Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, famous for playing Pippin and Merry in The Lord of the Rings, brought their travel show Billy & Dom Eat The World to Costa Rica for an episode packed with local flavors and traditions. The actors spent five days exploring Nicoya, Alajuela, Sarapiquí, and San José, immersing themselves in the country’s biodiversity and cultural heritage.
Their adventure kicked off in Nicoya, where they joined La Pica de Leña, a 500-year-old Chorotega festival. Boyd and Monaghan dove into the celebration, tasting corn rice and chicheme, a traditional corn-based drink, alongside Indigenous locals. They even squeezed in some beach yoga, blending relaxation with cultural immersion. Fans on Instagram and elsewhere have praised the actors’ genuine engagement, with one post calling their humor “the perfect spice for Costa Rican traditions.”
In Alajuela, the duo rolled up their sleeves at a coffee farm, picking beans and learning the ins and outs of Costa Rica’s coffee production. The hands-on experience highlighted our country’s reputation for high-quality brews. Next, they headed to Sarapiquí’s Chilamate Ranch, an organic pineapple plantation in La Virgen, and visited Tirimbina Lodge and Rainforest Lodge to see how chocolate is crafted from bean to bar. These stops continue to emphasize Costa Rica’s ongoing commitment to sustainable agriculture, a key theme of the episode.
The trip wrapped up at the Central Market in San Jose, where Boyd and Monaghan ate gallo pinto, our famous rice and beans dish, this version served with egg, sausage, and potato hash in a banana leaf. They jokingly called it “fuel for the road to Mordor,” tying their Lord of the Rings roots to the experience. At Orvieto restaurant, they sampled ceviche, tuna, plantain with cheese, and a hibiscus-basil drink, showcasing the diversity of Costa Rican cuisine.
The episode came together through a partnership between the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and British communications agency FOUR. The ICT aimed to spotlight Costa Rica’s farm-to-table ethos and eco-tourism appeal, targeting British, European, and North American travelers. “Billy and Dom’s humor and love for food make them perfect ambassadors to show the world our cuisine and culture,” said Ireth Rodríguez of the ICT. FOUR handled media coordination and leveraged the actors’ social media to boost the campaign’s reach, according to their recent project updates.
This promotional push aligns with Costa Rica’s broader tourism strategy, emphasizing sustainability and authentic experiences. The ICT highlighted how the episode showcases not just food but also the country’s natural beauty and community-driven traditions.
Boyd and Monaghan’s Costa Rica adventure offers a fresh lens on our country that we all know is known for its pura vida lifestyle. From Indigenous festivals to coffee farms and cool markets, the episode encapsulates the essence of our Costa Rican culture. For anyone planning a trip, it’s a tasty preview of what awaits.
