SOCIAL PROFILE

FOOD & DRINK: Restaurants in towns and cities serve a variety of foods including French, Italian, Mexican, North American and Chinese. Food is good, from the most expensive to the cheapest eating places (which are generally found west of the city centre). Food sodas (small restaurants) serve local food. Common dishes include casado (rice, beans, stewed beef, fried plantain, salad and cabbage), olla de came (soup of beef, plantain, com, yuca, nampi and chayote), sopa negra (black beans with a poached egg) and picadillo (meat and vegetable stew). Snacks are popular and include gallos (filled tortillas), tortas (containing meat and vegetables), arreglados (bread filled with same) and pan de yuca (speciality from stalls in San José). There are many types of cold drink made from fresh fruit, milk or cereal flour, for example, cebada (barley flour), pinolillo (roasted corn) and horchata (corn meal with cinnamon). Imported alcoholic and soft drinks are widely available. Coffee is good value and has an excellent flavour.

NIGHTLIFE: San José especially has many nightclubs and venues with folk music and dance, theatres and cinemas.

SHOPPING: Special purchases include wood and leather rocking chairs (which dismantle for export) as well as a range of local crafts available in major cities and towns. Local markets are also well worth visiting. Prices are slightly higher than in other Latin American countries. Best buys are wooden items, ceramics, jewellery and leather handicrafts.  Shopping hours: 0900-1800/1900 Monday to Saturday.

SPORT: Besides swimming in the Carribean Sea and the Pacific, most major towns and resorts have swimming pools open to the public. Horses can be hired for riding anywhere. The Barra de Colorado area is world-famous for fishing. There is good sea fishing off Puntarenas, and in the mouth of Rio Chirripó on the Caribbean side near the Nicaraguan border. San José and Puerto Limón have golf courses. Association football is the national sport, played every Sunday morning between May and October. In San José matches can be seen at the Saprissa Stadium or National Stadium.

SPECIAL EVENTS: The following is a selection of the major festivals and special events celebrated in Costa Rica. For a complete list, contact the Tourist Office.  Feb-Mar Orchid Show, Cartago.  Mar (middle) Día del Boyero (Day of the Oxcart Driver), San Antonio de Escazú.  Mar (middle) National Craft Fair, San José.  Jul 19 Fiesta of the Virgin of the Sea, Puntarenas.  Aug International Music Festival, San José.  Aug 1 Arrival of Pilgrims, Cartago.  Oct-Nov Costa Rica Yacht Club Regatta, Puntarenas.  Oct 12 Carnival Week, Puerto Limón. Dec 25-Jan 2 Fiestas del Fin del Año (week-long festivities).

SOCIAL CONVENTIONS: Handshaking is common and forms of address are important. Christian names are preceded by Don for a man and Donna for a woman. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone’s home and gifts are appreciated as a token of thanks, especially if invited for a meal. For most occasions casual wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach.  Tipping: It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers. All hotels add 10% service tax plus 3% tourist tax to the bill by law. Restaurants add a 10% service charge. Tipping is expected by hotel staff, porters and waiters.