Famous People From Costa Rica You Should Know

GUIDES · COSTA RICA

The list of Costa Rica famous people is short on celebrities and long on achievers, from a Nobel laureate to a NASA astronaut. The roll also includes climate diplomats, Olympic swimmers and a woman leading the race to run the United Nations.

For American readers, many of these names already sit inside US stories, from Houston rocket labs to ABC prime time.

Costa Rica Famous People at a Glance

Costa Rica is small, but its best-known citizens tend to work on very large stages. The names that matter most fall into five groups: presidents and peacemakers, global diplomats, scientists, athletes and artists.

What links them is less fame than reach. Several built careers abroad, in Houston, Madrid, Mexico City or at the UN.

Others made their names at home and became national symbols.

This guide, part of our Costa Rica coverage, covers people with a documented record, and it dates every current role. It sits alongside our explainers on Costa Rican culture and on Costa Rican customs, which describe the country these figures come from.

• Politics and peace: Óscar Arias, José Figueres Ferrer, Laura Chinchilla, Rodrigo Chaves and Laura Fernández Delgado.
• Global diplomacy: Christiana Figueres and Rebeca Grynspan.
• Science and space: Franklin Chang-Díaz.
• Sport: Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz, Celso Borges, Sylvia and Claudia Poll, Brisa Hennessy and Andrey Amador.
• Music and screen: Chavela Vargas and Harry Shum Jr.

Presidents and Peacemakers

Óscar Arias Sánchez is the starting point for most lists. Born in Heredia on 13 September 1940, he studied law and economics in Costa Rica, the United States and Britain.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 “for his work for lasting peace in Central America”, according to the Nobel Foundation. His plan was approved in August 1987 by Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

It aimed at free elections and an end to foreign interference.

Arias also refused the United States permission to use Costa Rican territory in support of the Contras, the rebels then fighting Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. He was president from 1986 to 1990 and again from 2006 to 2010, according to the official list of presidents.

José Figueres Ferrer belongs to an earlier generation. He presided over the Founding Junta of the Second Republic in 1948 and 1949, then won the presidency for 1953 to 1958.

Laura Chinchilla Miranda, elected on 7 February 2010, governed from 2010 to 2014 as the first woman elected president.

The presidency now belongs to Laura Fernández Delgado, the second woman to lead the country and president as of October 2026. Her predecessor, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, was president from 2022 to 2026.

He now sits in her cabinet as minister of the presidency and of finance, the presidency’s website shows.

Global Diplomats Shaping the UN

Christiana Figueres, born in San José in 1956, ran the UN climate change secretariat from 2010 to 2016. She was appointed in 2010 and reappointed in July 2013 for a second three-year term, according to the UNFCCC.

Her tenure covered the talks that produced the Paris Agreement. It was adopted by 195 parties at COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015.

It entered into force on 4 November 2016.

Rebeca Grynspan is a former Costa Rican vice president and a senior UN official. She became secretary-general of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and is a declared candidate to lead the United Nations.

The Security Council began the selection process on 30 July 2026. In the fifth straw poll, on Wednesday 7 October, Grynspan drew nine votes to encourage and six to discourage.

That count comes from PassBlue, an independent outlet covering the UN.

That kept her in the lead, but her opposition doubled from the previous round. The next poll was expected on Friday 16 October, and the winner would take office on 1 January 2027.

Science and Space Pioneers

Franklin Chang-Díaz links Costa Rica directly to the US space programme. NASA describes him as Hispanic of Costa Rican descent and a veteran of seven Space Shuttle missions, tying the record set by Jerry L. Ross.

In June 2002, on the STS-111 mission, he spacewalked with French astronaut Philippe Perrin to install a grapple fixture on the International Space Station. He holds a doctorate in plasma physics from MIT (1977) and was a NASA astronaut from 1980 to 2005.

He also directed NASA’s Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory from 1994 to 2005 and invented the VASIMR plasma rocket. His company, Ad Astra Rocket Company, develops that engine from head offices in Webster, Texas, near Houston, and a campus in Liberia, Costa Rica.

