Photo: Javier Lobon-Rovira A photograph taken at Veragua Rainforest in Limon, Costa Rica has been named a Highly Honored Finalist in the prestigious 2018 Windland Smith Rice Awards for Nature's Best Photography. The photograph will be featured in the 23rd Annual Windland Smith Rice International Awards Smithsonian Exhibition at the famed Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washi...

Judge Victor Manuel Orozco from the Labor Court of the Second Judiciary Circuit of San Jose declared the labor strike of employees at the Judicial Branch legal. Judge Orozco considered that there were not enough proofs that the strike indeed affected an essential public service, he also considered that the strike was carried out in a peaceful manner. As with all the other sentences, now ther...

La Ponderosa Adventure Park is celebrating the birth of the latest member of its family, an oryx by the name of Dan. East African Oryxes are antelope’s native of Africa, they have a brownish-gray coat and their face and legs have white and black markings, their long horns are almost straight. These animals are endangered species, listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conserva...

The Costa Rican Government announced important advances in the process of construction of an Electric Train in the Great Metropolitan Area, which is starting its feasibility stage, this project has received a donation of $1 million dollars from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. The plan is that the Electric Train connects the main cities of the four provinces of the Great Metr...

The Costa Rican Government announced a package of decrees and a directive to promote the use of electric cars. At the beginning of this year the Government approved the Electric Transportation Bill which established several tax exemptions on new electric cars of even 100% depending on the cost of the same. This new decree benefits those that want to buy used electric cars of no more than 5 ...

The Costa Rican Government presented its Inter-institutional Contingency Plan to mitigate the effects of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENOS) that will bring droughts and floods to a large part of the national territory at the end of this year. President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Presidency Rodolfo Piza signed a directive to create a Permanent Attention Committee formed by 12 insti...

The Judiciary Investigative Police confirmed this Thursday morning they had located the head of the victim whose remains were found in Escazú, San José, on Wednesday after a dog was seen with a human arm in its snout. The human remains correspond to a 28-year-old woman identified as Stephanie Paola Castro Mora who had recently moved to downtown San José from Pérez Zeledón. The woman was identif...

The Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ), confirmed the discovery of a body at the Hotel Del Rey, a known sexual tourism hot spot located in downtown San Jose. OIJ received the call alerting them of the situation at around 7 a.m. this Thursday morning, after a member of the cleaning staff entered the room to find the dead man. This is the second foreigner found dead this year in this same ho...

During this week appeals to the declarations of illegality regarding the labor strike in several institutions have been resolved by labor Judges in favor of the labor unions, going back on the initial sentences and declaring the strike legal. This is the case of the labor strikes that affected the state refinery, Recope, the Costa Rican institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AYA) and the Child Welf...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board consolidated as of November 1st its operations in Guanacaste in their Liberia office, eliminating the previous Nicoya office, this in an effort to maximize existing resources. "With the issue of an administrative order to foster the achievement of results, a decision was made to consolidate staffing and operations in Liberia. While the office will remain in the sa...

Costa Rican Drug Control Police in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) confiscated a total 600 kilograms of cocaine in an operation carried out at open sea in waters of the Costa Rican Pacific. A US Coast Guard Service intercepted a boat with five people aboard and carrying 30 packets of drugs. After coordinating with Costa Rican authorities, the US agents arrived at Golfito, wh...

The Costa Rican authorities searched for human remains in the area of Bebedero, Escazu, after a dog was seen by several neighbors carrying a human arm in his snout, 400 meters west from the local Catholic Church. When the authorities arrived, they did not find the dog but after searching they found the human arm abandoned in an shrub-land. With the help of the K9 unit they were then able to loc...

The first edition of the Turrialba Tourism Festival is a unique opportunity to enjoy the beauty of this county, while trying good food, purchasing products from local artisans and learning more about the region’s tourist attractions, all in a single place, in a festive and family-friendly environment. The activity, organized by the Turrialba Chamber of Tourism, will take place on Saturday, Nove...

This Tuesday, November 6, Costa Rican Drug Control Police conducted three raids in San Jose, taking down a drug trafficking organization that used coffee bags to hide cocaine that they will then send to Spain using drug mules. The criminal organization was directed by Costa Ricans, the investigation began in 2017, the raids took place in properties in Desamparados, Coronado and Moravia in San J...

