Costa Rica lives up to its reputation as a gay destination with its variety of vacation hot spots, long beaches and rugged mountains. But it surpasses that simplistic label by being Central America’s most determined human rights advocate with many rights organizations pushing against the daunting forces of machismo and homophobia.
While homosexuality has been technically legal (since the 1870’s), but police harassment and raids of LGBT people and private establishments was commonplace in the past. The government did not want to grant legal recognition to political organizations seeking to advance LGBT rights. These policies started to change in the 1990s, when the Costa Rica Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution gave LGBT people the right to peacefully assembly, associate, create their own private establishments, as well as their own LGBT rights associations. Such rulings have led Costa Rica to develop the reputation of being the most democratic and liberal of the Central American countries. Costa Ricans to be proud of the uniqueness of their country.
It has recently become welcoming to LGBT people with its friendly, “live-and-let-live” attitude toward sexual matters. On March 27, 2008 the president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sanchez, signed an executive order designating May 17 as the National Day Against Homophobia, committing Costa Rica to join others around the world in working to eradicate bias against gays and lesbians. There is a vibrant nightlife scattered in San Jose consisting of discos, saunas, night clubs, cafes and bars for gay or gay friendly.
Name: Costa Rica
Population: 4134000
Capital: San Jose - Pop. 348000
Area: 51100 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic
Status of Homosexuality: legal
Telephone Country Code: 506
San Jose City
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, the city is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation. Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San José is one
Coco Beach on the Pacific
Playa del Coco Costa Rica is one of the most easily accessible beaches in Guanacaste, located 22 miles west from Liberia, with exceptionally good street connections. This area consists of a stunning horseshoe-shaped bay with very steep hills and cliffs. Its main attractions are the tourist facilities and the sun, which shines longer and more
Arenal Lake and Volcano
Arenal Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Arenal, is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures at least 1,633 metres (5,358 ft). It is conically shaped with a crater spanning 140
Monteverde Highlands
Monteverde, Costa Rica is a small town in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. It is about a four-hour drive up into the Cordillera de Tilarán mountain range from the Central Valley of Costa Rica. It is considered a major tourist destination in Costa Rica, primarily visited by ecotourists drawn by the Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde and