In the PAST it has been completely ILLEGAL to SELL liquor in Costa Rica on the Thursday and Friday during Samana Santa•Easter (Holy Thursday and Good Friday - which Tico's/many Latin's take WAYYY more seriously than Easter Sunday)
AFTER Samana Santa•Easter 2012, Costa Rica implemented a new "ley de licores" that left it up to each INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITY to decide whether to BAN THE SALE OF LIQUOR on these days or not.
NOTE: I have seen MANY CONFLICTING stories on what IS selling alcohol and what is not so take it with a grain of salt!!!
Municipalities and Cantons that
AGREED TO SELL LIQUOR during Samana Santa 2013:
The latest (as of March 22) list I've seen was:
CANTONS
Aguirre (part of Quepos?)
Coto Brus
Curridabat
Guácimo
Guatuso
Nicoya
Osa
Parrita
San Jose
San RamonSanta CruzTarrazúTilarán
MUNICIPALITY
Monteverde
OTHER PLACES I'VE SEEN??:
Garabito
Liberia
Puntarenas??
San Carlos
NOTE: I have seen MANY CONFLICTING stories on what IS selling alcohol and what is not so take it with a grain of salt!!!
Municipalities and Cantons that
AGREED TO SELL LIQUOR during Samana Santa 2013:
The latest (as of March 22) list I've seen was:
CANTONS
Aguirre (part of Quepos?)
Coto Brus
Curridabat
Guácimo
Guatuso
Nicoya
Osa
Parrita
San Jose
San RamonSanta CruzTarrazúTilarán
MUNICIPALITY
Monteverde
OTHER PLACES I'VE SEEN??:
Garabito
Liberia
Puntarenas??
San Carlos
Paraíso
only prohibits the sale of alcohol up to 200 meters from the assigned route to the processions.
As of March 14, 2013 - the following municipaliades have chosen
TO BAN THE SALE OF LIQUOR for Samana Santa 2013:
TO BAN THE SALE OF LIQUOR for Samana Santa 2013:
Cartago
Escazú
Heredia
Limón??
Palmares
Palmares
Puntarenas??
San Jose????
San Pedro
Montes de Oca
(SHOCKING on the above beach areas BANNING the sale of alcohol still since the majority of the country seems to go TO the beach areas [and Arenal] as THIS IS a reason MANY tourists that learn this have shared that they do NOT come to Costa Rica for Easter [as well as MANY hotels jack their prices up 2-3 times])
WHEN is the BAN on ALCOHOL IN Effect?
This ban STARTS at 12:01am (JUST after midnight) Thursday - March 28 and
ENDS at 12:01am (just after midnight) - Saturday - March 30, 2013
You HAVE to go into a grocery store to see this as it's a trip, as they LITERALLY have to cover/tape up ALL the liquor sections!!
SAY WHAT? BUT I'M ON VACATION!!
HOW CAN I WORK AROUND IT?
The sad thing is I've yet to see a hotel inform it's booked guests of this ahead of time so MANY tourists come to Costa Rica and think - "Hey - it's SPRING BREAK!! PARTY!!!! And MANY guests are VERY disappointed - even down right ANGRY - and this DOES effect the chances of them returning to Costa Rica as well!!
There are only 4 potential solutions/scenarios to work WITH it if you're in an "DRY" city•municipalidade:
#1 - STOCK UP
Buy your alcohol at least the day before (lines WILL most likely be LONG with people doing the same thing) & BRING IT WITH YOU!!!!
#2 - BRING YOUR OWN
Most bars (IF they're open) and restaurants will allow you to bring your own - but for their sake (because fines are VERY HIGH if they break the law - including being closed down for a period of time), please bring some sort of cup that doesn't show what's in it and do NOT leave the bottle out.
#3 - ALL-INCLUSIVE
This does NOT effect "All Inclusive" Resorts since they do not "SELL" alcohol - right??!!!!
#4 - GETTING CREATIVE
Some places (mainly places geared towards tourists) will get creative and "get around this" law by offering some sort of all-inclusive PARTY/Fiesta with a set price for food and drinks (not cheap usually as it is often an open-bar).
WHY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND NOT EASTER SUNDAY?
Costa Rican's seem to take these 2 holy days quite seriously (well - at least in MOST businesses) - practically shutting down towns not relying on the tourist $$!!!
Read LOTS more on EASTER • SAMANA SANTA in Costa Rica at:
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2013/03/samana-santa-easter-2013.html
Montes de Oca
(SHOCKING on the above beach areas BANNING the sale of alcohol still since the majority of the country seems to go TO the beach areas [and Arenal] as THIS IS a reason MANY tourists that learn this have shared that they do NOT come to Costa Rica for Easter [as well as MANY hotels jack their prices up 2-3 times])
WHEN is the BAN on ALCOHOL IN Effect?
This ban STARTS at 12:01am (JUST after midnight) Thursday - March 28 and
ENDS at 12:01am (just after midnight) - Saturday - March 30, 2013
You HAVE to go into a grocery store to see this as it's a trip, as they LITERALLY have to cover/tape up ALL the liquor sections!!
SAY WHAT? BUT I'M ON VACATION!!
HOW CAN I WORK AROUND IT?
The sad thing is I've yet to see a hotel inform it's booked guests of this ahead of time so MANY tourists come to Costa Rica and think - "Hey - it's SPRING BREAK!! PARTY!!!! And MANY guests are VERY disappointed - even down right ANGRY - and this DOES effect the chances of them returning to Costa Rica as well!!
There are only 4 potential solutions/scenarios to work WITH it if you're in an "DRY" city•municipalidade:
#1 - STOCK UP
Buy your alcohol at least the day before (lines WILL most likely be LONG with people doing the same thing) & BRING IT WITH YOU!!!!
#2 - BRING YOUR OWN
Most bars (IF they're open) and restaurants will allow you to bring your own - but for their sake (because fines are VERY HIGH if they break the law - including being closed down for a period of time), please bring some sort of cup that doesn't show what's in it and do NOT leave the bottle out.
#3 - ALL-INCLUSIVE
This does NOT effect "All Inclusive" Resorts since they do not "SELL" alcohol - right??!!!!
#4 - GETTING CREATIVE
Some places (mainly places geared towards tourists) will get creative and "get around this" law by offering some sort of all-inclusive PARTY/Fiesta with a set price for food and drinks (not cheap usually as it is often an open-bar).
WHY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND NOT EASTER SUNDAY?
Costa Rican's seem to take these 2 holy days quite seriously (well - at least in MOST businesses) - practically shutting down towns not relying on the tourist $$!!!
Read LOTS more on EASTER • SAMANA SANTA in Costa Rica at:
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2013/03/samana-santa-easter-2013.html
OTHER DATES WITH BANS ON ALCOHOL:
As of the last election, the BAN on the Sale of Alcohol was also in effect during the Saturday and Sunday of the ELECTION (the first Sunday in February every 4 years. The next one will be held on Sunday - February 2, 2014 [which isn't that also SuperBowl Sunday???? I KNOW this has been a problem in the past]).
Do YOU have anything to add to this???
Do you know of any NON-beach area restaurant or business open that Thursday and Friday??
Please get me the info (and ideally their website or Facebook Page) and I'll add them onto this list!!
PLEASE "SHARE" this list with EVERYONE you know that this will effect!!!
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2013/03/ban-on-sell-of-liquor-during-samana.html
LivingLifeInCostaRica.blogspot.com/2013/03/ban-on-sell-of-liquor-during-samana.html
.
0 comments:
Post a Comment