Visiting a country like Costa Rica and not feeling the love and sympathy of its people is something impossible. The Ticos are very friendly and happy people, who will make your stay very special. But to be this way, there has to be a history, and that’s why I’m going to tell you a little bit about the culture and lifestyle of the Ticos, so we can understand a little bit better where their personality comes from.
Everywhere in Costa Rica, we find hundreds of Tours and cultural activities that let us understand what it means to be Tico, but you have to choose well to not repeat (many touristic tour operators offer similar activities) and to truly get to know the background of the national culture. We will talk about main activities that you should not miss if you want to experience authentic Costa Rica.
Caribbean Culture - Puerto Viejo
Puerto Viejo de Limón and the many beaches around it are popular destinations for thousands of tourists every year, who come to enjoy nature and the Caribbean Lifestyle. In this area, the afro-Costa Rican citizens dominate, a folk that keeps their customs and language (mainly patois [patwa] which is like a creole English). If you come to the Caribbean Side of Costa Rica, you should try their traditional food; the flavour is something you barely can find in other parts of the world. I recommend you Panbón, Rondón, Plantinta and Rice and Beans, which are the most popular typical dishes and very delicious. You can also do a Caribbean cooking class, so you take something of this taste home to share it with your friends and family. If you are interested in a cooking class,
Indigenous villages Bribrí - Talamanca
Very close to Puerto Viejo de Limón is the territory of the indigenous Bribrí, one of the oldest indigenous populations of Costa Rica and the biggest one in the country. Over 10 thousand people keep their native language alive, spoken and now also written, thanks to the effort of the Costa Rican education system.
In this region, we can experience their way of life, how they grow their crops, cacao, and plantains, which are important in their daily diet and for their economy. Also, you can learn about the roots of the village. I recommend you to participate in a tour with a shaman, who tells you about what he believes in, the architecture, medical plants and the exhausting training he had to take over many years to get to this leading position; afterwards, you can visit a Bribrí family, who will tell you about their food and lifestyle. In the end, you could do a small cocoa tour where you can see the handcrafted production of chocolate. You can
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Museums and the daily life of San José.
The whole Costa Rican history is summarized in the museums. At the Numismática museum, you can learn about the history of the different coins that were used in the pre-Colombian and colonial era, until the ones we use today, as well as bones of dinosaurs and birds that were found in this region, also art, technology, and Costa Rican customs. Most of the museums in Costa Rica are located in the capital San José, so you can see different ones in just one day.
On the other side, you can do a city tour in San José, visit the central market and buy a souvenir or eat a typical Costa Rican dish, get to know the architecture and history and get an impression of the commerce and customs of its citizens. We offer our followers an exclusive City Tour, just
The blue zone of Nicoya
Nicoya is a peninsula in the province of Guanacaste, a region that is dedicated to cattle raising and agriculture, but also offers a great number of beautiful beaches that are visited by tourists all around the year. The elder of the region get older than 100 years and that’s why you can hear many fantastic stories told by them. If you visit this region, you have to try the Vino Coyol (tree wine), because this is a traditional drink in this area.
The food, one of the main reasons that people there live so many years, is based on corn, but very varied and with a unique taste; for example tortillas palmeadas, bizcochos, atol de maíz, arroz de maíz von gallina achiotada, chorreadas and many more. Furthermore, in this area, it is common to see handcrafted things made with clay mud, so it is normal to get your dinner served on a handmade plate, baked in the same traditional oven (also made with clay) where the locals prepare their bread and Bizcochos.
Another interesting activity you can do is to visit a Finca and learn about the crops of the area and learn about milking and raising cattle.
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I hope that all these adventures I mentioned will help you to decide which places to visit when you come to Costa Rica and like this, you can get an authentic experience. If you have something to add or if you have a question, feel free to write to us.
Greetings and Pura Vida!
