About Costa Rica
- Capital: San Jose
- Population: 5.2 million
- Official language: Spanish
- Land area: comparable in size to West Virginia
- Location: bordering countries include Nicaragua and Panama, with the Caribbean Sea to the east and Pacific Ocean to the west
Read more in the CIA World Factbook and Diversity Abroad destination guide.
About San Jose
Founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1737, San Jose transformed itself from a once-forgotten city of the Spanish Empire to a 19th century hub of the coffee industry. San Jose is now considered by many to be the most cosmopolitan city in Central America. This vibrant city plays host to millions of international visitors each year, and there is no shortage of exciting sights and tastes. With the Talamanca Mountains and numerous volcanoes to the south, San Jose offers visitors visual splendor as they explore the city’s many restaurants, cafes and museums, including the Gold Museum, home to one of the world’s greatest collections of pre-Colombian gold.
Costa Rican culture
Food
Costa Rican food is not very spicy. The staple foods are gallo pinto (black beans and rice) and fried plantains (like bananas), which are served with almost every meal. You can expect lots of fresh fruit as well. There are a lot of inexpensive restaurants called sodas in Costa Rica. At a soda, you can get a comida tipica (gallo pinto, plantains and meat or eggs) for a couple of dollars. Fresh fruit juices are also widely available, safe to consume and inexpensive.
As of winter break 2022, the cost of lunch was around $7 USD for a casado (typical dish with rice, beans, salad and meat), $8–$10 for a pizza, $7 for a burger, $10–$15 for lunch at a casual restaurant (sushi, vegetarian, Italian, Mexican, etc.) and $20–$30 at a nicer restaurant (steak, seafood, etc.).
Local buses
The bus system in San Jose is cheap (about 40 cents) to get anywhere in the city. It is also extremely easy to orient yourself. All buses will take you to the Avenida Central, which is the main artery through the city and goes from the area of your homestay to the city center. During the day, this is an excellent way to get around. Even if you get lost, just ask someone how to get to Avenida Central and you should be able to orient yourself easily.
It is a good idea to have exact change ready — the fare will be posted in the windshield of the bus. Once you get on the bus, the driver may ask you to stand behind the white line if you don’t have exact change. This has to do with the monitoring system to keep drivers honest. Don’t be offended if the driver shouts at you to get behind the white line.
Taxis
At night you should take a taxi cab, even if you are only going a short distance. Official cabs are reddish in color and have a yellow triangle on the doors. These are the only cabs you should take (they are not hard to come by). If you are leaving your home, a restaurant or night club after dark, you should call a cab or ask the proprietor to call one for you. Do not be embarrassed to do this, even if you are not going a long distance. It is common and what Costa Ricans do. Do not make yourself a target by walking alone at night. It is always a good idea to carry your address with you, so you can show it to the cab driver in case your forget or the driver doesn’t understand you.
During the day, you can ask the driver to “Ponqa la maria, por favor.” The maria is the meter, which all official taxis are supposed to use during the day. You can watch the meter and, for the most part, you will pay what you expect to. If the driver tells you it is broken, negotiate a price ahead of time or find another cab. At night, you can expect to pay 50 percent more (or higher) than during the day, especially if you are at a tourist hot spot like el pueblo. This is normal. Negotiate the price before you get in the cab, according to where you want to go or you may end up paying a lot more than you expect.
Prostitution
Prostitution is legal in Costa Rica. While it is legal, be aware that it takes place in dangerous areas of the city and is something that could get you into trouble because of the kinds of people this lifestyle attracts. Don’t risk — stay away.
Time zone
In January, there is no time difference between Costa Rica and Missouri.
Timeliness
Costa Ricans are famous for observing tico time, known locally as la hora tica. Costa Ricans habitually arrive late, often by 30 minutes or more, to dinner, appointments and get-togethers — anything but the movies or appointments at the public health clinics, for which they line up hours in advance. Many Costa Ricans do not view late arrivals as rude — and their tardiness is not meant to offend — so it’s best to adjust your expectations and tell your friends to arrive earlier than you’d like.
Similarly, the word ahora, which is Spanish for “now,” means “later” or “tomorrow” in Costa Rica. If someone tells you they’ll meet you ahora or are leaving ahora mas tarde, it’s best to clarify exactly when you’ll see each other.
Note that you are expected to be in class on time and arrive for excursions on time.