Costa Rica Customs and Etiquette

If you’re reading this blog about Costa Rica customs and etiquette, you’re doing your job as a responsible traveler – right from the get-go. We salute you!

It’s extremely important to have at least a basic understanding of the culture and customs of the destination you’re traveling to.

This can help you avoid some seriously uncomfortable situations – the last thing you’re looking for on vacation.

Costa Rica is a relatively “easy” country for Westerners to visit. There aren’t many strict cultural rules to adhere to like in other countries across the world.

Despite this, there are some things to be aware of. This knowledge will empower you to have an immersive experience here and to be respectful of the locals and their culture.

We’ve been welcoming guests from all over the globe here to this beautiful country for 14 years now. You can rest assured that the Bodhi Surf + Yoga family is more than prepared to empower you to have a safe, enjoyable, and responsible trip here to Costa Rica.

Religion in Costa Rica – How it Affects Your Trip

Typically, Costa Rica is a pretty religious country.

The predominant religion here is Roman Catholicism – according to Costa Rica Immigration Experts, 65.8% of the country’s population is Roman Catholic. Just by driving through Costa Rica – in even the most rural of towns, you’ll notice that you won’t travel more than 20 minutes without passing a church.

One of the biggest country-wide celebrations of Christianity is known as Semana Santa (Holy Week). During this public holiday, towns all around the country hold events such as parades, to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

Costa Rica or Her people by no means demand that visitors adhere to their religious beliefs, but they do appreciate that you respect them.

Costa Ricans are some of the warmest, friendliest, and most accepting people you’ll meet. Those that are religious do take it seriously however, which is why it’s smart to have an understanding of it beforehand.

How do Costa Ricans Demonstrate Their Religion?

In many Costa Rican households, you’ll find paintings, small statues, and other forms of representation of the Virgin Mary or Christ. 

Some Ticos hang crosses on their doors, and many frame and hang biblical scriptures on their walls. You’ll even see representations of Christ in many cars in Costa Rica, with some people hanging crosses or sticking religious stickers onto them. Many Ticos even wear crosses around their necks.

We don’t say this to say that when visiting Costa Rica you should go out and purchase an “I heart Jesus” shirt to show your respect for their religion. But it’s important to note how much their religion means to the locals. 

For example, If you find yourself sitting with a local family for dinner or an afternoon coffee, it could be that they join in prayer before starting to eat. Although they might not expect you to join in, it would generally be appreciated that you wait until they’ve finished before digging into your meal.

What Does This Mean for Daily Life in Costa Rica?

With many Costa Ricans believing heavily in the Roman Catholic religion, this has some influence on Tico culture and daily life.

Again, we don’t want you to think that being here means you must go to church because that’s what many of the locals do.

What we mean by this is that you’ll notice that the way of life here, and the famous Pura Vida lifestyle, is influenced by religion.

One phrase that you’ll undoubtedly hear here in Costa Rica is “si Dios quiere.” This translates directly to “If God wants,” but it’s what we’d say in English for “God willing.”

Many locals say this phrase when asked to confirm something or make plans. Much of the time – instead of saying “Yes, I’ll be there”, they’ll say “si Dios quiere”, suggesting that they’ll probably be there, but there’s a chance that they won’t. But whatever happens – whether they do or don’t go, it’s what God wanted.

If you go to the mechanic and ask if your car will be fixed and ready to go today, the mechanic may respond, “Si Dios quiere.” They’re not promising that it will be, nor denying that it won’t. It’s up to God.

This also stems from the Costa Rican culture of not wanting to hurt your feelings. If they’re invited somewhere and aren’t sure whether they want to or will be able to go, they may use that same phrase. This way, they don’t have to “hurt your feelings” by rejecting your invite, nor do they have to commit to going yet.

Costa Rican Culture – What You Should Know

Aside from religion, like any other country in the world, Costa Rica has its own cultural practices.

Although not as important as understanding the implications that religion has on culture, it’s important to be aware of smaller cultural norms that occur daily.

This way, you can go on your trip with realistic expectations, and you won’t be caught off guard by some of the smaller cultural differences.

A Day in the Life

One of the first things that our guests notice (and admire!) during their time here is that Costa Ricans typically go to bed early and wake up early.

