Though you’ll find that Costa Ricans are exceptionally laid-back as a people, you’ll also note that they are very conscientious about being polite, so be sure to greet people politely – keeping eye contact and a respectful smile – and say please and thank you, to make a good first impression. Say sorry or disculpe to get a person’s attention and perdon to apologise. you’ll probably also note that most locals really dislike saying no. They will instead often say “maybe” in place of no, so if you hear a maybe – bear in mind that it in all likelihood actually means “no” – and so don’t get offended when it turns out as such.

You’ll find that there’s no real dress code though you might be surprised to find that Costa Ricans are a little more conservative than their north American counterparts, so you’ll rarely see men wearing shorts away from the beach.