Life in Costa Rica

The Essentials

All Programs

• AFS Participant Guide
• AFS Medical Guide
• Safety Tips

Digging Deeper

Language Resources

• Rosetta Stone: Spanish
• Duolingo (free language learning app)
• BBC Spanish Language Guide
• LiveMocha

Cultural Resources

• Hofstede Center: Costa Rica
• BBC Country Profile
• Culture Grams
• –Username: afsusa – Password: cgrams

News and Media

• The Tico Times (English)
• Diario Extra (Spanish)
• La Prensa Libre (Spanish)
• Streema TV and Radio
• Television.en.cr 
• Costa Rican Youtube Channels

Movies and Documentaries

• ¡Pura vida! (1956)
• Maikol Yordan de Viaje Perdido (2014)
• El regreso (2012)
• El camino (2007)
• Between the Harvest (2010)
• Costa Rica (History Channel)
• The Price of Kings: Oscar Arias (2012)

Books

• Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History
• Costa Rica – Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
• The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica
• Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica
• Two Weeks in Costa Rica
• Costa Rica: Folk Culture, Traditions, and Cuisine
• Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion
• Única mirando al mar
• Los peor
• Mamita Yunai

LGBTQ Resources (Diversity)

• Costa Rica, Central America
• Cipac
• Bridging the Gaps

Heritage and Ethnicity Resources (Diversity)

• Blacks of Costa Rica
• Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation
• Race, Ethnicity, and  Living Conditions