© Christopher Alpizar Gaviria
El Tope Nacional Featured in
The Tope includes parades of hand-painted carts, marching bands, horse-drawn carriagesб and many more. Moreover, plenty of food and drinks are guaranteed.
This tradition goes back to the turn of the 20th century when the United Fruit Company imported the cattle for the banana plantations in Costa Rica. When cattle arrived at the ports, riders were sent to round up the cattle (“topar” in Spanish). With time, the Tope became a national parade with the riders demonstrating their luxurious horses, and people dressed in Western style.
