Thanks to a strong inter-institutional coordination, the support of the community and the private sector, the Ministry of Energy and Environment (MINAE) was able to implement several improvements at the Manuel Antonio National Park to respond to tourist visitation, guaranteeing the protection of ecosystems and the good service to visitors. This National Park, created in 1972, protects 352 plant...

The National Seismologic Network (RSN) and the Observatory of Volcanic and Seismic Activity in Costa Rica (OVSICORI) confirmed a new eruption of the Poas Volcano with a column that reached 3000 meters above the crater and 5,708 meters above sea level (18722.24 ft). The activity began at 8:59 p.m. and carried on for 25 minutes, it was captured by the thermal cameras located at the National Park....

Conde Nast Traveler published it’s ranking of “The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World” and Costa Rica tops the list. CN Traveler took the top 30 countries listed in the “attractiveness” section of the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report and polled their editors for their personal picks to come up with a final list. “It's easy to sink into the pura vida (pur...

The Tansitarte Festival 2019 in San José will fill this weekend with art, music, activities and entertainment for the entire family. The activities take place in the main public parks of downtown San Jose, where different stages have been installed for open air concerts as well as stands for the offering of different products. The complete list of activities and schedule of the same can be fou...

Jaco Air Fest is an aerospace event that will take place this weekend in Jaco, Costa Rica in the are close to the Jaco Walk Shopping Center. The event will gather some of the best acrobatic paragliding pilots of the world, the exhibit will include paragliding, paramotors, paratrikes, aeromodelling, skydiving, drones and a hot air balloon. The exhibit is completely free, and those that attend...

Photo Credit: The Waterfall Trail. A thermal waterfall to the north of the Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica could be the highest of its kind in the country. With a fall of approximately 130 meters (426 ft) its hot water is the product of the action from the volcano.The Caliente River which is formed by thermal waters is found a few kilometers north of the volcano crater. The exact location is well k...

Opening the month of December with great ballet presentations has become a tradition in Costa Rica, this year is no exception as fans will be able to enjoy Alice in Wonderland and The Nutcracker. Alice in Wonderland, a contemporary ballet that gathers more than 70 dancers and actors, will take the National Theater in San Jose for third consecutive year. Tickets can be purchased with a 20% disco...

Costa Rica is home to a great variety of animal species, among them 6 felines, do you know which ones? There are no lions or tigers in Costa Rica, in fact the two largest felines to be found in the country are the jaguar and the puma, which are also the biggest felines found in the American continent, the other four wild felines found in the country are the ocelot, the margay, oncilla and jagua...

Google announced the arrival of its Special Collections to Costa Rica. This option is part of Google Maps, collects 360-degree sights of geographic, touristic, historical or cultural sites throughout the country. In total 76 locations are part of Google’s Special Collections in Costa Rica. “Thanks to the support of the country brand Essential COSTA RICA and different organizations, such as the ...

Costa Rica is a perfect spot for bird-watching, and it offers a number of great places where exotic and unique species of birds can be appreciated in their natural habitat, one of this places is the Alexander Skutch Biological Corridor in Quizarra, Perez Zeledon. This biological corridor also known as Los Cuisingos is managed by the Tropical Scientific Center, the land was donated by Alexander ...

The National Theater of Costa Rica, which was recently declared a National Symbol of Historic Architectural Heritage and Cultural Liberty will open its doors to national and foreign tourists this weekend to offer a unique tour of the theater, where visitors will get so see some rooms and areas of the building usually not accessible to the public. This Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13 from 10...

President Luis Guillermo Solis declared “El Camino de Costa Rica” (The trail of Costa Rica), a trail that will allow hikers to traverse the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, a project of public interest. Through an Executive Decree published earlier this year, the President highlighted the importance of supporting this initiative, which promotes a unique outdoor experience that w...

Video by: Cusuko Fotografia The magnificence of the Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica, one of the current active volcanoes in the country and the second highest sitting at 3,340 meters above sea level (10,958 ft.), is showcased in this video created by Costa Rican Iván Salazar Cruz from Cusuko Fotografia and featured in the Spanish version of National Geographic Magazine. The majority of the i...

