Before you make plans for your vacations and prayers this Easter Holy Week, take note of the following information in case you require a service during the weeklong holiday.
Most government offices and many private businesses, including The Tico Times, will be closed April 10-14, as well as April 17 in honor of Juan Santamaría (National Hero) Day, which is April 11, but this year was officially moved to the following Monday because it falls during Semana Santa.
If someone gets sick during the holidays, hospital emergency rooms will be open 24 hours every day. For minor health problems you can go to the local community health clinic, called EBAIS. Also, the Red Cross (dial 128) and the National Insurance Institute (800-800-8000) attend emergencies 24 hours. If your family pet requires immediate attention call Dr. Bitter’s Clinic (227-5017) in the Centro Comercial del Sur, which will be open 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-9 p.m. except April 13, 14, 16, 17 when it will close at 6 p.m. The Escazú clinic will be closed April 13-16, the other days it will be open 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
If you need medication or an emergency medical consultation, the Clínica Biblica drugstore (522-1000, ext. 2057) and emergency room (ext. 2010), Clínica Católica drugstore and emergency room (283-6616) and Farmacia Sucre Los Angeles (262-3111) across from Más x Menos in Heredia, will all be open 24 hours a day for the holidays.
Plan your vacation budget in advance because banks – state and private – will be closed Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
ATM machines will remain in service, however. The French Embassy (234-4167), British Embassy (258-2025), Japanese Embassy (232-3787) and the U.S. Embassy (220-3939) will all be closed April 13, 14 and 17. The Canadian Embassy (242-4400) will be closed April 13-14, and open April 17.
To send your Easter cards through Aerocasillas (208-4848), do it before Wednesday at 1 p.m., when the offices will close until April 18. DHL (210-3939) will be closed Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday; the offices will reopen Monday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Don’t forget your grocery shopping, as some supermarkets will be closed Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Such is the case with Saretto (228-6703) in Escazú.Muñoz & Nane (253-4646) in San Pedro will work normally, closing at 7 p.m. on Good Friday.
PriceSmart stores (283-9464, 262-6365) will be closed Good Friday.
On Holy Thursday, Automercado supermarkets (257-4242) will open as follows: downtown, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., and Los Yoses, Plaza del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Multiplaza in Escazú, Moravia, Heredia and Santa Ana, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. On Good Friday, the supermarkets downtown and in Los Yoses will be closed; all others will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Más x Menos stores (243-7100) will have the following schedule: Holy Thursday open 8 a.m.-7 p.m. except the Jacó store until 10 p.m. The Cuesta de Moras, Guadalupe, Alajuela and airport locations will be closed Good Friday, others will be open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. except Jacó which will close at 9 p.m.
Hipermás (286-0033), will be open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday.
Though all else might be closed, you can still visit the country’s national parks, which will remain open during the week, including Thursday and Friday. Those interested in visiting the country’s museums take note: the NationalMuseum, GoldMuseum, Children’s Museum and CalderónGuardiaMuseum, all in San José,will be closed Holy Thursday and Good Friday. InBioPark, in Heredia north of San José, will also be closed those two days.
The JoséFigueresFerrerCulturalCenter, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design and the CostaRicanArt Museum will be closed April 10-18. The JuanSantamaríaMuseum will be closed all week but open April 11 for the celebrations of the national hero. The Santa RosaMuseum, in La Casona, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, will be open as usual.
Keep in mind that many Costa Rican buses do not run during Good Friday, and others offer modified schedules on Thursday and Friday – it’s best to call in advance.
The nation’s dry law will be in effect Holy Thursday and Good Friday – bars will be sealed shut and supermarkets prohibited from selling liquor between midnight Wednesday and midnight Friday.
