Culture of Costa Rica

Ticos, as Costa Ricans are commonly known, are mostly a white population with a number of minority groups. Though the majority of the country's 3.3 million inhabitants are the descendants of Spanish immigrants, many families originated from other parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and Central America.

There are a number of fair-skinned people native in the country also, especially in the Central Valley. In the lowlands, there are some mestizos – a mixture of European and Indigenous blood - whereas the majority of people along the Caribbean coast are of African descent, and much of the Talamanca Mountain Range is inhabited by full-blooded indigenous of various tribes.

The people of Costa Rica are very warm and approachable. Visitors will find that ticos are consistently helpful, polite and friendly. It is fairly easy to make friends with a local because of the outward friendless of the people. It is a bit more difficult to form deeper relationships.

Costa Rican society is very family oriented and most people practice Roman Catholicism. Catholicism accounts for somewhere between 70-90% of the population, depending on who you ask. Other religions include Protestantism, Judaism, and Islam, among others.

While there is little racial diversity in the country, there are notable class differences. The noble class primarily came out of the coffee growing landowners who did well for themselves as the country developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Costa Rica’s biggest festival is the International Arts Festival, which is held in San Jose every year in March. The festival features theater, music, dance, film and a variety of art shows with participants from many countries. Other major cultural events include the annual Monteverde Music Festival in February and the South Caribbean Music Festival also in February, held in Puerto Viejo.