They get up with the sunrise, and go to bed not too long after sunset.

Many Ticos wake up early on weekdays – usually in the 5s, to prepare Costa Rica’s national dish, Gallo Pinto, before heading off to work. 

Eating Gallo Pinto (pictured above) for breakfast with a freshly brewed coffee is an excellent way of starting the day – maybe that’s why everyone here is so happy and friendly!

This might sound really early, and you may be thinking to yourself, “I’m on vacation; there’s no way I’m getting up before 9 a.m.!” But trust us—you’ll be up. The exotic birds and howler monkeys will make sure of it.

Because of the daily early starts, it’s normal here for people to go to bed early in the evening as well. The sun sets year-round at around 6 pm, which is when most Tico families will start getting ready for dinner.

After dinner, it’s normal to shower off and “acostarse” – lay down. Many families here are in bed with lights off before 9pm. In fact, it’s near impossible to go out and find a restaurant that’s open past 9pm.

Families and individuals who are religious will often go to church a couple of evenings a week. Roman Catholics (the most predominant religion) go on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings and on Sunday mornings.

Costa Rican Tipping Culture

“What’s the tipping culture like here in Costa Rica?” is a question that we often preempt for our guests here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga.

We understand that tipping can be a sensitive topic, especially when traveling and not really knowing the “rules” for tipping in the destination.

We believe that this is a great question! There are countries in the world where it’s considered rude to not tip after being provided a service (like the US), and there are others where it can be seen as offensive to try to tip someone.

The general rule for tipping here in Costa Rica is simple: it’s accepted but not expected.

If you had a pleasant taxi ride, a delicious meal, or an enjoyable massage; you can of course leave a small tip on top of whatever you paid for the service. The provider of the service will without a doubt be thankful and appreciative of the gesture.

At the same time, if you just pay the price of the service and don’t leave a tip, the service provider (most times) won’t be at all bothered. It’s completely up to you!

Cultural Norms – Things that Might Take Getting Used to

Costa Rica certainly has some of its own cultural norms. Some of these things are unique to Costa Rica, and some others you’ll notice in other countries as well.

We believe that it’s important to understand these small cultural norms and nuances, as they’re what give a place identity and make it special!

Get Used to Being on Tico Time

Tico Time is Costa Rica’s answer to Island Time, which is common in the Caribbean islands.

We can’t generalize, but Costa Ricans aren’t known for their punctuality – and there’s nothing wrong with that!

People arriving when “Dios quiere” (remember?) adds to the relaxed, friendly, laidback lifestyle that Costa Rica is known for – ¡pura vida!

People showing up a little bit late is just something that often comes with this lifestyle. Yes, at times, it can be annoying. But it’s the price we pay for paradise. When you think about it, it’s not that bad of a trade-off, right?

And when we say “people” – this applies to everyone. For example, sometimes taxis show up on Tico Time, meaning they’ll arrive 10-15 minutes later than expected.

Or if your buddy agrees to meet you at the beach to score some waves at 10am, they could arrive at any time between 10am and 11am if they’re arriving on Tico Time.

Community is Extremely Important

One of our absolute favorite things about Costa Rica and Ticos is their love for community.

Costa Ricans highly value community and family – many smaller rural towns here are often inhabited by just one (but large) family. Sometimes when walking around town with a local, it feels like they know absolutely everybody they pass.

And this is often the case! Many Costa Rican towns have such tight-knit communities where everyone genuinely knows everyone.

This type of community life is so important for locals. Costa Ricans really do believe in the “it takes a village” mentality of life. Many kids have tias and tios that aren’t actually their aunts or uncles.

For Ticos, living in close-knit communities with family close by, where everyone knows and helps everyone, equates to a high quality of life. And we fully agree!

Learn more about our magical community of Bahia Ballena by checking out our Travel Hub.

Costa Rica has a Non-Confrontational Culture

One thing that definitely takes a while to get used to for those spending longer periods of time here is the passive and non-confrontational culture.

Generally, the Costa Rican people strongly dislike being rude or hurting your feelings. 

Because of this, oftentimes, when they dislike something, they won’t tell you straight up. They will most likely tell you that they’re ok with it, even though they’re not, to avoid a confrontational situation.

