Entry number for the cabalagata
In the middle of the wet season the Osa Peninsula has the “Verano de San Juan … Summer of St. John”, a mini dry season that typically last 6-8 weeks from the end of June. The beginning of this mini summer is celebrated with the week long “Festival de San Juan.” In Puerto Jimenez the Festival de San Juan includes bull riding, carnivals, dancing, horseback riding and other community events. It is a great time to reconnect with friends and family.
Queen of the San Juan Festival who is the daughter of Apolonio, a worker at Iguana Lodge
The festival ends with a big horse ride called a “cabagalata”. Over 100 people on horses ride for a good part of the day starting through town and then into the surrounding country side. This band of horse riders is trailed with a caravan of cars and trucks playing great Costa Rican music and plying the riders with food and drink.
There are riders of all ages, often dressed in traditional clothing or cowboy garb.
This cute little girl, Maritsa, had to be the youngest rider at 4 years old. She road the entire cabagalata by her self and had a ball.
Some of the horses are spectacular breeds that prance along in grand fashion. It is not unusual for the parade to stop along the road, for impromptu dancing, eating and drinking.
Riders horse tied along the road during the cabagato near Puerto Jimenez.
It is a blast. The cabagato ends at the bull ring where the festivities continue into the night with bullriding and dancing.
It is not unusual for riders to start dancing to cumbia, merenge, bachata or salsa when everyone stops for a break.
