Image Credit: Asociación de Cafés Finos de Costa Rica Costa Rican coffee made history by braking the record during the auction “Cup of Excellence 2018” (Taza de la Excelencia) in the category of fine coffee beans. The beans of Don Cayito estate closed the bid at $300.09 per pound. “With a lot of 529.11 pounds of the Geisha variety, and a honey type processing, it broke the world record esta...

Five students of the Pharmacy Faculty of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) created an innovative product as part of their class “Innovation Management”; with the use of nanotechnology that allows the manipulation of molecular structures in very small measure, the students created a mouthwash prototype that whitens teeth while at the same time regenerating dental enamel. “Apati-Dent” is the na...

This Tuesday a team lead by a technical team from the University of Costa Rica's National Laboratory of Structural Materials and Models (Lanamme) with the support of the Coca Cola company, the ALIARSE Foundation and the Municipality of Desamparados, presented their project “Green Asphalt” (Asfalto Verde), a new asphalt mix, unique in Latin America that includes within its components PET plastic f...

The Costa Rican-America Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) presented their position with regards to the fiscal crisis in Costa Rica and the proposed solutions presented by the government. AmCham considers that the legislative procedure should include sufficient space for a political negotiation of the new elements present in the Law to Strengthen the Public Finances bill, and that this process “include...

Nicaraguan college students are looking into the possibility of continuing their studies in the University of Costa Rica (UCR) to avoid having their careers interrupted as a consequence of the crisis in their country. So far ten students have been accepted by the UCR through the figure of student exchanges or student mobility, but another 45 requests have been received by the Office of Interna...

The Costa Rican Central Bank is implementing a new directive that establishes that on purchases of 15,000 colones (approx. $26.50) or less when paying with debit or credit cards with chip or contactless technology presenting the ID and/or signing the voucher will no longer be necessary. According to Carlos Melegatti, director of the Payment’s Systems Division of the Central Bank, currently clo...

A total of 250 athletes, 130 male and 120 female, will represent Costa Rica in the XXIII Central American and Caribbean that will be taking place in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 19 through August 3. The disciplines in which Costa Rica will have representation are: swimming, water polo, athletics, badminton, handball, bowling, cycling, soccer, gymnastic, golf, judo, karate, weight lifting, ...

The fourth Art City Tour of the year is scheduled for this Wednesday, July 11, “Vacaciones en Chepe” (Vacation in San Jose) invites locals and foreigners to get acquainted with some of the capital city’s wonders. This is the 52nd tour of this program that first started in 2010 and has allowed over 80 thousand people to discover some of the jewels that San Jose has to offer and that often go un...

One of the most important places in the history of Costa Rica is the Santa Rosa Hacienda in Guanacaste, where the famous “Battle of Santa Rosa” took place back in March 20, 1856 when a troop of close to 500 Costa Ricans defeated a group of filibusters in a very short battle. The “Casona” has now become a historical museum that takes visitors into one of the most memorable chapters of the idiosy...

The public police force in Jaco has maintained  an ample presence at this popular vacation spot since the beginning of the mid-year vacation period Constant patrols, road controls, interventions and others have been done throughout the entire district of Garabito, Puntarenas focusing specifically on areas of high visitation. As a result of these operations the police have arrested 316 people...

Costa Rican short film “Sudden Death”, directed by Kenneth Sanabria, was selected last year to compete in the New York Latino Film Festival, and now it was also picked to participate in the NewFilmmakers event in Los Angeles. NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a non-profit organization “designed to showcase innovative works by emerging filmmakers from around the world”. The international e...

Thousands of supporters of the government of President Daniel Ortega marched this Saturday in Managua, Nicaragua to chants of “He stays, my commander stays!”, “We want peace!”. President Ortega finally broke silence with regards to the demands of early elections made by protestors and ruled out this possibility, speaking to supporters and state employees, he stated: “The rules here are set b...

PRESS RELEASE Reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to crime, civil unrest, and limited healthcare availability. On July 6, 2018, the U.S. government ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government personnel. The U.S. Embassy remains open to provide emergency services for U.S. citizens. Heavily armed, government-controlled parapolice forces in civilian clothing, sometimes numbering i...

The Guanacaste Conservation Area announced this week that the access to Playa Naranjo in the Santa Rosa National Park has been reopened. Access to this area had been closed since November 2017 as a result of the damages suffered by Tropical Storm Nate. The actions of the Liberia Municipality, the Municipality of La Cruz and personnel of the Guanacaste Conservation Area finally allowed the roa...

The Fiscal Plan presented by the Executive Branch, is awaiting the approval of the Legislative Assembly, however, the deputies that oppose it already presented over 1000 motions to block the project. Deputy Dragus Dalanescu, part of the National Restauration Party (PRN) presented a total of 500 motions against the Project Law to Strengthen Public Finances which proposes, among other measures, g...