Football Icons From Keylor Navas to Bryan Ruiz

Keylor Navas has the biggest club record of any Costa Rican footballer listed here. He was Real Madrid’s starting goalkeeper in three consecutive Champions League finals: Milan in 2016, Cardiff in 2017 and Kyiv in 2018.

With Paris Saint-Germain he reached the 2020 final in Lisbon, which the club lost to Bayern Munich. As of October 2026 he plays for Pumas UNAM in Mexico’s Liga MX, according to Teletica.

Navas returned to the national team in October 2026 for two CONCACAF Nations League wins, 3-0 over Nicaragua and 2-0 against Haiti. The Haiti win, at Estadio Saprissa, secured Costa Rica a play-off place for the next Gold Cup.

Those games were managed by Bryan Ruiz, one of the country’s best-known former players, as interim coach. He took over in late September 2026 after the federation dismissed Argentine coach Fernando Batista.

On 9 October 2026, federation president Osael Maroto said Ruiz had accepted the permanent job but that the contract was not yet official. Veteran midfielder Celso Borges, who started against Haiti, publicly backed Ruiz as ready for the role.

Olympians and Other Sporting Names

Costa Rica has won four Olympic medals, all of them by two sisters, according to the Olympedia database. Sylvia Poll won silver in the women’s 200 metres freestyle at the 1988 Games.

Her younger sister Claudia won the 200 metres freestyle in Atlanta in 1996, still the country’s only Olympic gold. At Sydney 2000 she added two bronze medals, in the 200 and 400 metres freestyle.

Surfer Brisa Hennessy is a rising name. In October 2026 she won the EDP Ericeira Pro in Portugal, the fourth stop of surfing’s Challenger Series.

Her 13.17 points beat Australians Lucy Darragh and Sierra Kerr and France’s Vahiné Fierro. That result lifted her to fourth in the series standings with 18,340 points, Teletica reported on 12 October 2026.

Cyclist Andrey Amador is planning a return to competition after time off the bike through injury and an accident. His Gran Fondo ride returns on Sunday 11 April 2027, with 3,500 riders between Cartago and Sarapiquí.

Music, Screen and the Arts

Chavela Vargas, born Isabel Vargas Lizano in San Joaquín de Flores, Heredia, on 17 April 1919, became one of Mexico’s great voices. She emigrated to Mexico to pursue her art and became known above all for her boleros.

She died on 5 August 2012, aged 93. Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly later declared her a Benemérita de las Artes Patrias, a national arts honour, by 41 votes to 4, El Observador reported.

Harry Shum Jr. is a Costa Rican-born actor well known to US television viewers. ABC’s official biography says he was born in Costa Rica and raised in Northern and Southern California.

He played Mike Chang on Glee and Magnus Bane on Shadowhunters, and joined Grey’s Anatomy as the intern Benson “Blue” Kwan. His film credits include Crazy Rich Asians and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

He also starred in Love Hard, which ABC describes as a Netflix number one hit. Costa Rican outlets such as La Nación and CR Hoy have profiled him as a local success story.

What It Means for US Readers

For investors and policy watchers, Rebeca Grynspan is the name to follow. The United States is one of five permanent Security Council members, and any of them can block a candidate.

The winner will lead the organisation for five years from 1 January 2027, with Washington among its largest stakeholders. The straw polls are the earliest public signal of how that race is going.

For travellers, several of these names can be seen in person. The national team plays at Estadio Saprissa, and Andrey Amador’s Gran Fondo has places for 3,500 riders.

For expats, the political names matter most. President Fernández governs with Rodrigo Chaves as her finance minister, so he oversees the tax policy that foreign residents feel directly.

The country’s split with Cuba is one recent example of how fast foreign policy can change. Our coverage of the break with Cuba explains what that means for travellers and residents.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether Grynspan can hold her lead. The ballots have not yet been colour-coded.

