Updated May 29, 2026 12:40PM
Most travel slogans land somewhere between crass marketing and hokey catchphrases. But in Costa Rica, pura vida is so much more than a slogan. It captures an entire worldview, and you hear it everywhere, woven into the fabric of daily life: at the airport, in the surf lineup, from a farmer reaching into a bag of custardy-sweet guanábanas to make a batido before you follow the sound of howler monkeys into the cloud forest canopy.
Translated literally, it means “pure life.” But the average Tico or Tica might use it to say hello, goodbye, congrats, or all good. To oversimplify, which is kind of the point, it conveys a universal message: Life is good. Be grateful. Be here now.
Evidence that locals take this sentiment to heart? According to the World Happiness Report, Costa Rica ranks as the fourth-happiest country in the world. It’s the only non-Scandinavian country in the top six and the only country from the Western Hemisphere in the top 10. And it’s definitely the only one of those to boast two coastlines of tropical paradise bookending 12 ecosystems of astounding biodiversity. Here, nearly six percent of the planet’s species thrive in the tropical forests, mangroves, alpine, volcanoes, and coral reefs—yet Costa Rica occupies just 0.03 percent of the Earth’s landmass. More than a quarter of the country is conserved through national parks, reserves, and wildlife refuges.
Health and Wellness
No wonder every Costa Rica vacation comes with a big dose of wellness. The easy access to raw nature and the always-on pura vida lifestyle make it a uniquely rejuvenating place. Whether you opt for a quiet yoga retreat or an action-packed adventure—or both—you’re guaranteed to come away with a boost to body and soul.
You’ll see (and feel) this emphasis on holistic well-being across Costa Rican culture, not just at dedicated retreats. But there are plenty of those, and building a vacation around one is a great way to go deep on relaxation. You’ll find intensive yoga, healing, meditation, premium spa experiences, and more at one of the many retreats that dot all corners of the country. Perched atop a 50-acre “vibrating” quartz mountain said to generate healing energies, The Retreat offers packages that promise to transform your relationship to everything from food to sleep. Or check out Arenal Nayara Gardens, which provides restorative cacao ceremonies and treetop yoga at the base of Arenal Volcano. Basically, throw a stone, and you can find people dedicated to reconnecting you to yourself and the Earth, cultivating a positive, healthy glow you’ll carry with you long after your visit.
If your idea of wellness comes with plenty of high-quality coffee, Costa Rica has the answer. Coffee farms dot the slopes of the folding highlands that begin on the outskirts of San José, and you can tour small, sustainably run fincas to see how beans go from cherry to cup. The experience is often paired with a walk through shade-grown plots that double as wildlife corridors.
Nature
Whatever you choose, you can bet you’ll be immersed in nature. That could mean a visit to the misty, orchid-crusted ridgelines of the iconic and popular Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve or a trip to the lesser-known Santa Elena Forest Reserve, which hosts its own robust population of monkeys, deer, ocelots, and adorable sloths. Either way, a guide from the visitor center will prove indispensable for both spotting and providing context. Untrained eyes miss 90 percent of wildlife, while a local naturalist will spot a camouflaged frog the size of a thumbnail or a sleeping sloth 60 feet up. Bonus: Many guided experiences, especially in the Caribbean lowlands and remote Osa Peninsula, directly fund conservation and animal rehabilitation.
On the Caribbean side, Tortuguero National Park trades roads for canals, and you navigate by boat through jungle corridors where monkeys, caimans, and birds outnumber people and thousands of sea turtles come ashore to nest.
Adventure
Like to balance everything with a healthy shot of adrenaline? This is the country for you. The whole country. As a pioneer in adventure travel, Costa Rica is checkered with opportunities for action: ziplines, kayaking and rafting, parasailing, surfing, tubing, and more. From Monteverde Cloud Forest to Corcovado National Park, you’ll find countless ways to get your thrills. Just a few examples:
Take the canopy tours near Arenal Volcano National Park, where ziplines thread through primary forest at a bird’s-eye view, followed by a soak in nearby Nayara Hot Springs. Then, trek around one of the world’s largest craters at Poás Volcano. Or float the Pacuare River’s Class III–IV whitewater, splashing through old-growth jungle on one of the most scenic rafting trips in the world. Riverside ecolodges that run on solar and serve locally grown food dot the route. And you can join a guide from the Indigenous Cabécar community for a private hike into the hidden Talamanca Mountains
Food and Culture
Take an extra day or two for San José, which offers manageable bustle—markets stacked with produce, contemporary restaurants pushing Costa Rican cuisine forward, and easy access to museums and live music. Visit the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum or splurge on dinner at Restaurante Silvestre (reservations required).
Wherever you eat, there’s no missing this universal truth: The wellness that grounds a happy life begins with simple, local food rooted in what the land provides. Ubiquitous gallo pinto—rice and beans cooked with onion, pepper, and cilantro, usually served with eggs, plantains, and fresh cheese—is always fresh and comes in regional variations. From recognizable mangoes, pineapples, and papayas to exotic rambutan, cas, and zapote, fruit is everywhere and tastes like magic.
Nature, adventure, good food, community: It all fuels the pura vida that binds Costa Rica. The country recognizes this and has enshrined a system that preserves and protects what makes Costa Rica special. That means a decades-long investment in sustainability that touches everything from renewable energy to reforestation to tourism. In fact, many lodges and outfitters carry certification from the country’s sustainable tourism program (CST), meaning your yoga retreat, zipline, surf lesson, or jungle stay is designed from the start to minimize impact and support local communities. Pura vida indeed.
Costa Rica is located in Central America, nestled between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south; it is bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the west by the Pacific Ocean. With an abundance of unique wildlife, landscapes and climates this small country proudly shelters approximately five percent of the known biodiversity in the world. In order to protect and preserve its wealth of natural resources Costa Rica has become a global leader in sustainable practices with protected areas comprising 26 percent of its land mass. With a peaceful spirit, emphasis on education and an economy based on tourism, technology and exportation, Costa Ricans and visitors alike enjoy one of the highest standards of living and organized tourism infrastructure in Latin America among a tropical paradise of lush rainforests, mystical volcanoes and cloud forests and beaches that meet mountains filled with monkeys and macaws. Offering a broad terrain of activities and accommodations, visitors to Costa Rica will find a range of hotel options ranging from small beachside bed & breakfasts, to authentic intimate boutique mountain lodges, to major international business hotel brands and everything in between; Costa Rica’s accommodations offer something appealing for everyone’s desires. The phrase “Pura Vida” can be heard echoing throughout Costa Rica from coast to coast. Used as a greeting or expression of happiness, the phrase literally translates to “pure life,” however its true meaning is “full of life,” which accurately describes the adventure and wonder that await visitors.