If you’ve found your way here, chances are you’re curious about Costa Rica maybe you’re planning a trip, maybe you’re just trying to understand the place beyond what travel brochures usually show.
Costa Rica Unfiltered exists to explain the parts of the country that often feel confusing to visitors. Not because they’re wrong, but because culture works quietly. It shows up in how people communicate, how they relate to time, how everyday routines unfold, and how certain words or gestures carry more meaning than they seem to at first.
Most guidebooks will tell you where to go and what to see. This site is meant to help you understand why things feel the way they do once you’re here. Why conversations can be warm but indirect. Why plans change easily. Why “Pura Vida” can mean everything from “hello” to “it’s fine, don’t worry about it.” These details rarely get explained, yet they shape the entire experience.
Everything on this site is written for English speakers who want context before they arrive. Americans and Canadians, especially, often notice cultural differences quickly, not because they’re doing something wrong, but because Costa Rica operates with a different rhythm. Understanding that rhythm ahead of time makes travel more enjoyable, more respectful, and far less frustrating.
Costa Rica Unfiltered is organized around four perspectives that together paint a fuller picture of daily life here. The Culture & Mindset section explores how Costa Ricans tend to approach time, work, conflict, and relationships. Language & Slang focuses on how Spanish is actually spoken in everyday situations, beyond what textbooks and apps usually teach. Everyday Life looks at practical details money, food, routines, family life the kinds of things that only become visible once you step away from tourist spaces. Art & Craft explores traditions, objects, and craftsmanship that still carry cultural meaning today.
If you’re new to the site, you don’t need to read everything at once. A good place to begin is with a few foundational articles that explain some of the most common cultural surprises visitors experience. Understanding the real meaning of “Pura Vida,” getting familiar with Costa Rican slang, learning how local money works, or reading about common culture shock moments will give you a solid starting point.
This site isn’t meant to rush you. Costa Rica itself rarely does. Take your time, explore what interests you, and come back when questions start forming. The goal isn’t to turn you into a local, but to help things make sense when you’re here.
If you’re ready to begin, start with the articles below. They’ll give you a clearer sense of Costa Rica from the inside out.
The Real Meaning of “Pura Vida”
When you first arrive in Costa Rica, you hear it everywhere.
“Pura Vida.”
People say it when they greet you.
They say it when they say goodbye.
They say it when something goes wrong.
They say it when everything goes right.
At first, it probably sounds like a slogan. A catchphrase. Something we say for tourists.
But if I’m honest with you, as a Costa Rican, Pura Vida isn’t something we think about. It’s something we feel. And that’s why it’s so hard to explain.
If you ask a tico what Pura Vida means, they’ll probably smile, shrug, and say something vague like “it means everything is good.” That answer is frustrating — especially for Americans. You want a definition. A clear translation. A reason.
But Pura Vida doesn’t live in reason. It lives in emotion.
Imagine this: your bus is late. In the U.S., that’s a problem. Something went wrong. Someone is responsible. In Costa Rica, the bus is late… and someone says Pura Vida. Not because it’s good, but because fighting reality won’t change it. The phrase isn’t optimism. It’s acceptance.
Pura Vida is what we say when life doesn’t follow the plan — and we decide not to let that ruin the day.
It’s also what we say when someone helps us, even in a small way. When a stranger holds the door. When a friend cancels plans but explains why. When things are simple, calm, human.
For many Americans, Pura Vida sounds like happiness. But that’s not quite right. Happiness is a high. Pura Vida is balance. It’s choosing calm over control. It’s understanding that not everything needs to be fixed, optimized, or argued.
There’s also something emotional behind it that’s hard to notice at first: Pura Vida protects relationships. In Costa Rican culture, harmony matters. Being right matters less than staying connected. Saying Pura Vida often means “this isn’t worth tension” or “I don’t want this to become a problem between us.”
That’s why you’ll hear it in moments that confuse visitors. Someone messes up your order. Pura Vida.
Plans change last minute. Pura Vida.
You’re five minutes late. Pura Vida.
It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that we care about different things.
Here’s the part most guidebooks won’t tell you: Pura Vida is not an excuse to be careless, lazy, or irresponsible. That’s a stereotype. Most Costa Ricans work hard. We worry about money. We stress about family. Life isn’t magically easier here.
But culturally, we’ve learned that carrying frustration everywhere is exhausting. Pura Vida is a small emotional release. A way of saying, “I’m choosing peace in this moment.”
If you try to use Pura Vida like a souvenir phrase, people will notice. If you say it too much, too loudly, too cheerfully, it sounds forced. But when you understand the feeling behind it — when you say it softly, casually, without drama — that’s when it starts to sound natural.
The funny thing is, most Costa Ricans don’t realize how much they use Pura Vida until someone from outside points it out. For us, it’s background noise. For visitors, it’s everywhere.
So if you’re coming to Costa Rica, don’t try to translate Pura Vida. Don’t try to master it. Just notice when it appears. Notice the moments. Notice the emotions behind it.
Eventually, without trying, you’ll feel it.
And when you do, you won’t need an explanation anymore.
Pura Vida.