Costa Rica – An Office in Paradise

Ready to visit one of the happiest and friendliest Cisco offices on earth? If you are, here are some tips for when you visit or interview in our office in Costa Rica. I’m Lucero, I’m a Partner Advisor here and I’ll be your blog guide today.

Let me start with some fun facts about Costa Rica:

Our National slogan is “Pura Vida”, it can be translated as pure life and it can be used to say many things like hello, how are you, I’m great and even thank you. We refer to ourselves as ticos and ticas instead of Costa Ricans. And according to the Happy Planet Index we are the happiest country on earth. Who wouldn’t like to visit, right?

Views of Plaza Roble

About the office:

Our office in Costa Rica is located in the capital city of San Jose. The offices are in Plaza Roble a corporate center in the west side of town. We are in Edificio Los Balcones, on the first floor. But don’t be fooled even on the first floor we have some pretty great view of the gardens and the palm trees. The office is divided into two sections, the main guest area and the inside area. If you are interviewing here, you’ll stay in the main area, we have many TP rooms there, event rooms, our lab and our newly inaugurated Spark Board Room. In the inside area you’ll find all the seating spaces, group work rooms and quiet rooms in case you need some quiet space to take important calls.

We work hard and play hard

We are around 140 cisconians in this office, one of the biggest in the region. Cisco is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary in Costa Rica this year. We welcome you to celebrate with us!

We love giving back (and selfies), here we are celebrating a painting job well done.

Coffee Time

Costa Rica is known for its coffee. Our mountains are great for producing premium coffee. We are proud experts on coffee making, there’re even coffee beans in our flag. So trust me when I say you are going to try some of the best coffee there is while you are here.

The office always has some ready in the kitchen, but if you want to try some of the greatest coffee our country has to offer, ask our coffee experts in the GVS (Global Virtual Sales) team, Pablo and Armando. They always have a “secret stash” of premium coffee stored in the office.

It’s lunch time, where should I go?

We don’t have an onsite café, but Plaza Roble is connected to one of the biggest malls in town. And It is great to go for lunchtime, since there are many options of restaurants available for you. From local restaurants to international cuisine. You can try something different every day.  Eat in the restaurant or order it to go, we have some cool spots to lunch outside in the garden of Plaza Roble.

Visiting from out of town?

The closest Hotel to the office is the Real Intercontinental just across the street. It’s a really nice hotel with all the amenities you’ll need. It also has some very well known restaurants available. Another option close by is the Sheraton. It’s a smaller hotel, just a two minutes taxi drive away. If you stay here, don’t miss the pool, it has an amazing view of the entire city.

Regarding the weather: Costa Rica is a warm country, winter does not exist here. We have summer weather all year round and have a rainy season that goes from May to October. For this rainy season, be sure to bring closed shoes. Just remember that even if outside is warm, the office can get a little chilly with the AC. As for how to dress, Costa Rica is a formal country when we talk about business so if you have events or an interview dress accordingly.

Even Pikachu loves it here

Have free time, stay the weekend!

Just 1 hour away from San José you can find the beach. So grab your bags and head to paradise, no kidding our country is well known for having some great beach spots. Three hours away from the office you’ll find Manuel Antonio, one of my personal favorites. It’s a national park, protected by the government, since it’s home of many wildlife like sloths, pizotes, raccoons, monkeys and many types of birds. Just be careful, because Manuel Antonio is well known as a place where you can get mugged … by monkeys! They like to take bags to the trees and search them for food.

Some other great places to visit by the beach: Corcovado, Marino Ballena, Playa Conchal, Playa Penca and Papagayo.

If you have time in San Jose, be sure to visit some of our waterfalls or volcanos. There are many options located just one short drive away from where the office is located. So if you come, don’t miss the opportunity to explore the country.

Paradise is one hour away.

If you visit, don’t forget to say hi.

Pura Vida!

Want to tour other Cisco sites? Find the blogs here!

Don’t you want to work at Cisco Costa Rica, or any of the other sites around the globe?  Here’s where you can find all open opportunities.