8 Interesting Costa Rican Facts You Might Not Know

One of the best places in Central America is the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Many tourists flock to it for its ecological wonders and heritage sites. In addition to its popular vacation spots, Costa Rica also offers its amazing culture for people to experience. But more than that, Costa Rica has its unique traditions that you won’t easily see in other countries you visit.

Take a look at these Costa Rican Facts that you may not be aware of that you will surely find amusing.

The National Anthem plays at 7AM daily

For some reasons all radio stations in Costa Rica would play their national anthem at exactly 7AM every single day. There are some as well that opt to play it again in the evening. The title of their anthem is “Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera” which loosely translates to “Noble fatherland, your beautiful flag.” It was composed by Manuel maria Gutierrez and its words were written by Jose Maria Zeledon Brenes.

Costa Rica doesn’t have a Public Armed Force

Perhaps the most outstanding fact about the country is their long-time abolishment of their standing army. It was the decision of President Jose Figueres Ferrer that their military be removed for good after the civil war in 1948. An official ceremony was done to symbolize the end of their military spirit. Though, there are paramilitary forces that patrols its borders and maintains the peace and order of the country.

They have quirky ice cream flavours

Ice cream is a very common dessert in whichever country you visit. But, the ice cream flavours in Costa Rica is more than anything you could imagine. They have flavours that are not just limited to chocolate and vanilla. When visiting local dessert shops, you will be able to find ice cream flavours such as chipotle blueberry, sour cream, goat cheese, and more. Prepare your palate for the strangest flavours on earth.

Streets don’t have names

When in Costa Rica, do not expect to find street signs around to guide you wherever you want to go. How do locals give you directions? Expect for references which may not be what you expect. Ticas and Ticos use landmarks like houses, buildings, statues, or even animals. They’d tell you to turn right by the red house or head south after passing by the town hall.

But churches are handy for directions

One thing to take note is that Catholic churches in Costa Rica are all facing west. So, if you need to head east, all you need to do is to locate where the Catholic church is in the area. This is a very helpful landmark to help you get around. Get used to this method of going around while in Costa Rica to avoid getting lost.

Ticas do not take their husband’s name

Another interesting fact is that Ticas, the ladies of Costa Rica, do not really take their husband’s last name after getting married. They continue using their full maiden name. However, they still have the option to take their husband’s name. Meanwhile, their children take on the combined surname of their parents with the father’s surname first. So, if a child has a Cabello for a mother and a Jauregui for a father, the child would use Jauregui Cabello but would only sign with the initial of their mother’s maiden name. This way of writing names is common for Spanish culture.

They bring machetes around

Don’t get scared if you see a Tico with a machete. It is very common for them to bring this weapon around. They use this for almost everything and it is not a big deal for them to carry it around. You might want to get yourself this as well when in Costa Rica.

These are just some of the most interesting facts about Costa Rica. If you know more, share them with us on the comments below!