Ecomuseum of Chorotegan Ceramics (San Vicente)

 

San Vicente Village is located 17 kilometers southeast of Santa Cruz, driving on paved roads until you reach Guaitil, located 2 kilometers before San Vicente through an unpaved road. You can also get to San Vicente from Nicoya (20km northwest), although this road is not paved, it is in pretty good conditions and accessible by any kind of vehicle.

The village of San Vicente is a great place to appreciate Costa Rican country life, a place of tranquility in a remote location where one can experience the essence and the spirit of Costa Rican hospitality and simple rural life. 

San Vicente is better known for the replicas of Chorotega Ceramics produced by local artisans; this is also a place of Costa Rican traditions including the celebration of Easter Week with delicious dishes prepared for this important festivity, most of them made of corn, such as a traditional drink named chicheme, rosquillas (corn rings) tanelas (pastry made with corn and filled with a kind of sugar cane thick syrup) and tamales.

During the first weekend of February and during the second weekend of July, San Vicente has bull festivals with delicious typical Costa Rican meals and bull riders for the excitement and enjoyment of the visitors.
 
The first weekend of November, the Dance of the Colgantes (small traditional gifts) is celebrated with folkloric dances and a colgante for each par ticipant.

Ceramic was created with the purpose of rescuing and preserving the art and culture of the Chorotegan people. The construction of the museum was thanks to the contributions from national and international institutions.

The museum features an exhibition of photographs of local artisans and a little biography about them, pre-Columbian replicas, modern ceramics created by skilled artisans, as well as a garden with Chorote gan vegetables, fruit, herbs and common trees of the region such as the Cedro (cedar), the Guanacaste tree, and the Pochote.

The museum offers demonstrations about the ceramic making process and information about the history of the community and the museum.