Prior to the 1970s, paranormal activity in Costa Rica was mostly the stuff of folklore passed from generations dating back to the times when Conquistadors were busy claiming the newfound Americas for the Spanish Crown. Some scary tales actually originated before Columbus arrived; they were told by the indigenous people of Costa Rica, who in some way descended from the Mayas. When a former mental hospital and prison in the province of Cartago was condemned due to a volcano eruption, the horror folklore gave way to scarier urban legends.

As previously reported by the Costa Rica Star, the Duran Sanatorium is the most haunted place in Costa Rica:

Commonly-seen apparitions in the Duran Sanatorium include a nun, who is said to have been a caretaker when the Sanatorium was a hospital for tuberculosis patients. A woman with white hair and a blue dress has also been seen walking the corridors and peering out of the windows.

Another frequently seen apparition is that of a little girl, said to be the daughter of Dr. Carlos Duran himself. She supposedly contracted tuberculosis while living at the Sanatorium and passed away. She is usually seen on the roof or the steps of this building, where she lived with the Doctor while he presided over the Sanatorium.

In the 21^st century, reports of ghosts and other supernatural apparitions are no longer confined to the Duran Sanatorium. Here are some reports from the last few years; some have links to news reports and even videos!

Carmen, the Tormented Football Fan

Earlier this year, the Costa Rica Star reported on an electrifying football match between Deportivo Saprissa and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense at the Chinese-donated National Stadium in La Sabana. The excitement of that match, which is the ultimate rivalry in Costa Rican football, caused a fan to suffer a heart attack at the stadium after a goal was scored right before half time.

A similar situation transpired years ago at the Saprissa Stadium (affectionately known as the Monster’s Cave). A die-hard Saprissa fan named Carmen died from cardiac arrest while celebrating a goal by her team. To this day, many football fans believe that the tormented ghost of Carmen roams the dark hallways of the stadium in Tibas.

Ghosts at the National Children’s Museum

Located in the northern sector of Downtown San Jose, the National Children’s Museum was once an army fort and later a penitentiary and even later a cadet training center for the old Guardia Civil (now known as Fuerza Publica, Costa Rica’s national police force). In 2006, sports daily Al Dia interviewed a security guard who assures that he saw the ghost of a former prisoner roaming the Museum’s outer grounds. Other security guards have also reported strange noises at night.

The Ghosts of Barrio Aranjuez and Barrio Amon

There are two things that paranormal detectives in Costa Rica have learned over the years: First, ghosts tend to enjoy haunting old buildings in venerable neighborhoods of San Jose, and second, oral histories tend to be unreliable. Such is the case in Barrio Amon, where a home is thought to have been the site of seven suicides by hanging and thus severely haunted by the ghosts of those poor souls. The problem is that the old house has belonged to the Khnor family since the 19^th century, and they have no records of deaths in the property.

In Barrio Aranjuez, the associate attorneys and partners of law firm that typically represents Costa Rica in sovereign matters reported poltergeist activity at the office. A TV news crew from Teletica Channel 7 investigated and found… nothing.

Ghosts Around Costa Rica: Video Roundup

Thanks to social video sharing networks such as YouTube, we can enjoy ghost reports at:

Offices of ICE, the former telephone communications monopoly

The basement of Hiper Mas in Heredia, a store owned by retail giant Wal-Mart

The Duran Sanatorium (of course)