Inside the Blue Zones: What Costa Rica Gets Right About Living Well

I’ve just come back from Costa Rica, and the energy there has stayed with me.

It’s hard to fully explain, but it’s something you feel straight away. People are lighter. More present. There’s less urgency in how they move through the day, and more ease in how they interact with each other. And everywhere you go, you hear the phrase pura vida.

At first it sounds like a slogan. But after a few days, you realise it’s not something people say—it’s how they live.

Being there brought me back to something I’ve been interested in for a while: Blue Zones.

Blue Zones are places in the world where people live longer, healthier lives—not just in years, but in how they feel day to day. The concept was popularised by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic researcher, who studied communities with unusually high numbers of people living into their 90s and 100s.

He later wrote about this in books like The Blue Zones and The Blue Zones Solution, breaking down what these communities have in common. One of those places is the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. And after experiencing the country firsthand, it makes complete sense.

What stood out wasn’t anything extreme or impressive. It was actually the opposite.

Life felt slower, but not in a frustrating way—more in a grounded, intentional way. People weren’t rushing from one thing to the next. Conversations weren’t cut short. Time didn’t feel like something constantly slipping away.

There was also a strong sense of connection. People spoke to each other. They spent time together without it feeling scheduled or transactional. It felt natural, like it was just part of life rather than something to squeeze in.

And there was a kind of quiet joy in everyday moments. Not forced happiness, not chasing the next high—just a steady appreciation for what’s already there. That’s really what pura vida captures. Not a perfect life, but a full one.

When you look at Blue Zones more broadly, the patterns are simple—and they show up consistently across completely different cultures. Buettner grouped them into what he called the “Power 9,” which are essentially nine lifestyle principles linked to longevity.

They include things like moving naturally throughout the day instead of relying on structured exercise, having a clear sense of purpose, and building daily rituals that reduce stress. Strong social connections are a constant, as well as being part of a community where you feel like you belong.

There’s also a noticeable approach to food—nothing extreme or restrictive, just mostly whole, plant-based meals, eaten in a relaxed way and often shared with others. And interestingly, moderation comes up a lot—not just with food, but with pace, work, and life in general.

None of this is groundbreaking on its own. But what’s different is that in Blue Zones, these behaviours aren’t things people have to think about or “stick to.” They’re built into the environment and the culture, which makes them effortless to maintain.

That’s the part that really stayed with me after Costa Rica.

The biggest thing I noticed is that people there aren’t trying to optimise their lives. They’re not constantly adding more—more routines, more goals, more pressure. If anything, it feels like they’ve removed what isn’t necessary.

And that’s probably the part most people overlook.

You don’t need to move to a Blue Zone to benefit from this way of living. But you do need to be honest about how your current lifestyle is set up. It’s easy to say you want more energy or more peace, but if everything around you is built on speed, pressure, and constant output, it’s not surprising when you feel the opposite.

Coming back, I’m not trying to recreate Costa Rica. That wouldn’t be realistic. But I am paying more attention to the pace I’m moving at, how present I am with people, and whether I’m creating space in my life or just filling it.

Nothing dramatic. Just small shifts that actually feel sustainable.

Because if there’s one thing Costa Rica made clear, it’s this:

Feeling good isn’t complicated. But it does require living differently.

And sometimes, that difference is as simple as pura vida.