Architectural Travel - Costa Rica
Image Captured at Villa Nicolas
As you might expect, the dominant forms of architecture in Costa Rica is folk dwellings made of stone, concrete block and galvanized steel. There are also a fair number of contemporary homes and a distinctive amount of Spanish influence. Many of the modern homes are built on the sides of hills and feature spacious porches to catch the breezes coming off the water. The Spanish style roof tiles seen here are made of plastic rather than clay. Solar thermal water heaters in the form of large plastic cisterns dot most of the rooftops.
The use of jungle hardwoods is a natural for the climate as are walls finished in earth tones. Saltillo tile is a popular choice for flooring and ceremonial masks serve as decorative hangings. Conquered by Spain but then pretty much left alone, Costa Rica has emerged as country dedicated to natural preservation. They grow coffee and pineapples and play host to tourists from all over the world that come to see volcanoes, beaches and a variety of wild life that includes sloths and monkeys. The country's infrastructure is a bit of a mess as interior roads and bridges are in a constant stat of repair. Money is instead diverted to education. Costa Rica has no standing army.
Tourism and especially eco-tourism is vital to Costa Rica's economy. Unlike it's Caribbean neighbors, the country benefits from plenty of rainfall which cuts down on the amount of visitors during the wet season. Tourist attractions include rain forrest tours, hiking, and surfing. Local restaurants serve "typical" meals of chicken or fish with rice, beans and plantains or you can check out the more toursity places including this one built around a plane that was trailered up the hill. The restaurant was built around it. Another place down the road has a vintage street car inside it.
House Seen on Horseback Tour - Finca Valmy Tours
The Costa Rican natives refer to themselves as "Ticos" but the country is also populated by expatriated Americans, Canadians, and Europeans. This house was being built on property that bordered a ranch that offers horseback rides into the rain forest, another popular tourist activity. The not completely straight lines of the sheathing indicates the planks were hand-hewn from nearby trees.
On this trip we stayed near the Manuel Antonio National Park which is located on the Pacific side of of Costa Rica, about half way down the coast. The location is nine degrees north of the equator. We passed through the capital city of San Jose and also spent time in Quepos, the closest town to the park. But the natural beauty held more allure - at least this time around. If you like architectural travel, Costa Rica might be a place you'd enjoy. Especially if you enjoy views like the one below.
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