The Battle of Santa Rosa

May 13, 2014 by Javi the Frog

Close look at the Casona de Santa Rosa

Highway in front of Santa Rosa National Park

Main road to Santa Rosa, Guanacaste

How A Few Minutes At Santa Rosa Changed Costa Rica History

As I hop around Costa Rica, meeting fellow travelers and enjoying the natural beauty of my surroundings, I am also reminded of the history here and how it has influenced our environment. When I visit Santa Rosa National Park, I always make sure to climb up the steps beyond the old building, known as "La Casona" and to view the memorial for the heroes that fell during the Santa Rosa battle of 1856.

Created in 1971 as the first established national park in Costa Rica, Santa Rosa National Park was created not only to protect the natural, flourishing environment, but also to protect this area as a cultural and historical site, where the national militia of Costa Rica claimed victory at multiple battles. If you are visiting this park in my homeland, just head left of the main entrance on the upper level to access the memorial. Climb the stairs for a view of the surrounding area that I usually only get from up in the trees, and don't forget to bring your camera!

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The Historic Battle of Santa Rosa

This historic location was the spot of the battle against the regime of a North American named William Walker. As the self-proclaimed Commander-in-Chief of Nicaragua, Walker set out to conquer all of Central America, starting with Costa Rica. His army of mercenaries was determined, but my homeland is not so easy to conquer!

When the Costa Rican president got word of the attack, he arranged for a civilian militia to meet the mercenaries, known as filibusters, on the province of Guanacaste. The two groups met at the now-famous and well-preserved Hacienda Santa Rosa; the filibusters were found exhausted from long travel, unorganized and unprepared for attack. I am proud to tell you that within just 14 short minutes, the militia of my beloved Costa Rica was able to win the battle thanks to Juan Santamaria, Costa Rica's national hero!. What's most memorable is that the invading army was formed out of professionals, while the local army was formed out of locals. Having lived in Costa Rica my whole life, I too would answer the call and defend my homeland with as much honor as those men did all those years ago.

The victory at Hacienda Santa Rosa, along with other thwarted attempts by valiant Central America defenses, eventually resulted in Walker fleeing his efforts and returning to North America.

Two more battles were fought here, in 1919 and in 1956. Both were attempts from Nicaragua invaders, and Costa Rica prevailed both times.

How To Get To Santa Rosa National Park

The Santa Rosa National Park covers most of the Santa Elena Peninsula, on the Guanacaste province. This area is in the North Pacific Coast region of Costa Rica. There are plenty of camping grounds in the area for visitors. It is best to go to this park with a car as buses do not run inside the park you may end up walking quite a few kilometers to get to Hacienda Santa Rosa, so bring plenty of fluids!