Juan Santamaría Day is one of Costa Rica's most important holidays—a mandatory day off marked by parades, ceremonies, and a story most visitors have never heard.
Every year, Costa Rica honors one single act of bravery that became the heartbeat of a nation.
On April 11, 1856, a teenage drummer boy from a small Costa Rican town ran through a hail of bullets carrying a torch. He had one condition before he went: if he died, someone had to take care of his mother.
That run—and what it cost him—became a part of Costa Rica’s DNA. Every April 11, Costa Rica shuts down to remember it.
If you're moving to Costa Rica or just visiting, Juan Santamaría Day is worth understanding because it demonstrates how Costa Ricans themselves see the heart of their nation.
The Battle of Rivas took place during the Filibuster War (also known as the Walker affair or the National Campaign of 1856-1857).
A filibuster is someone who participates in an unauthorized military expedition in a foreign country/territory, intending to create political revolution or secession. The term comes from the Spanish word, filibustero, meaning pirate or plunderer.
William Walker is one of the most well-known filibusters. Claiming to be inspired by manifest destiny, he brought unauthorized, independent military expeditions to Mexico and Central America, from 1853 to 1860.
In the mid-19th century, Nicaragua was locked in a civil war between the conservative Legitimist party and the liberal Democratic Party. The Democrats, led by Francisco Castellón, hired William Walker and his mercenaries to help them fight the conservatives.
Shortly after arriving, Walker attacked the city of Rivas—now known as The First Battle of Rivas—and lost, forcing their retreat. His forces regrouped and later helped the Democrats take control of Nicaragua. Walker then installed a puppet president, Patricio Rivas, and began making strides towards his own agenda, including: legalizing slavery and providing large land grants to American settlers.
Led by President Juan Rafael Mora, Costa Rica was the first country to field a military force opposing Walker. Mora saw him as a direct threat to Costa Rican sovereignty, declared war, and sent his army north to encircle Walker and his men.
An exact minute-by-minute account of the events at the Battle of Rivas and Juan Santamaria’s fabled run does not exist in the historical record. However, plenty of patriotic accounts, evidence-based battle outlines, and family-ancestor retellings are plentiful.
Like most colonial towns, Rivas was laid out in a grid pattern with a central plaza featuring a small church and the fortified inn El Mesón de Guerra with its thatched roof. The plaza was bounded by thick adobe-style walls, homes, and shops.
Costa Rican forces were made up mostly of militia and conscripts—farmers and laborers armed with a mix of muskets, rifles, bayonets, and some cold steel. They were not a professional standing army but rather mobilized civilians under the command of officers, José Joaquín Mora and General José María Cañas.
Walker’s troops included experienced American filibusters with rifles and revolvers, plus local Nicaraguan allies, experienced in urban fighting, firing from fortified positions such as houses and church towers.
President Mora’s army entered and occupied Rivas first, deploying in and around the central streets, plaza, and key buildings, to defend an occupied town rather than attacking one. Walker, who had evacuated Rivas a few days prior, counter-marched and attacked on April 11 with a smaller force. They launched their attack from the outskirts and pushed through with street fighting and hand-to-hand combat toward the center.
A focal point became El Mesón de Guerra. After fierce fighting to the center, Walker’s men entrenched themselves inside while snipers took positions in the church towers. The battle lasted for nearly 16 hours, with heavy casualties on both sides and no clean victory for either side.
Historians are clear: while the fine-grained details are impossible to verify, there is strong oral and documentary evidence that a soldier named Juan Santamaría from Alajuela existed, fought at Rivas, helped burn the Mesón de Guerra, and died in the act.
General José María Cañas made the decision to burn out Walker's men embedded at El Mesón de Guerra. Volunteers were asked to run through open fire and torch the thatched roof. Several men were killed or wounded trying.
A young, impoverished drummer boy from Alajuela, Juan Santamaría, stepped forward. Before he went, he had only one request: if he died, those remaining would take care of his mother.
Torch in hand, he ran to El Mesón de Guerra. He reached the roof’s overhang, pushed the fire into the thatch, and ignited the structure. During or shortly after, he was hit by rifle fire and mortally wounded. The fire succeeded and forced Walker’s men to abandon their position. This was the moment that decided the battle.
After Rivas, Walker’s forces retreated north to Granada and never recovered, eventually expelled in May 1857. However, Costa Rica’s victory came at a steep cost: the Costa Rican army was decimated by a cholera outbreak, the result of Walker’s forces contaminating town wells with deceased soldiers.
In Costa Rican memory, Juan Santamaría’s run turned the tide, both militarily and symbolically. For generations, his story of bravery has been taught in every school as the founding moment of national identity and pride.
Costa Rican law lists April 11 as “Día de Juan Santamaría,” a mandatory paid national holiday. Schools close, businesses shut down, and the country commemorates the brave and patriotic actions of the Battle of Rivas and Juan Santamaría.
While the whole country celebrates, Alajuela, Santamaría’s hometown, is the heart of it. Celebrations typically last for an entire week leading up to April 11, with parades, live music, cultural performances, dances, and official ceremonies centered around Juan Santamaría Park and its monument. San José also marks the day with school parades, official ceremonies, and a national address from the President. No matter how you choose to celebrate, Juan Santamaría Day offers a glimpse into what Costa Rica is really made of.
Costa Rica did not carve its place in history with a large army or polished uniforms—but with farmers and laborers in borrowed boots and rusty farm tools, along with a young drummer boy who sprinted toward a thatched roof so his mother and his homeland might have a future.
That spirit is part of what draws so many people to Costa Rica. At Second Street, we help international buyers finance homes across Costa Rica so they can experience this remarkable country as more than just visitors.
Ready to make Costa Rica home? Get started with Second Street today.
.png)
.png){kind=small}
