What Pura Vida Can Teach You About Living Well and Living Longer

There is an old understanding in Costa Rica that a good life is not built in a hurry. It is built at long tables, in shared stories, and in the quiet habit of being grateful for an ordinary day. 

Visitors usually meet this understanding in two words. Pura vida. It arrives as a hello at the airport, a thank-you at the café, and an “all good” from a driver navigating a road that is, let’s say, enthusiastically curved. Within the hour, most travelers have heard it at least three times. 

Behind the greeting sits a longevity philosophy that Costa Ricans live without ever naming it, and research on happiness and long life keeps quietly nodding along.  

Pour yourself something cold, settle into a shaded chair, and let’s take the scenic route through it. 

What does pura vida mean as a wellness philosophy? 

Our team at Villa Firenze describes it best. “Pura vida means ‘pure life.’ It’s Costa Rica’s way of saying hello, goodbye, thank you, and ‘everything’s great.’ More than a phrase, it’s a lifestyle built on gratitude, simplicity, and enjoying the moment.” 

Its origin story is pleasingly unexpected. The phrase came from the 1956 Mexican film Pura Vida, then settled into Costa Rica so comfortably that it never left.  

By the 1980s it was everywhere, and by the mid-1990s it appeared in dictionaries as a Costa Rican expression, according to The Tico Times. Few movie lines have enjoyed such a long and happy retirement. For a closer look at daily life, explore the pura vida lifestyle. 

Pura vida, meaning “pure life,” is Costa Rica’s national expression and everyday outlook. As a wellness philosophy, it means appreciating what you have, putting people ahead of schedules, spending time in nature, and not sweating the small stuff. In short, pura vida wellness is rooted less in spa menus than in how gracefully you spend an ordinary Tuesday. 

Pura vida at a glance 

Why Costa Rica is a living case study 

Some countries measure success in skyscrapers. Costa Rica seems to measure it in sunsets, and the scoreboard agrees. 

Costa Rica ranked 4th in the World Happiness Report 2026 with a score of 7.439, its best result ever and the first time a Latin American country reached the top five, as The Tico Times reports.  

The report measures how people evaluate their own lives and examines factors such as social support, healthy life expectancy, and freedom. Read more about why Costa Rica is one of the happiest countries in the world. 

Then there is Costa Rica longevity. The Nicoya Peninsula is one of the world’s five Blue Zones, regions known for unusually long-lived residents, and it sits about 3.5 hours by car from Villa Firenze.  

Researchers still debate parts of the Blue Zone data, so it is best treated as a compelling pattern rather than a guarantee. Even so, it is a story worth listening to. That blend of happiness and long life is precisely why researchers, and discerning travelers keep looking to this small country for lessons. 

Four pura vida habits linked to longer, healthier lives 

The pura vida philosophy is simple. There is no secret, only habits, practiced daily and without fuss. Here are four of them, paired with what research actually says. 

1. Putting people first 

In Costa Rica, a conversation can outrank a calendar invite, and nobody apologizes for it. Family, neighbors, and long visits come first, and schedules learn to wait. 

Science seems to approve. A 2010 meta-analysis in PLOS Medicine of 148 studies and 308,849 participants found a 50% higher likelihood of survival among people with stronger social relationships. Call it the original social network, minus the notifications. 

2. A reason to get up with plan de vida 

In Nicoya, older residents speak of their plan de vida, a sense of purpose and of being needed. Blue Zones researchers count it among the region’s traits associated with long life.  

Sometimes it is a garden, sometimes a grandchild, sometimes simply being the neighbor who always has coffee ready. Purpose, it turns out, is a wonderful reason to set an alarm. 

3. Living close to nature 

Here, nature is not an appointment. It is the morning alarm, the afternoon soundtrack, and the evening light show. Birdsong at dawn, warm rain on the roof, a sky that turns gold right on cue.  

Life simply happens outdoors, and the natural world is always within reach. Families gather on porches, children play outside until the fireflies clock in, and the best conversations happen in the shade of a big tree. No meeting room has ever competed. 

4. Gratitude and letting go 

The rain shower, the late bus, the famous “tico time.” Each one earns the same graceful shrug. Pura vida. Life is good, and the rest will sort itself out. Call it gratitude with a sense of humor, and perhaps the most portable habit of all. 

A gentle note. None of these habits comes with a guarantee, and the evidence isn’t equal for all four. Strong social ties have the clearest link to longer lives in research, while the others are simply good ways to live.  

Together, they make a persuasive case for living a little more like a Tico. 

Living pura vida at Villa Firenze 

Wisdom is lovely in theory. It is even lovelier with an infinity pool. At the estate, the four habits slip into your days so naturally that you may not notice you’re practicing them. Consider it pura vida, with thread count. 

• People first. Long, candlelit dinners in the Italian courtyard with the people you came with, and no other guests to share the table. 

• Nature close by. Birdsong before sunrise, mornings brightened by scarlet macaws crossing the sky, and toucans and iguanas visiting the garden benches. 

• Unhurried meals. Our chefs build menus around fresh, mostly organic local ingredients, sweet tropical fruit, and fresh fish. Ask, and gallo pinto, casado, or fresh ceviche will appear, each one a small love letter to Costa Rica. 

• Local life. Every Thursday and Friday, the local farmers’ market offers fresh fruit, produce, and friendly vendors, plus a front-row seat to pura vida in action. 

• No obligations. The concierge team arranges things only when you ask. Call it a slowcation with excellent service. 

Discover more about our private chef experience or wander through the Villa. 

Taking pura vida home 

The finest souvenirs from Costa Rica will never trigger a baggage fee. Consider packing these instead. 

• One long, shared meal each week, with phones banished from the table 

• A few minutes outdoors every morning, coffee optional but encouraged 

• Your own plan de vida, written down and kept where you’ll see it 

• A graceful shrug for the small things that don’t go to plan 

Pura vida travels beautifully. It simply asks for a little daily practice. 

Discover pura vida at Villa Firenze 

Pura vida was never meant to be a slogan. It is a set of everyday habits built on people, purpose, nature, and perspective, several of which overlap with what research associates with well-being.  

A longevity philosophy, minus the lecture. Costa Ricans have practiced it for generations. You are welcome to start with a week. The macaws, we promise, won’t mind the company. 

Discover Pura Vida at Villa Firenze. Check availability or write to the concierge team at concierge@villafirenzecr.com. 

Make Your Reservation with Villa Firenze

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the phrase "pura vida" come from?

Pura vida came from the 1956 Mexican film Pura Vida. Costa Ricans had widely adopted it by the 1980s, and by the mid-1990s it appeared in dictionaries as a Costa Rican expression. Today it serves as a greeting, a thank-you, and a national outlook.

Is Costa Rica the happiest country in the world?

Costa Rica ranked fourth in the World Happiness Report 2026, its highest position to date and the first time a Latin American country reached the top five.

Is pura vida connected to Costa Rica's Blue Zone?

They share many of the same values. The Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone is known for long-lived residents whose lives center on family, purpose, and time outdoors, which mirrors the pura vida philosophy found across the country.

Can a pura vida mindset help you live longer?

No mindset can guarantee a longer life, but some pura vida habits are associated with one. A 2010 meta-analysis of 148 studies found a 50% higher likelihood of survival among people with stronger social relationships.

How can visitors experience pura vida in Costa Rica?

Slow down and spend time with locals. Visit a farmers' market, try traditional dishes like gallo pinto and casado, spend time outdoors, and leave room in your days. A private villa stay makes that unhurried pace easy to keep.