Every country has its culture, its traditions, and its people, and this last element can make a big difference in your impression of a country or in your overall experience, but it is very hard to learn all about the residents of country and their way of living if you are visiting for just a few days, and certainly knowing a few things about a country’s citizens is not only part of the experience, but is also helpful, it will help you know what you can expect and what you should avoid… So if you are traveling to Costa Rica or maybe you are considering moving to this wonderful country, here are a few things you should know about Ticos:

1) Costa Ricans are friendly: Yes, this is true, our nature is usually relaxed and specially in touristic areas it should be easy to find Ticos willing to help you with information and even provide unsolicited advice. This DOES NOT apply when we are driving, expect a 180-degree personality change, Ticos behind the wheel specially during heavy traffic days are NOT friendly.
2) When the male national soccer team plays, the whole routine of the country changes. Traffic will be horrible a few hours before the game, during the game the streets are empty and all bars are packed, the personality of Ticos also changes depending on the result of the match.
3) Pura Vida and Mae are the two most commonly used words in Costa Ricans’ vocabulary, you probably already know what Pura Vida means, and “mae” is the equivalent of “dude”. There’s also an excessive use of local sayings.
4) Costa Ricans make fun of EVERYTHING, yes, joking is part of Ticos idiosyncrasy, our favorite sport right behind soccer.
5) Most Costa Ricans don’t like confrontation, we will sugar coat things or beat around the bush; being up front and saying it “as it is” is considered “rude” (this gets a bit frustrating at times).
6) In Spanish, we add the suffix -ito or -ico (meaning small) to a lot of words.
7) We love gossip.
8) Ticos like to talk and complain, but we don’t usually act on things, unlike natives of other Latin American countries Ticos don’t usually get into fist fights; verbal aggression (trash talk) yes, physical aggression… no.
9) We love mayonnaise, yes, with the french-fries, with the burger, on the hot dog; mayonnaise is a must.
10) Most Ticos have a problem with punctuality… being on time is not our strength. When we say 5 minutes it means more like 30.
11) We have no idea how to give and address. So please use Waze, don’t ask for directions.
12) Costa Ricans are smart, witty and very capable, but many times we expect the government to solve every problem (if not then a strike is the solution). We get mad when we learn about corruption cases or other situations but this lasts just a few weeks; if it doesn’t get solved (as it usually happens) we resort to humor, and we have a short-term memory.

There are without a doubt many other characteristics about Costa Ricans that are interesting to learn, but you should be happy to know that the majority of Ticos are good people that still believe in the value of family, education and respect towards others. If there is one thing Ticos know how to do well is making tourists feel welcome.

If you have lived here for a while feel free to share some of your impressions!