The National Arts and Crafts Market or Artisan’s Market in downtown San Jose has been for decades a popular stop for nationals and foreigners looking for high-quality, affordable souvenirs along with Costa Rican handcrafted products. This Market used to be located in a very old building on Calle 13 (Street 13) in San Jose, which was finally demolished this past Saturday by the San Jose Municipa...

Plenty of mystery, myths and ghost stories surround the Sanatorio Carlos Duran (Carlos Duran Sanatorium) in Cartago Costa Rica, today an abandoned building that many believe is haunted which attracts curious visitors. The Sanatorium was built back in 1915 to treat patients suffering from tuberculosis, its distant and isolated location made it ideal to keep patients confined. It had capacity for...

We all need a little adrenaline in our lives, that rush that makes us feel alive, granted there are some people that certainly get addicted to the thrill and are in constant search of new adventures. Costa Rica is certainly a huge playground for thrill seekers, with many options ranging from canopy to white water rafting and waterfall rapelling. The Adventure Park in Miramar, Puntarenas, ...

Costa Rica is a famous destination for birdwatching, but it is also a place where you can get see over 1,500 different species of butterflies and 12,000 species of moths, here you can actually find 90% of all the different species existent in Central America, and about a 16% of the varieties existent in the world. One of the most famous butterflies that you can spot in Costa Rica include the Mo...

The constant rainfall of the last few weeks and the closing of the internal ducts allowed the hot water lake in the crater of the Poas Volcano to reappear. The information was released by the National Seismology Network and the Observatory of Volcanic and Seismic Activity in Costa Rica (OVSICORI) this Saturday at noon. According to the National Seismology Network the activity registered at t...

Guanacaste Wildlife Protected Areas During the holidays the number of visitors to the Guanacaste Wildlife Protected Areas increases and therefore the Guancaste Conservation Area (ACG) establishes a special attention schedule for tourists to be able to experience the different areas. The following schedules will be in place through Sunday, January 7, 2018: Santa Rosa Sector: The Santa Ro...

As of 9 p.m. this Wednesday some of the streets in downtown San Jose will be closed partially in preparation for the traditional Festival de la Luz, (Festival of Light or Parade of Light). The partial closure will be on place from 9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 13 through 5 a.m. on Thursday, December 14 and again at 9 p.m. Thursday through 5 a.m. Friday. On Saturday, the area close to Paseo C...

If you are looking for something different to do this weekend, head over to Puntarenas and visit the Marino del Pacifico Park, which just added two brand new fish tanks to its exhibit. The park is located 500 meters East of the cruise pier. The park which already offered a sample of close to 50 marine species, was able to include two big fish tanks and a devil ray tank thanks to the help of ...

The question is very common, if you had to recommend the best places to visit in Costa Rica, those that left you in awe, which would they be? Here we leave you our list of the seven wonders of Costa Rica, magical places that locals and foreigners should make time to experience, some of them are very popular, others, not so much: 1) Rio Celeste: The turquoise water of this river attracts tho...

This Saturday, November 11 at 8 p.m. at the downtown San José, Costa Rica National Theater, U.S. and Costa Rican musicians join together for a delightful and inspiring concert dedicated to friendship between the two countries. Award-winning U.S.-based Medical Musical Group's chorale and symphony will perform together with Costa Rica's Coro Voces de Libertad, directed by Carol Guzmán, and the Un...

The marine research yacht, the Shark Water, will dock in the Pacific port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica at the tourist pier Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 10 a.m., and will be open to the public for viewing. The 40-meter yacht was refitted to facilitate biological research of highly migratory sharks and other marine fauna in the Eastern Pacific, and is owned by the Colorado, United States-based ...

Costa Rica’s tropical climate makes it a great place to spot whales and dolphins; these marine mammals enjoy the warm waters of specific areas of the country and visit during certain months a year, according to the Keto Foundation close to 34% of the world’s cetacean species can be found in Costa Rica. Dolphin and whale watching tours continue to grow in popularity, and although with some luck ...

Foodie alert! If you though ceviche was all about seafood, you'll be surprised at this festival in Jacó which will offer a wide range of dishes and flavors to suit all tastes and preferences. Fifteen of the hottest restaurants in the Jacó area are readying their best ceviche receives for this Friday, October 27 when the Central Pacific Ceviche Festival takes place at the Océano Boutique Hotel &...