So it is unclear whether any discouraging vote came from a permanent member with a veto. Bryan Ruiz’s contract as permanent national coach had not been signed as of 9 October 2026, and its budget and scope were still being negotiated.

Keylor Navas has not said how long he will stay at Pumas. Asked about his future, he said he was taking things “day by day”.

Whether Andrey Amador will race competitively again beyond his own Gran Fondo is also unclear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the most famous people from Costa Rica?

The best-known names include Nobel Peace laureate Óscar Arias, NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Díaz, goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Olympic swimmer Claudia Poll, climate diplomat Christiana Figueres, UN candidate Rebeca Grynspan, singer Chavela Vargas and actor Harry Shum Jr.

Has a Costa Rican ever won a Nobel Prize?

Yes. Óscar Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his work for lasting peace in Central America. His peace plan was approved in August 1987 by Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Which Costa Rican went to space?

Franklin Chang-Díaz, a NASA astronaut from 1980 to 2005, flew seven Space Shuttle missions, tying the record for the most spaceflights. He later developed the VASIMR plasma rocket through Ad Astra Rocket Company.

How many Olympic medals has Costa Rica won?

Four, all by the swimming sisters Sylvia and Claudia Poll. Sylvia won silver in 1988, Claudia won gold in the 200 metres freestyle in 1996 and two bronze medals at Sydney 2000.

Where does Keylor Navas play in 2026?

As of October 2026 Keylor Navas plays for Pumas UNAM in Mexico’s Liga MX. He returned to the Costa Rica national team in October 2026 for Nations League wins over Nicaragua and Haiti.

Is a Costa Rican running for UN secretary-general?

Yes. Rebeca Grynspan, a former Costa Rican vice president, led the fifth Security Council straw poll on 7 October 2026 with nine votes to encourage and six to discourage. The next secretary-general takes office on 1 January 2027.

Sources: Nobel Prize Outreach, Óscar Arias Sánchez facts, https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1987/arias/facts/; Presidencia de la República de Costa Rica, president and cabinet, https://www.presidencia.go.cr/; Presidencia, list of former presidents, https://www.presidencia.go.cr/expresidencias; NASA, Franklin Chang-Díaz on STS-111, https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/franklin-chang-diaz-performs-spacewalk-sts-111-mission/; Ad Astra Rocket Company, about us, https://www.adastrarocket.com/aarc/about-us; UNFCCC, former executive secretary, https://unfccc.int/node/189; UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement; PassBlue, fifth straw poll, https://passblue.com/2026/10/07/big-shakeup-in-latest-security-council-votes-on-un-secgen-race/; Olympedia, Costa Rica, https://www.olympedia.org/countries/CRC; Teletica, Osael Maroto on Bryan Ruiz, https://www.teletica.com/la-sele/que-falta-para-oficializar-a-bryan-ruiz-como-tecnico-de-la-sele_418866; Teletica, Costa Rica 2 Haiti 0, https://www.teletica.com/la-sele/la-sele-de-bryan-ruiz-invita-a-creer-de-nuevo-con-triunfo-ante-haiti_418541; Teletica, Keylor Navas on his return, https://www.teletica.com/legionarios/keylor-sobre-convocatoria-de-bryan-muy-agradecido-porque-pudo-no-haberme-llamado_418817; Teletica, Brisa Hennessy wins in Portugal, https://www.teletica.com/otros-deportes/brisa-hennessy-conquisto-lo-mas-alto-del-podio-en-portugal_419034; Teletica, Gran Fondo Andrey Amador, https://www.teletica.com/ciclismo/regresa-gran-fondo-andrey-amador_417847; N+, Keylor Navas Champions League titles, https://www.nmas.com.mx/deportes/cuantas-champions-gano-keylor-navas-numero-campeonatos-uefa-tiene-portero-pumas/; El Observador, Chavela Vargas honour, https://observador.cr/diputados-declaran-benemerita-de-las-artes-patrias-a-chavela-vargas/; ABC, Harry Shum Jr. biography, https://www.detpress.com/abc/bios/harry-shum-jr-1/. All accessed 13 October 2026.