The Clinica Biblica Hospital inaugurated this November 5 its new facilities in the area of Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica. The new building involves 7,000 square meters of the hospital building and 8,000 square meters of the parking lot tower, this is the second location the private medical center opens, but it has plans to open two other facilities, one in Heredia and another in Tres Rios wit...

Drug dealer known as “El Gringo”, whose real name was Erwin Guido Toruño was found dead back on December 2017; almost one year later, the Costa Rican Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) confirms that the criminal group associated with this drug leader has been dismantled. In total, 49 people were arrested in relation to this criminal group, out of which, 13 were detained during different raids...

A group of neighbors from the South Caribbean known as CicloVida presented a proposal to the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation for the creation of a bike line of almost 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Hone Creek to Manzanillo in route 256. The group started promoting this project in August of 2017, as an option to create a safe area for cyclists to transit this area, in communities kn...

Stryker, a leading medical technology company, announced it will open an office in the San Antonio Business Park in Heredia, Costa Rica. In the first phase of hiring, the company plans to fill approximately 90 positions to support general accounting, accounts receivable and accounts payable activities. The Minister of Foreign Trade, Dyalá Jiménez said: “Costa Rica’s services sector has becom...

A Canadian man who attempted to leave Costa Rica through the Juan Santamaria Airport, was captured by officers of the Drug Control Police of the Ministry of Public Security, informed this institution today. The 26-year-old man of last name Clingo was scheduled to board a flight to Calgary, Canada last Thursday; when he was intercepted by Costa Rican authorities who detected a suspicious behavio...

U.S. citizen, Andrew Roy Willis, was charged with homicide back on September 28, 2017 in Costa Rica and initially received four months of preventive detention while the case was being investigated. Costa Rican authorities have extended the preventive imprisonment for Willis several times, and he just received another three months in detention as the only suspect in the murder of his sentimental...

This Sunday, November 4th two of Costa Rica’s volcanoes registered important activity; the Turrialba Volcano in Cartago presented an eruption with an ash column that reached 500 meters above the crater or 3,484 meters above sea level (12595.2 ft). In Guanacaste, the Rincon de la Vieja volcano began its activity at 7:45 p.m., the weather conditions at the time of the eruption didn’t allow to con...

Sofia is the name of the new baby giraffe that was born at the Ponderosa Adventure Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, the 13th giraffe born in the country and the fourth so this year, the others that were welcomed this year in the park are Maira, David and Lydia. In total, the tower of giraffes at the park is composed by 14 giraffes, “this means that the country already has a genetic reserve of th...

The Doing Business 2019 report from the World Bank takes into consideration reforms made across the governments which benefit small and medium businesses and entrepreneurs, enabling job creation and stimulating private investment. “These reforms are tracked – and inspired – by the World Bank Group’s Doing Business Index ranking 190 countries on the ease of doing business within their borders”. ...

The National University of Costa Rica (UNA) recently inaugurated an athletics track that is considered the best in Central America. The athletics track is made with tartan, an all-weather synthetic track surfacing, it is a category 2 track and field track that can be used for continental tournaments and has the characteristics to be certified by the International Athletics Federation. The tr...

41 years-old Josep Betalú from Spain won for second consecutive year La Ruta de los Conquistadores. The multistage MTB race came to an end this Saturday, November 3, at Playa Bonita, Limon, completing three full days of competition. Canadian Josiah Middaugh came in second place with just one second of difference and Carlos Arias, winner of the second stage, took the third place 45 seconds la...

The Costa Rica Electricity Institute (ICE) announced the suspension for indefinite time of the hydroelectrical project El Diquis in the South Pacific, after seven years and an investment of $146 million. The reasons behind the decision were explained by Irene Cañas, Executive Director of ICE during a press conference this Friday, November 2. Diquis project involved a hydroelectric plant of 6...

Christmas time will bring the magic of Aladdin to the Coca Cola Amphitheater in Parque Viva, a ballet and urban dance show for the entire family to enjoy will take place next December 16 in two presentations, one at 3 p.m. and the second one at 6 p.m. The event “Villa Mágica” (Magical Village) will begin at noon and offer a parade of reindeers and elves, children's activities and foodtrucks. ...

