What’s warm has a population of around 3.1 million people, and bursting with culture?  That’s right, Costa Rica!  Costa Rica translates to “rich coast”, and was discovered on September 18th, 1502 by Christopher Columbus.  When he visited the area, Indians were already there. Some of the tribes there include, the Caribs, Borucas, Chibchas, and Diquis.  After further scientific research was conducted, studies suggest that people had been living in Costa Rica for even longer than when Columbus first stepped onto the regions fertile soil.  While peace was prominent at first, the region broke out into a civil war in 1948.  However, women and people of all races gained many new rights when the war was done.  The main languages in Costa Rica are English and Spanish. The region is also predominantly Roman Catholic.  Costa Rica has many cultural traits and a distinct heritage that makes it a wonderful destination for a vacation.

First, Costa Rica is known for its wide array of traditional dishes and drinks.  One of the most common breakfast options in the region is gallo pinto.  This dish consists of rice, eggs, and lots of beans.  Some other common meals include cerviche and tamales.  While tamales aren’t too uncommon in the United States, cerviche is unheard of to many Americans.  Cerviche is usually made with raw fish, citrus accents, and other spices.  The dish is eaten consumed rather frequently in Costa Rica.  As far as drinks go, coffee is what most natives drink on a daily basis.  Another popular drink is pipa fria.  Pipa fria is essentially just coconut water.  The beverage is sold in most areas of Costa Rica and by many street vendors.  While pipa fria may have begun as a local delicacy, coconut water is now sold in many places around the globe.  Other common drinks include horchata, cerveza, and refrescos. 

Next, Costa Rica has a certain and unique clothing style.  As with many countries, citizens really care about their clothing.   Traditional attire for women include long skirts that burst with bright colors and white blouses.  Men, on the other hand, usually wear dark pants, a blouse-like shirt, and a cowboy hat.  Traditional styles may have once been a prominent stylistic trait of Costa Ricans, but nowadays their fashion trends are quite similar to the trends found in the United States of America.  Why?  The similarities in clothing styles are widely attributed to the rapid growth and expansion of modern day technology. 
The media has used these new technologies to dictate clothing styles to people all across the globe.   With tools, such as the Internet, the media can reach even more people. The most well known fashion magazines in the United States of America are Vogue and Seventeen Magazine.  In Costa Rica, DolcePink Magazine is the most popular. 
[While researching, I found this magazine title quite strange since the title was half in English and half in Spanish.  However, the title makes sense since both English and Spanish are spoken in Costa Rica.  I also looked up DolcePink online and discovered that the magazine was almost identical to fashion magazines in the United States.]

Additionally, Costa Rica has many tourist attractions. The region is covered in nature, which makes it even more special since the number of forests in the world has been dwindling over the years.  For this reason, a website called GoVisit ranked the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve as the top place for people visiting the country to visit.  The area is huge (about 26,000 acres acres), but that’s not what makes the forest special.  The forest is also immersed in “clouds”.  High humidity levels cause the cloud-like affect.  Another beautiful site is the Arenal Volcano National Park in Alajuela.  The Arenal Volcano was dormant for many years, but began erupting in 1968.  The volcano erupts regularly nowadays and can be seen going off at nighttime. 

Finally, sports are huge in Costa Rica.  The primary sport is soccer, but many sports are played as well.  Sports such as figure skating, ice hockey, surfing, rafting, hiking, and fishing are also played. Water sports, (surfing, rafting, and fishing), are available to most of the population since the county is surrounded by a lot of water.  However, cold weather sports are a bit more difficult to play in Costa Rica.  The climate in Costa Rica is very warm, making it hard to maintain an ice rink.  (The average ice rink includes “ice” at around 16 degrees Fahrenheit.) In an attempt to ease the time, money, and effort spent to keep an ice rink cool, Costa Rica has begun to adopt synthetic ice for their ice rinks.  Many athletes are infuriated by the choice to switch rinks to synthetic material, but ultimately are grateful to be able to have more rinks.

Overall, Costa Rica is a wondrous place.  People from all over the world travel to Costa Rica to get a taste of the region’s refreshing culture and landscapes.  If you’re considering a summer trip, Costa Rica’s the place to go, due to its food options, clothing styles, tourist attractions, and sports.  “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and avoid the people, you might better stay home.” –James Michener