3 Ways to Have a Love Affair With Costa Rica

Editor’s note: We’re psyched about this story from our friend Jessica Ainlay. Not only is she talking about Costa Rica, which I’ve heard so many good things about, but she also gives a shout out to one of our other travel friends, Ann Becker, who’s been a big supporter of ours over the years. Enjoy! -RAK

Story by Jessica Ainlay: World traveler, Costa Rica enthusiast, travel & tech reporter.

My first true love affair hit me like a torpedo when I was 19 years old. I was studying to become a Spanish teacher and was required to study abroad. I chose Costa Rica over Mexico or Spain but what I didn’t realize was that Costa Rica must have really chosen me. Although it was only meant to be a semester, I fell in love so deeply that I stayed on an extra semester, a course of action that would change my entire life.

Like most love affairs, at the first the lust was superficial: the beaches, the Caribbean vibe, the surfers and the laid back ‘Pura Vida’ lifestyle. As the country revealed its complexities and many different sides to me, our relationship got serious. I started to understand the authentic Costa Rica so often missed by escape artists distracted by sun and sand.

There’s nothing wrong with a vacation. Escape. But taking the time to get to know the real Costa Rica is infinitely more rewarding.

My friend Ann also fell in love with Costa Rica on a vacation here in 2005. She immediately began to plot ways to return as often as she could. That’s how her company Travel With Ann formed and her tours, like her Spanish Cultural Immersion tour, began.

Ann and I see eye to eye on the three best ways to experience authentic Costa Rica so you too can fall head over heels. Here’s our top three tips:

Live with a Tico family

There is really no better way to get to know the culture than to live with a Costa Rican family. I am still in touch with my family from fifteen years ago! You can often arrange homestays through a language school (see below). When you live with a Tico family, you get an inside glimpse at Costa Rican life, their relaxed ‘everything’ll-be-alright’ pace, share stories and healthy, delicious home-cooked tico food.

Visit the Osa Peninsula

Everyone who plans a typical ‘escape’ to Costa Rica hits the beach, maybe hikes a volcano or heads out to see sloths and monkeys. Only a very small percentage of tourists (and even relatively few locals) ever go to the Osa Peninsula, one of the most exotic jungles in the whole world. This is also one of the very few places where you can get to know indigenous tribes in Costa Rica. In addition to sloths and monkeys, you’ll see hundreds of endangered/protected animal and plant species. Plus, there is a way of life here unlike anywhere else in Costa Rica.

Learn Spanish

Costa Rica is one of the easiest countries to learn Spanish is. Their dialect is clean and clear (in come cases you don’t even have to roll your Rs!). As soon as you start learning, most Ticos are friendly and supportive and show you patience to listen as you stumble at first. The more you learn, the more opportunities you have to get to know locals in an intimate and meaningful way on their turf. Even just reading the paper or catching TV news will give you insight into current events and Costa Rican culture you could never fully understand without speaking Spanish. The country is filled with language schools, so make sure to do your research and choose a school with great recommendations. 

Bonus: Travel with Ann, the Costa Rica Connoisseur

Ann has incorporated these three aspects into her hand-selected Spanish Cultural Immersion Tour–so you can hop on one tour and experience the real Costa Rica without having to plan a bit of it yourself.  Her hand-selected school, guides and locals make her tours unlike any other and her authentic tours let tourists fall in love with Costa Rica too. Travel With Ann’s next tour runs June 14-21. Find out more about her Costa Rica tour here and check out Ann’s Facebook page to learn about some of the incredible Costa Ricans you’ll meet on the trip.

*Feature Image Credit: Pura Vida sign via Shutterstock

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