- The nickname for Costa Ricans is “Ticos”. This is because of the habit in Spanish using the diminutive, and that at a much higher rate than most other Spanish speaking countries.
- Costa Rica has over 25% of its land area protected as either a national park or wildlife reserve. This is the largest percentage of territory protected out of any other country in the world.
- Street names are not regularly used in Costa Rica. In general, addresses are given in terms of distance from a local landmark. For example, the Costa Rican Vacations office has the following address: 100 meters west and 50 meters north of the main entrance to the National Stadium. it definitely is complicated for visitors, but Ticos themselves get around just fine!
- Every town, no matter how small, has a church, a soccer field, and a pulpería (corner store). All churches face west in Costa Rica, which is extremely helpful when finding your way around due to the lack of street names!
- In Costa Rican taxis, the meter is called the “María.” “Toca la Maria, por favor!”
- In Costa Rica, you’ll hear the expression “Pura Vida” a lot. And I mean a LOT! Pura Vida is used for everything, from hello to goodbye to just showing appreciation. Pura Vida in Costa Rica in a nutshell!