When invited somewhere that they don’t want to go to, they’ll often say “maybe” instead of no. This is because they don’t want to be rude or hurt your feelings by being straight up and saying no.

Because of this, it can be difficult to have conversations about certain topics with locals because they’d rather protect your feelings than be completely honest with you.

Be Careful Not to Offend

In general, Costa Ricans are known for being friendly but sensitive. And when we say sensitive, we don’t mean in a bad way.

Being such friendly and accommodating people, they are known to take things like anger and criticism personally. They are likely to feel that you don’t like or appreciate whatever it is that they’re doing for you.

The best way to express being displeased at something is by doing so without shouting or raising your voice. You might even have to mince your words and beat around the bush a little.

This isn’t to say that Costa Ricans can’t take criticism. It’s just that you must be careful with how you express your displeasure or criticism.

Don’ts – Things to Avoid Doing

Now that you have an understanding of Costa Rican culture, norms, and etiquette, it’s also important to understand how to apply these things to your trip here.

Here are some Bodhi Surf + Yoga pro tips for things that you should AVOID doing to not offend or disrespect Costa Rican culture or Her people:

1. Drinking alcohol in public: Unlike in the United States, it’s NOT illegal to drink in public in Costa Rica. This means that you can freely and happily walk down the street or sit at the beach while enjoying an alcoholic beverage.

But what IS considered offensive is being intoxicated in public. This is seen as an act of disrespect and can be offensive to locals, especially when children and elderly are present.

2. Bathing suits and beachwear outside of the beach: Being a predominantly religious country, it’s advisable to be conservative with your clothing here in Costa Rica. 

Wearing bathing suits (for girls) and being shirtless (for guys) is completely fine at the beach or waterfalls, but walking around the town or getting on public transport like that can be seen as offensive.

3. Swearing and potty mouth: We just recommend trying your best to read the room when selecting your vocabulary. In a bar setting, having a few cervezas with your friends, you can be as free as you like with your words.

But be mindful that in situations where children and the elderly are present, it’s better not to choose swear words.

4. Wasting food: We believe that wasting food anywhere in the world is bad practice, but this goes back to Costa Rica’s sensitive culture.

If someone cooks for you, only take what you know you’re going to eat. Throwing away food that someone else has taken the time to prepare for you can be seen as offensive and ungrateful.

5. Shouting or raising your voice in anger: As we mentioned before, it’s advisable to express anger or annoyance in a softer tone. People may get offended and take your displeasure to heart.

Do’s – Things that Will Help You Fit in

Here are some Bodhi Surf + Yoga pro tips for things that you SHOULD do to help you have a harmonious and positive experience here. 

By following these tips, locals will appreciate your efforts of being a responsible visitor here in Costa Rica:

1. Smile! The best and easiest way to blend into a friendly culture is to be friendly, too. You’ll receive such positive energy from others around you just by greeting them with a smile.

2. Acknowledge people: This is not obligatory, but it’s very normal in most towns here in Costa Rica to greet people on the street, in restaurants, and in most other settings.

When crossing someone on the street or sitting down next to someone in a bar, you can acknowledge them with a simple “buenas” or “hola” – it helps you blend in and appear friendlier!

3. Adhere to dining etiquette: This one is really simple. Most people here wait until all of those at the table have been served to start eating. It’s also common to say “buen provecho” to those at the table with you before you start to eat

4. Clean up after yourself: It’s considered rude (in most cultures!) to leave things lying around, even if it’s someone’s job to tidy the area. You’re showing respect just by picking up after yourself and leaving spaces and areas how you found them

Use the magic words: Saying “please” and “thank you” before/after pretty much everything is a good call. No matter what it is you’re asking for, or what you’ve been given, you must use the two magic words!

You’re All Ready to Go if You Ask Us!

You’ve now done your part as a responsible traveler by taking the time to research Costa Rica’s culture and norms before your visit.

Now, all that’s left to do is book that ticket. We imagine that being the responsible travelers that you are, you’re looking to spend your time with an equally responsible business.

Our Bodhi Surf + Yoga family would be stoked to welcome you down here to experience community, nature, surf, yoga, and connection with a business that has the best interests of our community and environment at heart.

If this sounds like the kind of responsible, awakening, and inspiring experience that you would enjoy, we welcome you to check out our surf + yoga vacation packages.