Learn Costa Rica before you go

10 phrases to learn

In Spanish (Costa Rican). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.

At the table

• Rice and beans come with almost every meal. At breakfast they are fried together as gallo pinto; at lunch they sit side by side on your plate as part of a casado.
• Lunch is a proper meal for many Costa Ricans, and a casado at a small local soda is a filling meal at a fair price.
• Salsa Lizano, a tangy brown sauce, stands on many tables. Try a little on your gallo pinto or eggs.
• In the evening, bars serve 'bocas', small plates such as chifrijo or fried plantain, to go with a drink.
• Menu prices in restaurants usually already include 13 percent sales tax and a 10 percent service charge, so there is no need to add a big tip. A little extra for very good service is always welcome.
• Coffee comes with breakfast, again in the afternoon and sometimes after dinner. It is usually strong, served black or with milk (café con leche).

Local tips

Dishes to try

• Gallo pinto: Rice and black beans fried together with onion, sweet pepper and coriander (cilantro), often seasoned with Salsa Lizano. It is served at breakfast with eggs, fried plantain, tortillas, cheese or sour cream. At home it is usually made with the rice and beans left over from the day before.
• Casado: A full lunch on one plate: white rice and beans served side by side, not mixed, with meat, chicken or fish, a small salad, and often fried plantain, a slice of white cheese or a corn tortilla. Almost every soda has one on the menu.
• Olla de carne: A big pot of beef soup full of vegetables: cassava (yuca), potato, chayote, corn on the cob, green plantain, squash, carrot and other roots. It is a complete midday meal, often eaten with white rice and tortillas.
• Sopa negra (Sopa negra de frijoles): A dark black bean soup flavoured with onion, garlic, sweet pepper and coriander, served with a hard-boiled egg in the bowl. It is a warming, cheap and very Costa Rican way to use beans.
• Chifrijo: A bowl of beans with a little broth, rice, crispy fried pork (chicharrón) and a fresh tomato and onion salsa, served with fried corn tortilla chips. It is a favourite bar snack with a cold beer.
• Ceviche: Raw white fish, such as sea bass (corvina), tilapia or mahi-mahi, cut small and marinated in lime juice with onion, coriander and finely chopped sweet pepper. It is often served in a glass with soda crackers on the side. Lime 'cooks' the fish in taste and texture, but the fish is still raw, so pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weak immune system should choose a cooked dish instead.
• Arroz con pollo: Rice cooked with chicken, vegetables such as carrots, peas and sweet pepper, mild spices and a splash of Salsa Lizano. It is the dish families make for birthdays, parties and big get-togethers.
• Tamales (Tamal): A soft corn dough made with lard and spices, filled with meat, rice and vegetables, wrapped in banana or plantain leaves and steamed. Tamales are made above all for Christmas, when families gather to make them together, and also for Holy Week.

Cities to see

• San José (capital): The National Theatre, The National Museum of Costa Rica, La Sabana Metropolitan Park.
• Cartago: The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, Pilgrims from all over the country, The nearby Irazú Volcano.
• Alajuela: Juan Santamaría, the national hero, The main international airport nearby, Mild weather all year.
• Heredia: The National University of Costa Rica, The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Coffee farms on the hills around it.
• Liberia: The nickname 'the white city', Giant guanacaste trees, which gave the province its name, The gateway to northern beaches and parks.
• Puntarenas: Its port, one of the oldest in the country, Ferries to the Nicoya Peninsula, Beaches popular with surfers.

Landmarks and the city map are on the Costa Rica trip