Costa Rica Travel: Tope in Guanacaste

Ticos, and particularly the inhabitants of the Guanacaste region, known as the Guanacastenos, are always keen on partying, and any excuse is good to celebrate with some good food, music and dances. If you happen to stumble across a typical Guanacaste fiesta, you should be lucky enough to be treated to a tope, or a horse parade, which are frequent. The tope combines Western rodeo with a country fair, which includes a cattle auction, food stalls, music, dancing, drinking, and bull riding.

The main event of the fair is of course the tope itself, where you can admire the skills and endurance of both horses and riders as they perform the traditional sabanero, a demonstration of high stepping gait. However, the bull riding is generally what attracts the bigger crowds. Admiring the leg work of young toreros and the raging bull’s race is a thrilling experience.

The topes are also the best place to witness, and maybe participate in the region’s traditional dances, known as as the Punto Guanacasteco. Women wear long flowin skirts which are supposed to represent an ox-cart wheel, one of Costa Rica’s traditional crafts. This dance was originally used as a means of courtship, and it’s no infrequent to see young men interrupting the dance by shouting verses in order to win over a love interest. This dance and music are full of passion, with a relatively fast pace.

Topes are held regularly in the Guanacaste region, so if you want to have the chance to witness this amazing event, and observe some of the most exciting Costa Rican customs, just ask locals and they will gladly tell you when and where you are likely to find the next one. Generally, tope occur on national holidays, as well as during the Semana Santa (Holy Week), the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and on July 25th, the anniversary of Guanacaste’s annexation to Costa Rica.

This guide to topes in the Guanacaste region was written by a Costa Rica travel expert at Costa Rica For Less available to help you custom design exciting and adventurous Costa Rica vacations.