Understand

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Costa Rica is Spanish for rich coast. As such, one can expect to find this place to be the ideal tropical paradise.

Eat

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Costa Rican cuisine can be described as simple but wholesome. The spiciness often associated with Latin America has typically originated in Mexico.

Gallo pinto is a mixture of rice and beans with a little cilantro or onion thrown in. While more common at breakfast, it can also be served at lunch or dinner.

Casado, which means married, is the typical lunch in Costa Rica, containing rice and beans with meat, chicken or fish, always served with salad and fried plantain.

Plato del dia, is the 'Plate of the Day' and is often a Casado, but has the meat or fish selection of the day. Usually around 3.00 USD and includes a frosty cold cerveza.

Good, fresh fruit is abundant in variety and low in cost. Mercados provide an excellent place to sample fruit and other Costa Rican fare, with many including sit-down snack bars.

Be sure to stop off at a rest room along any of the roads: a casado and beer will cost ~$3.

Don't forget to try the Salsa Lizano that you will surely find at any restaurant. It is a mild vegetable sauce that has a hint of curry and is slightly sweet. It's often referred to as Costa Rican ketchup. It tastes good on just about anything! Bring some home with you! You can find smaller sized bottles at any mercado.

Also as per usual in Central America standard breakfast fare is a ham sandwich, so people adverse to eating pork might be advised to check out a grocery market for something else.

Vegetarians will find it surprisingly easy to eat well in Costa Rica.

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