Spanish is the official language of Costa Rica, though English is commonly spoken in tourist areas. Indigenous languages are also present. The cuisine features rice and beans as staples, along with casados, gallo pinto, and meat-filled sandwiches called arreglados. Popular drinks include coffee, horchata, fresh fruit juices, beers, and guaro cane liquor. Costa Rica has a strong western artistic influence seen in wood carvings, paintings, and contemporary art. Traditional folk music varies regionally, while modern genres like salsa, cumbia, and reggaeton feature in dance clubs.

2. PARA EMPEZAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlGYyeUl2K0

3. LA LENGUA
• Spanish is the official language
• English spoken very well in many of the heavy tourist areas
• Indigenous languages: Bribri, Maleku, Guaymí, Cabécar and Boruca
Useful Phrases and Terms:
o Tico: Costa Rican
Pura vida: Everything is good, great, can be used as thank you and as
fine, Pura Vida is a philosophy of life and shows the happiness and
good attitude of Costa Ricans.
Mae: body, friend, dude, guy
Soda: small place to eat usually serving Costa Rican meals in a very
basic establishment.
¡Upe! Knock, Knock Is anybody home? (very common in rural areas)
Jale: Let’s go

4. LA COMIDA
• Beans and rice are staple ingredients to many of the meals in Costa Rica
• Gallo Pinto- everything from eggs to steak to seafood
• Casado- Cabbage and tomato salad, fried plantains, and meat
• Appetizers are called bocas , and are often free
• Arreglados- snacks that are meat-filled sandwiches
• Tacos, Tamales, Olla de Carne
• Queque Seco- dry cake served commonly for desserts
• Tres leches, Flan
• Tropical Fruits: Mangoes, Papaya, Melons,
• Passion Fruit, Star Fruit, Green Coconuts (Pipas)

5. ¿QUE QUIERE PARA TOMAR?
• Coffee
• Horchata- Rice, flour, and cinnamon
• Fresh fruit juice (jugos naturales)-
mangoes, papayas, blackberries, etc.
• Popular Beers: Bavaria, Imperial, and
Pilsen
• National Liquor is: Guaro- crude cane
liquor often combined with soft drinks,
common to take a bite of lime after a
shot
• Imported Drinks are common but are
more expensive
• Nicaraguan or Cuban would be less
expensive than those imported from
California for example

6. EL ARTE
• Not a strong tradition
• Heavy western and European influence
• Wood Carvings, Sculpture, Paintings, Contemporary, and many other
mediums
• Legends of the art world: Rafa Fernández, Lola Fernández, and Cesar
Valverde
• Waves of new contemporary artists

7. LA MÚSICA
• Folk music influenced by Marimba in the north
• Caribbean coast calypso music from African
influence
• Guitar, Percussion, and base mixes in bars
• Salsa, Merengue, and Cumbia
• More modern include house, electronic, trip-
hop, and reggaeton
• Many of the dance clubs, discos, and saloons
feature live music
• Newspaper “La Nación ” features weekly
performance schedules
• Contemporary music scene is well established
• Editus- a jazz fusion trio has won two Grammy
Awards

8. UN EJEMPLO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V3KRPWgRXs

9. SOURCES:
• Greenspan, Eliot. Frommer's Costa Rica 2012. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley,
2012. Print.
• "Costa Rica Spoken Languages." Knowaboutcostarica. Web. 22 Apr.
2012.
<http://www.knowaboutcostarica.com/Costa_Rica_Language.ht
ml>.
• YouTube
• Google Images

10. ¿Más Preguntas?