Inspirations
Costa Rica's Favorite Sports
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by Dervla Murphy
26-06-2024
Inspirations
a
by Dervla Murphy
26-06-2024
Soccer, often known as fútbol, was already a popular national sport before the 2014 World Cup team became heroes after reaching the quarter-finals. Right now, no one can stop talking about it. Beyond that, the Ticos enjoy watching bullfights (along with the extremely violent and illegal cockfights and dogfights) and are beginning to appreciate the ocean as a fun place to play, whether it's on a surfboard, a stand-up paddleboard, or a fishing pole. Although hiking could be considered more of a leisure activity than a sport, there is no shortage of opportunities for athletic pursuits inside Costa Rica's large network of national parks, which occupies a quarter of the country's total area. Tourists in particular love white-water rafting, canyoning, mountain biking, and zip-lining. You can find these outdoor sports all around the nation, but they can be ridiculously expensive at times.
Costa Ricans love their soccer, and in 2014, their national team, La Sele, upset some of the world's best teams to advance further in the World Cup than any side before them. Be sure to inquire about any upcoming regional events at the National Stadium, a massive clam-shaped facility that the Ticos received as a gift from China, while you are here.
The Tico bullfight is more akin to a rodeo than a traditional bullfight because the bulls are not killed and (maybe) insane men frequently mount them. Plus, fans can go all Pamplona on us and jump into the ring if they so desire. Zapote, the biggest fiesta of the year, is like the Costa Rican Super Bowl; these festivities happen all throughout the nation during the different seasons. The legend of Malacrianza, the country's most infamous bull known for tossing and killing riders, is passed down through the generations.
Costa Rica has changed forever since the 1994 release of Endless Summer 2, which showed the country's Pacific beaches. These days, it's not unusual to see surfers loading up their boards onto vans at the airport and making the journey to popular surf destinations like Tamarindo, Pavones, Jacó, Santa Teresa, and Puerto Viejo. Costa Rica has had its first ever world championship in stand-up paddleboarding, and the sport has since attracted the attention of some ex-surfers.
When it comes to adventure sports, Costa Rica is without a doubt the best place in Central America—if not the entire Americas. I would most certainly ride a zip line to the office every day if the activity were more commonplace. Guanacaste is also seeing a boom in mountain biking, especially among Ticos who take part in national events. The Pacuare is, just so you know, a mean river to float down.
Marinas at Quepos, Playa Herradura, and the Papagayo Peninsula are teeming with fishing boat captains, so you can tell sport fishing isn't as popular as it once was. Fishermen, who are overwhelmingly male, travel from far and wide to cast their lines off the coast of this nation in the hopes of reeling in blue marlin, sailfish, wahoo, and other exotic species.
