Costa Rica: the land of coffee, pura vida, and streets without names

When you first step into a place, there are impressions that hit you like a shot and that, as days go by, may change or be reaffirmed. Probably the first thing any tourist notices upon landing in Costa Rica is the humidity. The second, without a doubt, is the smile of the locals who greet newcomers on their way with a simple “Pura vida.” There’s hardly anyone who doesn’t end an answer or a greeting with that kind expression.

“Pura vida is about sharing time with others. Every time you say it, people smile,” says Bryan Espinoza, a 28-year-old who oversees the Experiences area at Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort, a hotel located in La Herradura, a beach on the Pacific Ocean.

And while it may sound a little cliché or romanticized, the truth is that when you’re traveling, enjoyment can’t be postponed—and that phrase works like a highlighter for your mood. From the supermarket cashier to the bus driver or the waiter, everyone has it at hand and drops it into each interaction.

There’s something about the ticos and their way of being that is a little contagious and goes far beyond a simple phrase or smile. As the days go by, it translates into admiring nature, valuing every moment, and enjoying the simplest things—like a morning cup of coffee.

What to do in Costa Rica

In a country that only covers 0.03% of the Earth’s surface lives 5% of the world’s biodiversity. Jungles, forests, coastlines, and volcanoes are part of the landscapes you’ll find in Costa Rica.

“Being here is like therapy. The green color and the sounds are without a doubt relaxing,” says Marvin Esquivel Arrieta, 50, a naturalist guide—or as he defines himself, “someone who knows a little about everything.” He has been working for 33 years at Rainforest Adventure, an adventure park in Braulio Carrillo National Park, one of Costa Rica’s largest protected areas (over 50,000 hectares). It features canopy tours, trails, a butterfly garden, and a slow-paced aerial tram with scheduled stops that lets you see the rainforest from above.

"Being here is like therapy"

“Here you enjoy, you learn, and you teach—and they pay us for that. This is my second home,” adds Esquivel Arrieta as the open tram quietly advances. The sounds guide the ride: cicadas provide the background music, streams appear, butterflies and birds fly by, and Marvin points in every direction. He names trees, signals leaves, sometimes goes silent to let everything surrounding that little metal cart—carrying tourists like spectators of a movie—take center stage.

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What coffee is produced in Costa Rica?

“When I was in kindergarten, I woke up very early and my grandmother gave me coffee so I’d have energy. I’ve even seen babies drink coffee with soggy bread. We love it, we’re fascinated by it. It’s cultural,” explains Maciel Elizondo, a naturalist guide specializing in Environmental Interpretation. She adds that she even has a small cup before bed (something that, she assures, doesn’t affect her sleep at all). But then the question arises: Where does this coffee culture come from?

"We love coffee, we’re fascinated by it. It’s a cultural thing"

Coffee in Costa Rica dates back to 1820, when Europeans brought it from Ethiopia and introduced it to the country. Production grew until Costa Rica became the world’s leading exporter. At the time, the government granted each family one hectare of land for coffee cultivation. This began in San José, where many old houses—once coffee estates—can still be seen on city tours.

The Costa Rica Marriott Hacienda Belén Hotel actually operates on a former coffee and tobacco plantation, just five minutes from Juan Santamaría International Airport. The first building constructed here was a small chapel that still stands. With its colonial architecture, the property recreates the spirit of a Costa Rican hacienda. Its yellow façade shelters 289 rooms, several restaurants, and two pools framed by giant palm trees, striking a perfect balance between a five-star hotel and an intimate retreat.

Costa Rica’s golden coffee era eventually waned as other countries with more resources (like Colombia and Brazil) took the lead. The country lost its spot among the world’s top producers and shifted from quantity to quality. Today, Costa Rica specializes in high-altitude coffee grown above 1,600 meters, focusing on specialty varieties.

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“Today, one kilo of Costa Rican coffee is worth much more than coffee from other origins. We’ve become specialists in producing beans with unique flavors and profiles. One example is natural coffee, harvested, dried in the sun with the pulp, and processed whole. You drink it exactly as it’s harvested,” explains Elizondo. A quarter kilo of coffee from Turrialba—one of seven regions producing above 1,600 meters—can cost between $20 and $25, about the same as two kilos in other countries.

"We have become specialists in producing coffee with a different flavor and profile"

Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee company, also plays a role in this new stage. In Hacienda Alsacia, Costa Rica, the brand runs its only visitor center worldwide, on a 240-hectare property where it researches new varieties, develops sustainable practices, and trains producers.

“All this knowledge and these new varieties are shared for free with local farmers, whether they sell to Starbucks or not,” explains Mauro Madrigal, a guide who leads visitors through the farm on a tour lasting about an hour and 20 minutes.

Today, Costa Rica has about 25,500 coffee producers cultivating 85,000 hectares.

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Are there no addresses in Costa Rica?

Something curious about Costa Rica—something that may seem unreal to outsiders—is that people don’t use street addresses. If a friend invites you to their home or you’re going to a coworker’s party, they’ll likely give you directions based on landmarks.

“I live in La Ribera. If I had to give an address, I’d say: by the Sports Center, turn right where there’s a sign that says Almond, go down that street until you find a big vine at the end—that’s it,” explains Valezca Campos, a waitress at Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort.

And this happens not only in small towns but also in the capital. Headlines from 2012 read: “San José signs streets at last, in the city where mailmen always get lost,” and “Costa Rica’s capital finally gives names to its streets.”

“In Costa Rica we have, so to speak, a poor street distribution. We do have named streets and avenues, but they’re not properly labeled. So locals got used to giving directions by landmarks. Keep in mind that until recently, much of the population lived in rural areas,” adds Campos.

"Costa Ricans got used to giving directions based on landmarks"

For example, if you look up Los Sueños Marriott on Google Maps, you’ll see: “800 meters west of the Herradura entrance.” No street name, no number—just directions. And that’s for one of the top beach resorts in the region, with 191 rooms, six restaurants, an 18-hole golf course, and some of the Pacific’s most stunning sunsets.

The property also features three outdoor pools, water activities like SUP and kayaking, and excursions such as a one-hour boat ride to Tortuga Island, where clear warm waters await. Visitors can snorkel, trek, or simply spend the afternoon on loungers under umbrellas, listening to the ocean.

To wrap up the no-address story, there’s an anecdote that takes this system to a humorous extreme. A staff member from the hotel’s Guest Experience team shared that a neighbor of his parents had to go to the bank to notify them that her directions had changed. One of her key landmarks was “turn at the house with three cows.” But when one cow died, that reference lost its meaning, so she had to officially register the update to make sure the mailman wouldn’t get lost delivering her correspondence.

Travel has that power: making us aware that something simple and routine can be different. That an address can be told like a story, and that a greeting—pura vida—can be a special way of living.