish dance. It was definitely a fun night for everyone.

Pueblo Antiguo reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg; it is a recreation of what life was like for the people of Costa Rica years ago. The architecture and costumes of the people look similar to those of the Colonial time period. This park is an important asset to Costa Rica because it aims to preserve some of its history and teach both tourists and Ticos more about the wonderful culture in a charming and entertaining manner.