If you're in Costa Rica in mid-September, you'll feel it before anyone explains it to you: flags going up on porches, kids practicing with paper lanterns, marching bands rehearsing in school parking lots. September 15th is Costa Rica's Independence Day, and unlike a lot of national holidays, this one isn't a quiet day off. It's loud, it's for kids as much as adults, and in a town the size of Playas del Coco, you can't really miss it even if you tried.
Why September 15th
Costa Rica, along with the rest of Central America, declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. The declaration itself was signed in Guatemala City, and because news traveled by messenger in 1821, it took days to reach the towns further south. That travel time is actually baked into how the holiday is still celebrated today, more than two centuries later.
The Antorcha de la Libertad
Every year, the Torch of Freedom relay retraces that same route. It starts in Guatemala on September 9th and is carried by students in shifts, on foot, through Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua before crossing into Costa Rica at the Peñas Blancas border. From there it continues on to Cartago, the country's former capital, arriving by the evening of September 14th. It's a genuinely impressive logistical feat, run almost entirely by teenagers, and it's the reason the celebrations properly start the night before Independence Day itself.
The Desfile de Faroles
September 14th has its own tradition, and it might be the most charming one. Weeks beforehand, kids across the country build faroles, handmade lanterns, often from recycled materials, painted with scenes of Costa Rica: volcanoes, oxcarts, the flag. At exactly 6 p.m. on the 14th, families walk through the streets with their lanterns lit, singing "Himno al 15 de Septiembre" together as they go. The tradition dates back to 1953 and honors María Dolores Bedoya, a Guatemalan woman who reportedly carried a lantern through the streets of Antigua the night independence was declared, to spread the news.
September 15th: Parade Day
The morning of the 15th belongs to the school parades, or desfiles, and they happen in almost every town in the country. Students march in their school colors, in traditional dress, playing in marching bands they've practiced for weeks. Liberia, the provincial capital about half an hour from Coco, puts on one of the bigger parades in the region. Playas del Coco has its own, smaller and more neighborhood-feeling, usually starting around 9 a.m. and moving through the center of town. If you live here, or you're visiting a property in September, it's worth timing your morning around it rather than driving straight through.
What to Expect If You're Here
September 15th is a national public holiday, so banks, government offices, and schools are closed. If any part of your trip or your paperwork touches a bank or an attorney's office, plan around it rather than through it. Restaurants and shops in Coco generally stay open and do good business, especially around the parade route, but expect road closures downtown for a few hours that morning. It's a good problem to have: the town is simply busier, louder, and more itself than usual.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Independence Day in Costa Rica?
September 15th marks Costa Rica's independence from Spain in 1821. The evening before, September 14th, has its own traditions and is celebrated just as widely, so the holiday really runs two days.
What is the Antorcha de la Libertad?
The Torch of Freedom is a relay run that starts in Guatemala on September 9th and retraces the route news of independence took through Central America in 1821. Students carry it in shifts across the region, entering Costa Rica at the Nicaraguan border and running it to Cartago, the former capital, by September 14th.
Will businesses be open on September 15th?
It's a national public holiday, so banks, government offices, and most schools close for the day. In Playas del Coco, many shops and restaurants stay open, especially around the morning parade, but don't plan to get paperwork done.
