I started living in Costa Rica in the year 2000 as a foreign exchange student. As an in-shape, college athlete and male model at the time, I got a lot of attention from the women of Costa Rica. Fast forwarding to now, when I’m happily married and out of the singles scene, I’m here to tell you what Costa Rican women are like and recap my many experiences with them. (I ended up living in Costa Rica on business assignment from 2004 – 2012 and constantly return to the country with family and friends.
As a resident of South Florida, I’ve dated women from many cultures. Pretty much everywhere in Central America and South America, plus a lot of the Caribbean as we have a lot of that in South Florida. Am I an expert on dating Costa Rican women? I guess you could say I had my fair share living there as an adult in the suburbs outside of San Jose, so yeah, probably. I’ve got a lot of opinions on them and while your experiences may vary, these are mine I’m reflecting on in hopes of educating men looking to date Costa Rica women so they know what to expect and what they are getting into.
I’ll say this. The women in Costa Rica vary a lot by region and upbringing. If they speak perfect English and live in a suburb like Escazu, they are most likely in the top 1%’ers and have a background that makes them very well traveled and unique. This can make them a bit more selective with men who they date and many of them simply won’t be as approachable as the ones you’ll meet with less education.
Think of it like this. There are women (like the ones in Miami) who are all about the purses, the fashion, travel, and keeping up with the Kardashians. Then there are the more pure ones who were brought up more middle class or lower who are genuinely looking for companionship and love and don’t sit on their phones all day posting selfies on Instagram. These are the pure Costa Ricans of beauty that this article will focus on.
I can’t stress enough how the impact of just where you meet Costa Rican women will have on this article. It’s widely known that the sex industry in Costa Rica is a draw for tourists. If you fall in love with someone who is paid for sex, all bets are off and I wish you the best of luck, but you have an uphill climb that will last an eternity.
How are Costa Rican Women Different?
I can whole-heartedly say they live carefree and really set out to enjoy life. When I lived in Nicaragua, I met many women that were literally begging me to take them to the US and get a better life. In Costa Rica, women love their country, the culture, the way of “pura vida life” and everything the country has to offer. They largely don’t want to leave as they aren’t inclined to get into the hustle bustle that the rest of the world, especially big cities in the USA, can bring.
They have gorgeous beaches in Costa Rica, rain forests, and a laid back culture that has them wanting to stay there and enjoy it with a life partner.
Costa Ricans are Passionate
If you’ve ever dated a Latina, you know what I’m getting into here. You’ll get the best and the worst of them because they are so passionate about people and life. They will be upfront about their love and show you in many ways, just like they will be downright fiery when you upset them. To me, this is a lot better than the passive aggressiveness we see so often in other countries.
They are also highly opinionated. You’ll get their feelings and thoughts on topics in an upfront demeanor without beating around the bush.
Do Costa Rican Women Make Good Wives?
A quick search for “mail order brides in Costa Rica” will certainly convince you that this answer is “YES.”
I can’t argue with this sentiment, however. I lived with a host family in Bagaces, Costa Rica, and this small town had so much character that was set deeply upon family values. The way that the families value one another is very impressive, and it starts from the mother. They teach values as a whole and really are a tight knit unit from my observations.
So yes, I can say that as a whole, marrying a woman from Costa Rica can be a very rewarding experience if you are looking for a loyal, value-driven wife. Many of my friends are married to Costa Ricans and are very happy.
Are Costa Ricans Materialistic?
No, they are very laid back and not into material items. Again, there are outliers like I mentioned above, but that’s generally the more wealthy populace. “Ticas,” as Costa Rican women are called, are happy with the daily offerings of their gorgeous country and their focus is being healthy and happy, rather than worrying about keeping up with the Jones’s.
Overall, I found that most Costa Rican females are highly traditional, family-oriented, and passionate about simple things like the national soccer team, holidays at the beach, and enjoying everything the country has to offer versus being all wrapped up in the hottest restaurants, nicest cars, and designer clothing.
Woman in Costa Rica – Are They Classy?
I found that even women from bad areas in Costa Rica who weren’t well off or used to the high life we enjoyed on our side of town were very well mannered and classy. They had elegance that surprised me, even if they grew up just above the poverty line. This was very impressive to me and I never forget that. They have been raised with great family values that come from their mothers, and I think this is a huge reason why the women are better behaved and more in tune with society than women of other countries.
Are Costa Rican Women Beautiful?
Yes, Costa Rican women are very beautiful. They are often cited in lists talking about the most beautiful women in the world. Both inside, and out. While you’ll find women in Costa Rica coming from every shade from white to black, and everything in between, they tend to have gorgeous skin tones, a gorgeous complexion, and since many are in rural areas and walk a lot, they tend to be fit.
Costa Rica Beautiful Woman Photos
If you are looking for examples of a gorgeous Costa Rica woman, just look below.
And yet another beautiful Tica!
And another great shot of a Hot Tica!
Credit: The Girls of Costa Rica
What I Like Most About Women in Costa Rica
For me, it’s all about positivity. Even young girls have this exuberance of positivity that shines through. They never seem to be down for long, and there is a reason Costa Rica is often called the happiest place in the world, although it was in the top 20 this year. Women don’t spend time on the negatives in life, instead they carry this hope from a young age that things will work out. It’s quite this opposite from the “get rich quick” at all costs I see here in nearby Miami.
