Living in Costa Rica
What Pura Vida Really Means When You Live In Costa Rica
Pura Vida is more than a Costa Rican greeting. Discover how nature, time, community and everyday rhythm shape life in Costa Rica.
3 min read
PURA VIDA IS EASY TO SAY.
LIVING IT IS MORE INTERESTING.
You hear the words almost immediately in Costa Rica.
Pura Vida can mean hello. Goodbye. Everything is good. Thank you. Enjoy the moment. National Geographic has described it as both a phrase and a reflection of Costa Rican identity; the Real Academia Española formally added the Costa Rican expression to its dictionary in 2023.
But language only explains part of it.
When people begin to imagine living in Costa Rica, Pura Vida becomes less about translation and more about rhythm.
MORNINGS OUTSIDE
In a tropical country, the boundary between indoors and outdoors can become remarkably thin. Coffee moves to the terrace. A walk can happen before work. The sounds of birds, rain, surf and wind are not reserved for a weekend in nature; they can become background to everyday life.
This does not mean life stops. Meetings still happen. Errands still need to be done. Families still have schedules. The difference is that the natural world can remain present while ordinary life continues.
TIME FEELS DIFFERENT WHEN PLACE FEELS PRESENT
Pura Vida is sometimes reduced to “slowing down.” That is too simple.
A better interpretation is being less detached from the place in which you live. It is the difference between exercising because it is on a calendar and walking because the ocean is nearby. Between scheduling “wellness” and having spaces that make movement, recovery and quiet easier to include in the day.
Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula—one of the five original Blue Zones identified in research popularized by National Geographic Explorer Dan Buettner—has drawn attention to patterns such as regular natural movement, strong social networks and a sense of purpose. Those observations do not create a formula for longevity. They do reinforce something intuitive: everyday environments influence everyday habits.
PURA VIDA IS NOT ABOUT ESCAPING LIFE.
IT IS ABOUT LIVING CLOSER TO IT.
A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF TROPICAL LIVING
For someone choosing a second home, a full-time residence or a place from which to work remotely, Pura Vida can take on a very contemporary meaning.
More flexibility.
More time outdoors.
More meaningful routines.
More opportunities to connect.
Less distance between work, wellness, nature and home.
National Geographic has explored Pura Vida for years, describing it as far more than a literal translation of “pure life.” In Costa Rica it works as greeting, farewell, affirmation and cultural shorthand for enjoying the moment.
THE SUEÑOS DEL MAR CONNECTION
The design philosophy of Sueños del Mar takes that everyday interpretation seriously.
The community is not organized around a single clubhouse or one pool. Its Five Worlds distribute movement, wellness, social life, water and nature throughout the property. Residences are shaped around natural light and indoor-outdoor living. Guacamayos Forest introduces a one-kilometer trail and the elevated El Dosel experience. The Oasis makes water part of the shared landscape. Selva Grand House brings fitness, restoration, coworking and social connection close to home.
The point is not to manufacture Pura Vida.
It is to create an environment where the lifestyle Costa Rica inspires can happen naturally.
Questions & answers
What does Pura Vida literally mean?
The literal translation is “pure life,” but in Costa Rica the phrase has many everyday uses—from hello and goodbye to an expression that things are going well.
Is Pura Vida an official Costa Rican motto?
It is commonly treated as the country’s unofficial motto and is deeply associated with Costa Rican culture, but it is not the formal national motto.
How does Sueños del Mar reflect Pura Vida?
Through a lifestyle centered on tropical nature, wellness, privacy, community, movement and indoor-outdoor living rather than through the phrase itself.