A suitcase with containers of baby food and cereal was found by the police inside vehicle used to kidnap a child this past Thursday in Santa Ana. The child was rescued by his father who intentionally crashed the car of the perpetrators to prevent them from running away with his son. “This confirmed the intention of the detained suspects was to kidnap the child with the intention of requesti...

The second stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores came to an end with Carlos Arias taking the first place while current champion, Spaniard Josep Betalú, who won the first stage maintained the first place in the overall table. "Arias, 19 years-old, crossed the finish line alongside Betalú with a time of 3 hours, 31 minutes and 45 seconds. But despite the victory of the tico, the Spaniard leaves ...

A businessman in the area of Santa Ana, San Jose, rescued his son who had been kidnapped this Thursday, November 1st, by crashing his car into the kidnappers’ car. The Ministry of Public Security confirmed that the suspects are a 22 year old Nicaraguan woman of last name Oporta and a French man of surname Mirc 38 years of age. The parents of the minor, Costa Rican, left their house in the ce...

November 1st The Costa Rican Judiciary Police (OIJ) announced the arrest of two men suspected of being responsible of a death threat made to the US ambassador Sharon Day. According to the information provided, this investigation began back in September 7, 2017, when the FBI received an email with threats directed to the US ambassador to Costa Rica. The email was received in an open line meant t...

Not for nothing La Ruta de los Conquistadores is considered the toughest MTB race in the world, competitors go from the Pacific to the Caribbean coast in just three days, through 12 microclimates, covering a total of 260 km (161.56 miles), out of which 8.8 km (5.5 miles) involve climbing. This Thursday, the first stage kicked off at 5:15 a.m. from the Crocs Hotel in Jaco, and concluded at Hacie...

Netflix’ Documentary Series “Dogs” will showcase Costa Rican dog shelter “Territorio de Zaguates” (Land of Strays) on one of its episodes. “Brace yourself for a six-part dog-umentary series that will make you laugh, cry, and hug the nearest dog”, are the words used by Netflix to describe the series that is scheduled to premiere November 16 2018. The episode was filmed between the months of M...

The case dates back to April 2015, when US expat Barry Lawson -74 years old- was brutally beaten during a robbery and died at the hospital some days later. Now, more than three years after this crime, the Costa Rican authorities arrested seven people in connection to this heinous crime, a man of last names Renderos Bolaños and his three sons of last names Renderos Sánchez, as well as a woman of...

The Costa Rican-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) celebrated the start of operations of the Moin Container Terminal (APM Terminals) since it considers it the first step to the reaffirmation of the efficiency of the concession model in the country and the economic reactivation of the province of Limon. “AmCham recognizes the seriousness and commitment of the concession company APM Terminals ...

The price of the US dollar in Costa Rica reached 600 colones per dollar on October 11, and this October 30 it closed at the highest price so far 616 colones per dollar in some banks. The currency exchange can be found between 613 colones to 616 depending on the banking institution. The Central Bank informed it will raise the reference price to 610 colones this Wednesday, October 31, which wi...

Costa Rican Border Police intercepted an important cargo of smuggled medications in Peñas Blancas, La Cruz Guanacaste. Border Police agents were patrolling a sector of the border when a group of men noticing the police presence dropped the bags they were carrying and managed to escape to Nicaraguan territory. The bags contained a total of 10,969 units of different medications with an estima...

The Container Terminal in Moin, Limon, began operations this past week in a first stage, although officially it won’t be inaugurated until February 2019. The terminal expects to be servicing an average 10 vessels a week by the start of 2019, increasing gradually the number of services offered. “The start of operations of the Moin Container Terminal broadens the scene of our international com...

Photo: Archive The Turrialba Volcano continues showing signs of important activity; this Tuesday, October 30 it registered an eruption with a column that reached close to 500 meters above the crated, 3,840 meters above sea level (12,595.2 ft). Even though the activity is sporadic and of short span (minutes generally), it is a good reminder of the fact that this Volcano could at any given poi...

This December, the Juan Santamaria Airport will inaugurate a new four level building of six thousand square meters that will add four new boarding gates, a VIP room and an area for pets. With this new addition, Costa Rica’s main airport will be able to handle 600 more passengers per hour. This new building is part of the works of project La Candela which will be completed by mid-2019 and whic...