This is a photo of my son, Aiden, and I outside of the Arenal Volcano at the Llomas del Volcan Resort in Fortuna, Costa Rica.
This month I had the privilege of taking a Spring Break vacation with my family to Costa Rica. We took a fully guided land tour for 9 days and 8 nights traveling across Costa Rica from San Jose to Fortuna, Guanacaste, and Manuel Antonio. Although we booked the trip to enjoy a relaxing vacation, we ended up having quite an adventurous and educational experience that left us feeling quite grateful and humbled as we learned the motto of Costa Rica – “Pura Vida”.
“Pura vida” is the characteristic phrase of Costa Rica. In English, it simply translates as “pure life”, but to most Costa Ricans, its connotation is much more! To them this phrase is more about living a “simple life” or “good life” with a deep appreciation for the things that really matter (like nature, health, family, and friends) to achieve well-being and happiness.
This phrase is used both as a greeting or a farewell, as an answer expressing that things are going well, and as a way of giving thanks or showing appreciation. In Costa Rica, this phrase goes well beyond its simple translation, it's truly a way of life!
Costa Rica is a beautiful Central American country that proves that achieving high levels of human happiness has very little to do with GDP. Just a few years ago, the “Happy Planet Index” ranked Costa Rica as the #1 country on its list, based on a score complied from life expectancy, ecological footprint, and the overall well-being of its citizens. And today it is still considered one of the happiest places on earth.
After spending over a week getting to know the native men (“Ticos”) and women (“Ticas”) of Costa Rica, here are the top 5 reasons why I think Costa Ricans are so happy:
1. They live in a tropical paradise. Costa Rica has such a diverse landscape of beautiful beaches, tropical rainforests, and towering mountains. The warm and welcoming weather encourages more outdoor activity.
2. The eat a lot of healthy and fresh foods. The typical meal of Costa Rica, known as “Gallo Pinto”, consists of fiber-rich beans and rice, large salads, and ample portions of fruits and vegetables.
3. The have an attitude of gratitude and enjoy a slower pace of life. Like the sloths that inhabit the trees, most Costa Ricans live life at a slower pace and take time to appreciate the beauty of their environment.
4. They love and protect their environment. Costa Rica is truly a leader in ecological sustainability. They have massive tree planting programs to convert land into forests, rather than the other way around like most other nations, and they are the first developing country aiming to be carbon neutral by 2021.
5. Costa Rica has no army. Although most of Central America is known for civil instability, Costa Rica has a stable democracy, and abolished its army in 1949. Instead of spending large portions of its income on defense like the USA does, their government prefers to spend money funding education, health care, and agriculture.
If you are looking for a great place to take a vacation, look no farther than Costa Rica. It is truly a tropical paradise that will teach you how to appreciate and enjoy your life more. If hope you get a chance to visit this amazing place one day to truly experience "Pura Vida" for yourself! In the meantime, at least try to live your life more like the Costa Ricans do to enjoy each day to the fullest.
P.S. – I have included a photograph above with the details of the tour we took with Caravan Tours, Inc. if you are interested. If you go, be sure to ask for the tour guide, Karol Rodriguez.
Healthy Wishes,
Katrina