• Costa Rica is categorized as one of the happiest countries in the world.

• The capital of Costa Rica is San José.

• Costarricenses (Costa Ricans) refer to themselves as "Ticos."

• In 2018, Costa Rica set the world record for recycling. The Guinness World Records now lists Costa Rica as the record-holder for "most plastic bottles recycled in eight hours." The country collected 25 tons of plastic in under 8 hours.

• Volcán Poás, an active volcano in Costa Rica, has the largest crater in the world.

• The most cups of milk served in one hour is 5,926 cups and was achieved by Comercializadora Lala Costa Rica S.A. 

• Costa Rica contains 5% of the world's biodiversity even though its landmass only takes up .03% of the planet´s surface.

• There are about 750,000 species of insects that live in Costa Rica, including about 20,000 different types of spiders! Also, more than 10% of the world's butterflies live here.

• There are 31 countries in the world that do not have an army. Costa Rica is one of them.

• Costa Rica is about the same size as the state of West Virginia.

• Costa Rica has sixty-one volcanoes. Five volcanoes are active: Volcán Arenal, Volcán Irazú, Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, Volcán Turrialba and Volcán Poás.

• There are lots of tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is made of 25% national parks.

• The quetzal bird lives in the rainforest in Costa Rica. It is considered one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

• Lots of tourists visit Costa Rica every year. Costa Rica has beautiful beaches. Their beaches in the Caribbean have light-colored sand and in the Pacific, they have dark-colored sand.

• Costa Rican money features different landscapes and animals chosen from its vast biodiversity, including the white-tailed deer, capuchin monkey, sloth, and blue morpho butterfly.

• Nicoya on the west coast is known as a BLUE ZONE, as its inhabitants commonly live active lives past the age of 100.

• The beach of Whale Bay (Bahía Ballena) is actually shaped like a whale’s tail when seen from the sky. Coincidentally, this is also a great spot for whale-watching.

• Costa Rica generates most of its energy using five renewable sources: hydropower, wind, geothermal energy, biomass, and solar.

"Pura Vida" is Spanish for "Pure Life", a Costa Rican philosophy that encourages the appreciation of life's simple pleasures. Slowing things down, celebrating good fortune and refusing to take anything for granted embodies this laid back lifestyle. "Pura Vida" means choosing to live life to the fullest regardless of the circumstances. It is more than just saying...it's a lifestyle.