Everyday practical information for Costa Rica

Power

• Plug types A and B at 120 V, 60 Hz, the same as the USA and Canada.
• European, UK and Australian appliances need an adapter and possibly a converter. Check that your charger says 100 to 240 V; most modern ones do.
• Power cuts are common in the rainy season in rural areas. A power bank and a head torch are genuinely useful.

Addresses, which do not exist

Costa Rica has no functional street address system outside a few blocks of central San Jose.

• Directions are given by landmark and distance: "200 metres north and 50 east of the old fig tree", where 100 metres means one block.
• The landmark may no longer exist. The most famous example, the Coca-Cola bottling plant in San Jose, closed decades ago and the bus terminal is still named after it.
• Use GPS coordinates or a Waze pin for anything you need to find. Ask your accommodation to send one on WhatsApp.
• Post is essentially not used. Everything goes by WhatsApp.

The clock

• The country gets up early. Sunrise is around 05:30 all year and people start work at 07:00.
• It gets dark at 18:00 all year, because Costa Rica sits near the equator. There is no long summer evening and no winter gloom.
• Restaurants in small towns close by 21:00.
• Wildlife is out at dawn. A 06:00 walk sees three times what a 10:00 walk does.
• Pura vida is a greeting, a farewell, a thank you and a philosophy, and it explains why the shuttle is twenty minutes late.

Language and manners

• Spanish, spoken clearly and slowly by regional standards, and English is widespread in tourism.
• Costa Ricans call themselves Ticos and it is an affectionate word, not a slur.
• "Con mucho gusto" replaces "de nada" as the answer to thank you.
• Politeness is valued highly. Greet people when you enter a shop and never raise your voice; direct confrontation is deeply uncomfortable here.
• Costa Rica has had no army since 1948 and is genuinely proud of it.

The calendar

• Semana Santa (Easter week) shuts the country. Buses stop, alcohol sales were historically banned on Thursday and Friday, and the whole nation is at the beach.
• Christmas to New Year is the other peak.
• Public holidays include 1 January, 11 April, Easter Thursday and Friday, 1 May, 25 July, 2 August, 15 August, 15 September and 25 December.
• The rainy season is called the green season by the tourist industry, which is marketing but also accurate.