All Inclusive in Costa Rica

Is Tulemar an all inclusive resort? We get this question a lot….And, the answer is no, we aren’t an all-inclusive resort, however, we ARE inclusive in every other way! Meaning, we don’t discriminate and we welcome guests of all backgrounds to enjoy our resort. (Note: if you want to see why we are BETTER than an all inclusive resort, check out the list here!).

That’s why we were feeling extra proud of our little country on May 26th, 2020 when Costa Rica became the first Central American country to legalize same-sex marriage.

This milestone was covered by countless international news associations, including time.com:

The first same-sex weddings have taken place in Costa Rica, after a landmark court ruling came into effect at midnight. While activists’ plans for a national celebration had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, a late-night television broadcast culminated in the wedding ceremony of Alexandra Quiros and Dunia Araya. As the brides kissed, guests in attendance cheered and threw rainbow rose petals.

In 2018, Costa Rica’s constitutional court ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional and discriminatory, giving the country’s parliament 18 months to legislate or face the ban being automatically overruled. Monday night marked that deadline, and the move has been welcomed by human rights activists across the region.

“Empathy and love should from now on be the guiding principles which will allow us to move forward,” Costa Rica’s President Carlos Alvarado Quesada tweeted shortly after the midnight ruling came into effect. Quesada, who took office in May 2018, had campaigned promising to legalize same-sex marriage; Costa Rica’s 2018 election also saw the country’s first openly gay congressman, Enrique Sanchez, seated.

Despite opposition from religious groups and a handful of lawmakers, Costa Rica is the first country in Central America to legalize gay marriage, and the sixth in Latin America. But although legislation in recent years has moved to enable gay couples to marry in Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and parts of Mexico, the LGBTQ community still faces widespread discrimination and violence throughout the region. From 2014-2019, least 1,300 LGBTQ people were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to research last year undertaken by a regional network of gay rights groups.

Looking to have your LGBTQ wedding at Tulemar? Check out our wedding page here!

Here, we believe love is love.

Pura Vida,

Tulemar