Here comes October, and with it everyone’s favorite excuse to wear something crazy and act the part: Halloween! As a non-religious celebration with roots in ancient Europe, Halloween in Costa Rica wasn’t really a thing until tourism took the country by storm in the late 1990s. Nowadays, with so much influence in Costa Rica from Europe and the rest of the Americas, even Costa Ricans are catching the Halloween party fever.
One of the ways that
Halloween celebrations are different in Costa Rica from what they are in the
United States is that children do not go trick-or-treating. Halloween is
more of a holiday for costumes and adult-type revelry. No special foods (like candy) are associated
with Halloween in Costa Rica. Here in
Guanacaste where Tamarindo is located, local Costa Ricans refer to Halloween as
El Dia de Las Brujas (The Day of Witches). That works, too. If you’re going to be in Costa Rica on Halloween, plan to be in Tamarindo! The Halloween fun begins here at sunset, with happy hour at any bar in town. Have some dinner at home in your Tamarindo Vacation Rental, or pick a Tamarindo restaurant, and then get ready for the show! This sleepy little surf village comes to life on Halloween night like you wouldn’t believe! There’s a party on every corner with live music, dancing, and prizes for the best costumes. So where do Tamarindo locals get our Halloween costumes? We make them up! The creativity of Halloween-loving Tamarindo locals is stunning. There’s no where here to buy or rent costumes or costume pieces, so lots of work goes into what you see out and about on Halloween in Tamarindo. If you’re packing now for your Tamarindo vacation that includes October 31st, plan your costume and bring it with you! If you amaze us, you just may win a generous cash prize! It’s pointless for us to tell you where to go to party on Halloween because there’s a party everywhere. It’s epic. The whole town spends the night in full-on revelry. You’re not going to one halloween party–you’re going to a dozen. You’re going to wander up and down the streets, stopping in here and there until your dancing shoes are worn thin. One special Tamarindo
Halloween tradition is the Halloween paddle-out. Local surfers with their
boards gather on the beach on Halloween day in full costume to paddle out and
catch some waves in their scarey gear. We’re especially happy
to celebrate Halloween in Tamarindo because Halloween just happens to come at
the end of what is our slow season. We love the relaxed vibe of the slow
season, the rain, the emptier streets, supermarkets with no lines, the cooler
temperatures…but who are we kidding? Everyone is happy when the lull is
over and, starting in November, the town begins to fill up again and rains
become more of a novelty. If Halloween isn’t your
thing–if parties aren’t in your plans, or if you make a point of skipping
Halloween, don’t despair–there’s still something in it for you: you get
November 1st! November 1st is hands-down
the best day in Tamarindo for an uncrowded early surf session because everyone
else is sleeping! Get up early and take
a walk on the beach–you’ll have the whole thing to yourself. The town
will be yours on the morning of November 1st if you pass on the mayhem of Halloween. Go out for breakfast and take in the
peaceful, lazy vibe of sleepy Tamarindo. Either way, you win! Contact us today about the availability of our Tamarindo Vacation Rentals and get that costume packed along with your bathing suit.
Halloween day paddle out