Where to Meet Women in Costa Rican
So you are on board to meet a Costa Rican woman? Let’s talk about places you can find women for dating. I’m going to give you the do’s and don’ts as it comes to finding beautiful women who are looking for a relationship and not just a sugar daddy.
The first tip of advice is don’t try to meet them in the red light district of Costa Rica! Most men who come to Costa Rica are drawn to this prostitution-friendly zone of strip clubs, brothels, casinos, and other places you can get in trouble very quickly. You won’t find anyone who is interested in having a great time unless there’s money exchanged for the most part. San Jose is massive, but stay out of San Jose Centro, and take your search to the outskirts to avoid people who may have malicious intent.
You’ll also find that as North American counterparts, we do have an appeal to them and you could meet women much younger than you. That’s all fine and dandy, but I don’t encourage dating too much younger than you as you may just end up being part of a program to have some financial support rather than genuine dating companions. Take into account that if a woman is 21 with two children and you are 20+ years older, you probably aren’t the partner she’s really seeking outside of being a provider.
I’m not saying it has zero chance of working, but you’ll often find young Costa Rica women tend to have children, its just part of the culture in this country.
I had a lot of success in bars and casinos in San Jose, so I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth. But know that only a couple times these encounters led to a genuine relationship. Most of the time it was all about the party and getting me and my friends to come back and spend more money in their establishments, which we understood and were fine with back then. Women who were generally interested I met far away from these zones in places like the mall, coffee shops, or even casually through a family member of theirs! Put out the word to your maid, your local friends, your kid’s teacher, anyone you know, and they will be playing match maker for you.
If you venture out of the Central Valley and San Jose in general, you’ll meet Costa Rica women who are a bit more genuine as a whole. You’ll find there are many landscapes in Costa Rica, and to me, the more rural I traveled, the better women were more abundant and genuine.
In the beginning that’s where it all started for me, in the small town of Bagaces.
I didn’t have to worry about them being ladies of the night or being there for support as they were much more genuine, laid back in comparison to the women of San Jose. Take a trip out to Guanacaste, take a trip to La Fortuna, and you’ll see what I mean first hand. Get a group of friends and organize trips to various parts of Costa Rica and it will be very apparent that women are built different out there.
Meeting Costa Rican Women Online
There’s no doubt online dating is where most people meet in the USA. I met Michelle on Bumble and we were married four years later! The same can happen in Costa Rica, as there are many of options you have at your fingertips to peruse, view, and swipe profiles.
From my experience, here are the best ones to meet women online in Costa Rica.
Bumble
The Bumble App is one you may already have, and I can report that it’s widely used in Costa Rica.
Amigos.com
Amigos.com is widely used in Latin America. It has a huge member base made up of Latinas in Costa Rica.
5 Tips on Dating Costa Rican Women
So you’ve met a Costa Rica woman, now what? You need to watch your manners and know a few in’s and outs to keep them interested in you.
#1: First, make sure you know the local customs in Costa Rica. Greet everyone with a kiss on the cheek, from other Mother all the way down. Give the Father a firm handshake. Respect their family time when dating and know that family days are important in Costa Rica.
#2: Next, accept the fact that women are very touchy in Costa Rica. They will show much more affection vs. their North American counterparts. This is their culture and they love to love you. You need to embrace the fact that they will let everyone know that you are theirs and there is no debate. This is a sign of love and they have a lot of fun showing you off.
#3: Know that you must support her family. This may at times mean that you need to be participants in events you didn’t want to normally participate in. A lot of women are volunteers at church, or belong to a group in the community. You’ll have to be accepting of this just like she should accept that you are going to watch American football on Sundays!
#4: Be careful of prostitutes. I touched on this earlier, but sometimes you could meet one and not even know it. It’s happened to friends of mine. They met at a late night disco in San Jose and if it wasn’t for a security guard he knew telling him he was at the point where he was going to take her home. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you must be careful and try to qualify them a bit more. Sure, that’s easier said then done, but if you are successful at keeping your eye open and noticing trends, you could really help the course of dating a Costa Rican with very bad intentions or worse, some sort of STD you weren’t interested in getting!
#5: Lastly, learn Spanish. I can’t stress this enough. It’ll help you so much when dating Costa Rica women. you will not only communicate with them better, but you’ll also be able to pick up on conversations where women around you are talking about you. Use this to your advantage! Knowlege is power, and if you hear a family member saying something about you, you want to know what they are saying – good or bad!
I recommend these books to learn Spanish on your own time. They both helped me immensely:
- Learn Spanish For Adult Beginners – this is a 30 day quick start program.
- 501 Spanish Verbs – this is a great one to get if you know basic sentences so you can increase your vocabulary immensely and learn different conjugations of verbs. I used to learn just one verb every day with this book and am at a conversationally fluent level because of it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can have a lot of fun with Costa Rica women! They are affectionate, passionate, beautiful, and make a great wife. You just need to know where to look, what to look out for, and how to handle situations of discomfort. Whether you are looking for a wife, or just casual dating to see where it goes, I really hope this guide helped you learn more about Costa Rica women.
About Tim Schmidt
Tim Schmidt is a 20+ year Entrepreneur and Digital Marketer. A Fort Lauderdale-based "Digital Nomad," he enjoys traveling as much as possible with family and friends. AllWorld is his escape to document all of his adventures, including being a hardcore "foodie." He has property in Costa Rica and visits several times each year and is happy to offer his expert advice for planning your trip.
