There are all kinds of signs welcoming you to communities in Costa Rica. Some are small, some are large. Some are detailed, and some are plain Many are very colorful, even artistic.
Some of my favorites are the large, block letter signs that just give the name of the town or community. These can be found all over the world, and I have seen them in many places. They have caught on in Costa Rica and can be found in towns across the country, from small villages to the capital city.
In this post, I’ll share a little about a few of the block letter signs we encounter in some of our favorite places here in Costa Rica.
The first has to be Jaco, where our home is. This sign is on the south end of the town and beach. The beach and town come quickly into view as your approach the sign. This has become a very popular viewpoint and landmark in Jaco. It’s a favorite photo spot. Nearby are some small fruit stands, and sometimes other vendors will hawk their goods, too – fresh food, souvenirs, pipa fria (cold coconut water straight from the nut), and on some days, even copos (shaved ice snow cones with a selection of tasty syrups, milk powder, etc.). Scarlet macaws often hang out in the trees nearby, and seeing several of these gorgeous birds is reason enough to stop for a few minutes.
Jaco’s sign is unique in that the letters are very large and are accompanied by models of toucans, monkey, sloths, and scarlet macaws, all from the region.
Another of our favorite signs if in the small town of Capellades. We pass through this picturesque pueblo on Hiway 230 between Cartago and Turrialba. We love this little town. It is so clean, and the residents’ pride is evident everywhere. They keep their town sign painted immaculately. You never see a spot, mark, or blotch on it. Capellades also has a wonderful little bakery that we stop at way too often!
Further down Hiway 230 toward Turrialba lies Santa Cruz, the main town of the Santa Cruz District (population 3,200). As with Capellades, Santa Cruz is a scenic town with views of the mountains and valleys below. I love their town sign. It is not only colorful, but very artistic. They engaged local artists to contribute to the sign, and it is magnificent. It also states that Santa Cruz is the birthplace of the well-known and well-loved Turrialba cheese. Each letter shows a scene or scenes from the area or daily life in the region.
The first photo is the entire sign. The following photos are close-ups of the letters so the scenes are more visible. What a work of art, and the people of Santa Cruz are very proud of their sign.
The small towns of Costa Rica are delightful, and so are their signs.
Until next time . . .
This is Paul, a Part-Time Expat turned Full-Time
I hope you’ll hit “Like” and follow my blog. You’ll receive notices each time a new blog post is published. Feel free to share the blog with friends or family who might be interested in living overseas or life in Costa Rica.
I also invite you to follow me on Instagram: aparttimeexpat.
You can also find me on my youtube channel: Piano by Paul at https://www.youtube.com/@pianobypaul8995/videos
You can grab a copy here: https://mybook.to/farawayishome
Wonderful signs showing the beauty of the country. Thoroughly enjoy your posts. Blessings as you experience and share life.