Costa Rica Tips and Facts

Costa Rica has been named one of the happiest places in the world, a country filled with smiles and positivity. It also has an average life expectancy of 80 years old.  Being surround by nature might be the recipe to a longer life.

During my 2 week trip and 21 hours of driving…here are some things I’ve learned:

  • Living in Costa Rica is simple, no luxury items, nothing fancy. Groceries are not plentiful in smaller areas. It’s all about using the resources you have and not wasting. 
  • Costa Ricans are call Ticos
  • Nature and Wildlife are everywhere and you find animals big and small wondering around, after all it’s their land. 
  • They say “con mucho gusto” for you are welcome instead of “de nada”
  • The toilets are super low and most places do not allow you to put toilet paper in the toilet 
  • Typical dish is Casado, if you enjoy rice and beans with a variety of proteins you can find these in the Sodas.
  • Sodas are what Costa Ricans call their local Costa Rican restaurant. A Costa Rica soda is normally a small, mom and pop open air restaurant that serves only traditional Costa Rican food. It's the best place to experience eating out like a local!
  • Pura Vida is a greeting and a parting statement, an expression of happiness, optimism, and living life to the fullest. (Basically I don’t give a ,,,,)
  • Most roads are one lane each way or one lane for both ways and are not paved in the country side. They also have very few straight roads. Driving is an experience here but highly recommended. A 100km drive can take over 3 hours. Potholes are everywhere.  
  • Make sure you have Costa Rican Colones (local currency) and/or US dollars. Many smaller towns don’t have banks and don’t accept credit cards. 
  • An automatic tip of 10% is added to the bill but we also left a few dollars on top but it was not expected. 
  • Bug spray, water shoes, rain gear and wipes (for the long drives with no bathroom in sight) are a must. 
  • Embrace the moments, what makes Costa Rica unique is not the comforts we are use to but the experiences that take us out of our comfort zone. That’s what is priceless. 

Here are some of the great meals we enjoyed but Rob was excited to get back home for some pasta!
Avocado Toast

Asian Costa Rican Mash Up

Coconut Banana Pancakes

Avocado Lime Chipotle Chicken Salad

Bourbon Shrimp & Rice

Grilled Fish Medley 

Octopus Salad

Costa Rican Breakfast 

Casado

Our last night was spent in the capital city of San Jose, home to half of Costa Rica’s population. It definitely had a different feel than the other areas we travelled, I didn’t feel unsafe but I also wouldn’t recommend spending a lot of time here. We decided on an evening food tour to help us get to know the city. The tour led us through the highlights of the capital and some unique meal tastings of local higher end cuisine. 
Welcome to San José
Raspberry Sorbet

Trout Salad & Ceviche

Great coffee House

Me

Postal Office San Jose

Local Mercado 

Rob Enjoying his Rum Coffee Shot

Adiós Costa Rica, Pura Vida!



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