A General Overview of Costa Rican Norms and Customs

As with all countries, Costa Rica has its own set of norms and customs, based on centuries of tradition and social development. Ticos are very proud of their customs and traditions, roots, and history. One great norm is that Costa Ricans are extraordinarily friendly to visitors and tourists, even to the extent of sharing a holiday meal with them or inviting them to family gatherings. There are other customs which are built on the fact that Costa Rica is a tourist economy country, wherein the service industry is an area in which Costa Ricans can make a basic, if not great, living.

When visiting Costa Rica, as with any country, it’s polite and sometimes, obligatory, to follow the customs. It will certainly endear you to the people of the country to at least try.

Tico time

This is a custom that it took me a long time to get my head around, and even after 15 years in the country, it can be somewhat frustrating. “Tico time” is what Costa Ricans have instead of strict punctuality. If someone says they’ll meet you in a bar or café at 2 pm, in other countries you can expect someone to be there at around that hour. In Costa Rica that could mean that your friend will show up later.

It is part of the fabric of Costa Rican society that there really shouldn’t be any need to rush around trying to make a deadline when the sun is shining and life is short. This is not considered disrespectful or rude, it is the norm, and commenting on that person’s lateness is the act of rudeness rather than the lateness itself. A friend of mine told me that “When I first got here, people were late so often, I thought it was my poor command of the Spanish language that was leading to confusion. When I mentioned it to a Tico friend, he told me that Ticos will be on time for a doctor’s appointment or to get to work on time, but for social occasions, forget it. It’s up to you to factor in the possible lateness. If you mean 3 pm, say 1:30 pm. Then there’s more of a chance of you arriving at the same time!” Although this is initially exasperating, especially if you are someone like me who relies on punctuality to get everything done in a day, it is just easier to go with the flow and accept that this is the way of life for a nation of people. However, try to avoid being late yourself. For every nine Ticos that will turn up fashionably late, there will be the one who, like you, insists on punctuality.

Slang

As all countries have slang in their language, it’s best to try to pick some of this up.  And it’s always a bonus to have some authentic words that you’ll hear the natives say, so you can better understand conversation and culture. You don’t have to have a mind to use it, but like idiom in English, it’s useful to know what it means when you hear it as it rarely can be understood by translating each individual word. Can you imagine someone who is not a native speaker translating: “Between the devil and the deep blue sea,” or “A stitch in time saves nine”? Some examples of Costa Rican slang include:

Tico/Tica:  This simply means “Costa Rican.” A Tico is a Costa Rican male and a Tica is a Costa Rican female. This nickname comes from a tendency to make things diminutive by adding the suffix ‘tico’.

Pura Vida: You will hear this everywhere. It literally means “pure life” and is used in greetings and farewells. It’s also used as “thank you” and “you’re welcome.”

Tuanis: A favorite word of mine, this simply means “cool” or “great.” Use it when you’re impressed by something, or when you’re simply saying to another person that a situation is ok. If your Costa Rican Spanish is limited, this and “pura vida” can cover all manner of deficiencies. (“Tuanis” originally derives from English “too nice.”)

Mae: (pronounced “my”) This is the Costa Rican equivalent of “dude” and can be used to refer to either a man or a woman, but is more commonly used to refer to a man.

Money

The currency in Costa Rica is the colon, named after Christopher Columbus. The notes are printed with the decimal value, so it’s simple. However, Costa Ricans themselves will often use nicknames which have been given to the denominations of bills. For example, un rojo (a red one) is a 1,000-colones bill (it’s red), and you will hear a 5,000-colones bill referred to as un tucán (a toucan) because the old 5,000-colones bill had a toucan on the back.

Tipping

Restaurants: Tipping in Costa Rica is not obligatory as restaurants usually add a service charge on the bill of approximately 10%. This is considered an appropriate amount for a tip when dining out, but you can always leave a few extra colones if you think the service deserves it. If you’re going to tip in dollars, check that day’s currency exchange rates when considering how much to tip.

Ubers/taxis: Unless you’re paying cash, an Uber fare is usually considered to include the tip. Part of the reason many tourists and new settlers prefer the Uber to the red taxis, is that with an Uber you know exactly how much your journey is going to cost and know that you will end up exactly where you want to be. With the red taxis, the journey is less certain. The meter is still running even when you’re sat in a traffic jam that is going nowhere and, often, the drivers of the red taxis won’t know exactly where you want to be as there are no street names or numbers in Costa Rica. You might find that the red taxis have already run up themselves a healthy tip long before you get to your final destination. However, many of them are honest and competent. If you’ve had a good journey in a red taxi, you can always tip a bit, but it’s not expected.

Tour Guides: This will depend upon how long you spend with a tour guide and where. However, if you spend a day with a guide, it is customary to tip them approximately $6-$7 though higher end tours may warrant a larger tip. If you’re taking a tour bus, the tip for the bus driver is approximately $3.

Cafes and bars: Often these places are too informal for a customary tip system, but as you might see in the U.S., there will often be a tip jar next to the cash register. They will be grateful if you throw in some coins or even a small denomination bill or two.

Hotel bars: If you’re staying at the hotel, you aren’t obliged to pay for your drinks on the spot. They can be added to the tab, but if you’re paying by the drink, or are a day guest to the hotel bar, it’s customary to leave approximately $1 per drink.

Eating customs and etiquette

If you are dining formally, or with someone’s family, there are a few customs that you should observe in the name of good manners.

Buen Provecho: If you are dining and there is a host, it is usual to wait until you hear the words “Buen provecho” which approximately translates to “Enjoy” (or bon appétit). Then you can dig into the delicious food.

The head of the table: As in most cultures, the head of the table is usually the seat of the host. So unless you’ve been offered the seat, it’s best to not take it. A friend of mine told me about a time when she was invited to dinner by the family who owned her house. Her husband jumped into the seat at the end of the table and spent the night receiving deathly looks from the old matriarch, who saw that seat as belonging solely to her son. It was only the next day that someone explained it to them, and she was mortified.

Gauchiman: You’ll see these guys (and they’re nearly always guys) everywhere. They’re evident in every city and are people who will watch your car, or assist you navigating a reverse maneuver, in exchange for change. Some of these are opportunist and will show up just before you return to your car, claiming that they have been watching it for you. It’s up to you whether you want to tip these. However, there are more formal Gauchimen who wear a reflective vest to protect them from the traffic at night and to let you know who they are. If you consider that they are hoping for nothing more than fifty cents, it doesn’t hurt to pay them, especially if they are to be found somewhere where you park regularly. I generally give the guachiman about 500 or 600 colones and leave it at that.

Although the customs should be observed, if not least as a sign of respect to the locals, it is important to remember that Costa Rica is a very relaxed country – hence the “Tico Time.” Don’t worry about getting any of the customs confused. Another Costa Rica custom is an endless propensity for wanting to help you by explaining things. Someone will always put you right!