Costa Rica

🙂 Costa Rica is renowned for its stunning biodiversity, vast protected spaces and warm weather. It’s home to dense jungles, active volcanoes, rushing rivers, spectacular waterfalls and vibrant cities.

🙁 It’s a major transit country for drug trafficking, and in recent years, hundreds of thousands of migrants from poorer neighboring Central American countries have flooded into Costa Rica seeking work. It is also the most expensive country in Central America.

Currency: Costa Rican Colone

THREE things we did not know about Costa Rica

1. The Locals in Costa Rica Are Referred to Ticos and Ticas.
   The residents of Costa Rica call themselves Ticos (for males) and Ticas (for females). These terms come from the practice of adding “tico” in the end of many Spanish words. 
2. The Streets Don’t Have Names. That’s right! The streets of Costa Rica don’t have any street names or numbers on their buildings. Only recently has the country decided to place signs on some streets to make it easier for tourists. The locals of Costa Rica are great at using compass directions. If you’re visiting Costa Rica soon, get ready to hear instructions like “go 100meters northwest from the hotel, you’ll see an old building with a green gate”. 
3. It’s Not Unusual for Ticos to Brush Their Teeth After Every Meal. If you start working in Costa Rica, you’ll notice that your coworkers disappear for a few minutes after lunch. No, they aren’t gossiping about you—they’re brushing their teeth! Brushing teeth after every meal is a very common practice in the country. You’ll see people brushing their teeth in the mall, diners, etc. A few years back the government released this ad campaign that encouraged people to brush their teeth so they wouldn’t need the dentist as much. The locals responded and have made it a habit to brush their teeth after every meal.