If you`ve never been to Costa Rica before, the first thing you need to learn is that everything is Pura Vida. Pura Vida (pronounced as “poo-rah-vee-dah”) is the country`s motto and way of life. The direct translation is “pure life” although it`s meaning is much more than that- it`s literally the mentality and lifestyle here.

Just think of “hakuna matata” which is the same concept. It`s all about having no worries, being happy in the moment, appreciating what you have, having an optimistic attitude and knowing that every little thing is gonna be alright (Bob Marley was a very Pura Vida kinda guy).

You can use “pura vida” as a way to say hello and goodbye or as a response when asked how you`re doing. If you don`t speak Spanish and you`re traveling in Costa Rica, just say “pura vida” to any local and they will immediately light up, smile and shout “pura vida!” back to you!

Costa Rica has been ranked #1 multiple times on the Happy Planet Index as being the happiest country on earth. The US ranks 108th to put that in perspective. The pura vida mentality is obviously a main reason why the people are so happy, and when you add in the beauty of this country, the climate, the fact that the government focuses on education and health vs. having an army…it`s no wonder why the people are so happy here!

Costa Rica has some of the most stunningly beautiful and clean beaches in the world. Two sides of the country are along coastlines- the north side is the Caribbean and the south side is the Pacific. The beaches range from crystal clear water, white sand beaches to black sand beaches- and a ton of them are top surfing spots in the world. Our very own Playa Espadilla (main beach in Manuel Antonio) has been ranked in TripAdvisor`s Top 25 Beaches in the World!

In addition to the beautiful beaches, Costa Rica is world renowned for for it`s epic waterfalls, rainforests, mountains, rivers and volcanos which in turn means there`s so many things to do! Some of the world class things to do and see are:

Being from Wisconsin, the weather is one of the things I love most about this country! The average annual temperature ranges between 70-81 degrees and has 2 main seasons: wet and dry.

Dry Season (December- April):  Hottest time of the year! It`s pretty much hot and sunny every single day with a very small chance of rain (if so it`s usually overnight). Great time to travel if you`re dreaming of a beach vacation and getting that tan on!

Wet Season (May – November):  Usually it`s hot and sunny during the day and then there`s a pretty good chance of afternoon showers or heavy rain at night (awesome sleeping weather!).

Wet season is actually my personal favorite time of year because you get the perfect balance of rain and shine, everything is greener and it`s less crowded (it`s the “low season” for tourism).

A good thing to know is that there is no “bad” time to travel to Costa Rica. We live in Manuel Antonio (beach town in the southern pacific) and it`s warm enough year round to go swimming in the ocean even if it`s a rainy day!

Everything is super fresh! To get started, the pineapple here is like no other. I used to hate pineapple when I lived in the states, but here it`s like a magical explosion of deliciousness in your mouth!

The typical plate here is called a “casado” which includes rice, beans, your choice of meat (usually beef, chicken, pork or fish), salad and plantains.  You can easily make it VEGAN like I do by ordering the casado without any meat (and asking what kind of dressing is on the salad to check if it`s vegan).  It`s a super balanced meal and really delicious!

Costa Rica also has a ton of exotic fruits, my favorites being guanabana, lychees, passion fruit to name a few….and since the weather is awesome here year round, every town has a weekly farmer`s markets (“la feria”) where you can buy fresh produce, organic coconut oil, flowers and souvenirs from local artisans.

That`s right- it is possible to have a country that`s safe without having an army. The army was abolished in CR in 1949 and since then the money has been reallocated to education, health and pensions. No army + pura vida = everyone happy and peaceful!

Costa Rica has nearly 6% of the world`s biodiversity even though it only takes up .03% of the earth`s landmass. That`s a ton of plants and animals people!!! Every day I see a new bug or flower I`ve never seen before, it`s like I can`t believe my eyes. Costa Rica is especially famous for having monkeys and sloths, which is just one of the main reasons tourists travel here.

In Manuel Antonio, we are lucky to have 3 species of monkeys:
• Howler Monkeys (2nd loudest mammal on earth)
• White Face or “capuchin” Monkeys (these guys are crazy!)
• Titi Monkeys (only found here)

I see monkeys everyday like how I used to see squirrels in Wisconsin. We even have bridges for the monkeys to cross our streets because there`s so many of them! Ha!

For advice on the best wildlife tour, click here.

Costa Ricans know that their land is precious and they are very focused on protecting it. Over 25% of the landmass is protected and dedicated to National Parks (rainforests, cloud forests, beaches, wet lands, etc). Along the same lines as not having an army, Costa Ricans have a profound respect for life of all kinds. Animals, plants, people, you name it….if it`s alive they want to keep it alive!

I`m from “the land of the free” and I can honestly say I`ve never felt more free in my life than I have living in CR. Want to take your dog to the beach without a leash? Go ahead! No shirt, no shoes- no problem!

I`ll never forget my 2nd trip to CR (the one where I made the choice to move here)…Fer and I were taking a road trip around the country and we stopped at a gas station to fill up and take a break from driving. Fer came back to the car with a beer and cracked it open so we could share the beer and chill a bit. I freaked out and said “you can`t open that in the car, what are you doing!?”…and he said “yes I can, what are you talking about?”….he explained that yes, drinking and driving is obviously illegal- however having an open beer in your vehicle is totally fine, just don´t drive drunk!  It`s more about common sense and people taking responsibility for themselves here, instead of having a million rules and lawsuits about everything. As long as you are not hurting anyone, you are free do whatever you want!