From October 24 to November 11, the XVIII International Festival of Baroque Music is being held, and all concerts are free. The activity is organized by the Santa Ana Municipal School of Integrated Arts (EMAI). The majority of the concerts will be held at the downtown Santa Ana musical school and at the Catholic church in Santa Ana. Free concerts will also be given at the Monteverde Institut...

Costa Rica’s rich biodiversity is one of the many attractions this small country has to offer, the variety of fauna is more evident when it comes to birds, amphibians and insects. There are actually a few species that are endemic to the country, here is the short list of the animals you will only see in Costa Rica: 1) Red Poison Dart Frog or blue jeans frog: Its beautiful red color lets predato...

What happens when entire communities build their tourist businesses and livelihoods around an active  volcano? That is the story of the rural communities surrounding Poás Volcano in the aftermath of this year's eruptions that caused closure of the Poás Volcano National Park. The closure has left dozens if not hundreds of families struggling for their survival, having switched from agricultur...

The Costa Rican Children's Museum (Museo de Niños) in downtown San José, recently opened a new area for children and adults alike to learn and explore different science topics. The new space was funded by the Costa Rican State Electricity Institute (ICE) and the Foundation Fundación Ayúdenos para Ayudar, which translates to "help us to help." The foundation's mission is to run the Costa Rican S...

The Costa Rican National Theater opened its doors to the public October 19,1897 with the presentation of famous opera “Fausto”; this year, this architectural jewel, witness of a wide number of incredible cultural and artistic performances celebrates 120 years with a week full of fun activities. Celebration begins on Tuesday, October 17 with the presentation of the book “Costa Rica National The...

This Friday, September 29 at 8:58 a.m. local time the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica registered an eruption that reached 1000 meters above the crater and 2,916 meters above sea level (9,564.48 ft.). Rincón de la Vieja Volcano has presented in the past few weeks moderate activity, the eruption today according to Geoffroy Avard from the National University's Volcanology and ...

The Costa Rica National Theater is a historical building that this October will celebrate 120 years of existence; it holds an important place in the heart and history of the country, and many times it gets overlooked. Impressive paintings, one of the most important ones being Alegoría del comercio y la agricultura de Costa Rica (Allegory of commerce and agriculture of Costa Rica) by Italian ar...

In case you missed it, right here in Costa Rica is one of the world's five "blue zones" - geographic regions with an unusually high longevity. The Nicoya Peninsula communities of Hojancha, Nandayure, Santa Cruz, Carrillo and Nicoya in Guanacaste province make up the area in Latin America with the highest longevity. World experts are seeking to learn more about the secrets behind the Nicoyan ...

Costa Rica has plenty of natural treasures, most at plain sight, but the country also has its share of underwater treasures, and these are the ones that the country is striving to protect with the help of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Heritage. “Underwater cultural heritage means all traces of human existence having a cultural, historical or archaeological character ...

After filing complaints to no avail with the Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MOPT) about the dangers of crocodile viewing on a heavily transited bridge along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, environmental activist and lawyer Walter Brenes appealed to the country's Supreme Court on the issue earlier this year. This week, the country's high court issued a ruling saying the ministry h...

The start of this year's southern Pacific Whale and Dolphin Festival coincides with Costa Rica's Independence Day. The 9th edition of the festival will be held from September 15 to October 1 at Punta Uvita's Marino Ballena National Park. Community members and especially tour operators got some additional good news for their festival week when the Costa Rican Tourism Institute announced the appr...

The U.S. government announced a contribution of more than US$38,500 for the preservation of the pre-Colombian spheres in Costa Rica's southern Delta del Diquis in the region of the Osa Peninsula. The funds will support a hydrological study to analyze the behavior of soils and layers of the earth's crust at the Finca 6 archaeological site where the surrounding rivers have covered evidence of the...

Nayara Resorts near Arenal Volcano have expanded their resident sloth population to 15 recently, reported the travel news industry. The resorts, Nayara Springs and Nayara Resort, Spa & Gardens, which have won numerous awards and recognition for their stunning natural surroundings and luxurious amenities and service, give guests views of Arenal Volcano while soaking in mineral springs. St...

The Association of Tour Operators (ASOTU) welcomes visitors to the Marino Ballena National Park all year, but especially in September for the height of whale watching season on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast. Humpback whales can be seen along many parts of Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast from July - October each year when they give birth to their calves in the area's warm waters. Th...