The Center for the Investigation of Sea Science and Limnology (Cimar) warned of strong waves this weekend and through Monday in the Caribbean and North Pacific. A high-pressure system in the Atlantic will generate strong winds in the Caribbean causing waves that could reach 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) during the weekend. In the North Pacific, gusts of wind of 45 to 50 kph (28-31 mph) could cause ...

Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, announces the debut of PH Experiences, an exclusive way to explore the famous landscapes of Costa Rica. Located in the Pacific Coast just north of Playa Panama, the Papagayo Gulf of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province, Planet Hollywood is the ultimate destination for a Hollywood-inspired vacation. This resort will feature PH Experience’s adventurous excursions where ...

Rocio Aguilar, Minister of Treasury, is analyzing the 330 Government institutions that are currently attached to the different Ministries, to evaluate the possibility of eliminating some of them and with this bring down the expenses. The proposal is expected to be ready by 2020 and involves the analysis of each institution and the impact they have on terms of budget. According to Aguilar, many...

Alvaro Pereira, chief of the Economic Division of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), visited Costa Rica to meet with members of the Executive Branch regarding the progress made by the country towards reaching fiscal sustainability. Pereira highlighted once again on the importance of getting the fiscal reform approved to avoid a crisis that could have “terrible con...

President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Security, Michael Soto, signed Law 9579 that will allow the National Coast Guard Service the use of ships, boats, speed boats and jet skies that have been or are seized from organized crime. The signing of this law took place in the Presidential House, as one of the activities that marked the official establishment of the National Security Council t...

The CRx5 Challenge is an initiative of the Association Costa Rica por Siempre (ACRXS) and the National System of Areas of Conservation (SINAC) to promote visitation to some of the country’s Wildlife Protected Areas, the natural beauty in each of them, the work of the park rangers and the efforts being done in national conservation while at the same time enjoying an Eco-tourism adventure. This...

Photo Credit: Guana/Noticias Leo Perron, a Canadian expat who lived in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, passed away in the early evening of Wednesday when, for reasons still undetermined, he crashed into a street light pole. The accident took place close to the entry to The Westin Conchal Resort, in the road that connects with the community of Brasilito. Perron was 58-years-old, lived in the area...

The General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica will be extending the length of tourist Visas to Nicaraguan citizens from three to  six months with the purpose of giving them additional time to remain in Costa Rica legally considering the critical situation affecting Nicaragua. Raquel Vargas, director of Migration said, that the extension from three to six months for tourist Visas to Nicarag...

The number of deaths as a result of the crisis in Nicaragua continues to grow, while the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights estimates the death toll of some 285, other unofficial sources put the number way over 300. This Wednesday thousands of Nicaraguans formed a human chain in a main road that connects Managua to Masaya, to demand that President Daniel Ortega leaves the Government and ...

The Housing Promotion Foundation (Fuprovi) presented this July 3 the report “Situation of housing sector and urban development in Costa Rica in 2017”, which offers information regarding housing projects, construction, the conditions of the houses in the country, housing opportunities, quality of life in different neighborhoods and communities, etc. This report also brought to light the limited...

Taxi unions in Costa Rica protested in the streets on Tuesday and Wednesday this week requesting that the Government takes actions over Uber services. The government was clear that they will continue the dialogue with the representatives of the taxi unions as long as the roadblocks and protests that affect the transit in the streets stop completely. “We can not allow that the free transit of...

A 70-year-old U.S. man, identified as William M. Nearhoff, was found dead in the apartment he lived in in the neighborhood Barrio Latino, Grecia, Alajuela the afternoon of this Monday, July 2nd. According to the information offered to us by the Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) , the man had hands and feet tied and a bruised wound on his head, Nearhoff was a retiree who moved from Texas and ...

Photo Credit: US Embassy in Costa Rica The United States embassy in Costa Rica began the celebration of the 242 years of independence the evening of July 3rd with a formal gathering with personnel of the American Embassy and representatives of the Costa Rican government. “The United States was built in the principles of freedom, democracy and liberty and its these founding principles that stre...

In the beginning of the year online magazine International Living named Costa Rica the Best place to retire abroad in its Annual Global Retirement Index; now, the country is included in their list of “5 Best Places to Retire on $30,000 a Year”. When the time comes to consider where to live the years of retirement, many consider Costa Rica because of the weather, closeness to North America, frie...

Roadside fruit stands are a delightful culinary experience not to be missed while traveling through Costa Rica. The country's tropical climate and fertile volcanic soil create excellent conditions for a wide range of fruits to flourish. Although travelers may be familiar with fruits such as mango, papaya, pineapple, bananas, and coconut, Costa Rica offers a wide variety of nutritious and tasty tro...

Photo Credit: US Embassy Costa Rica Thirty years ago in the area of Turrialba in Costa Rica, Rawlings Costa Rica opened doors after an agreement with the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) and started out with only 15 employees, however, it quickly became one of the main employment options in the area and continues to be today the source of income of many Costa Rican families. ...

75 days ago the Zoo Ave Rescue Center in Costa Rica celebrated the birth of a King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), an event that scientists had been awaiting for years. The parents of the baby vulture have lived in captivity and isolated for over 28 years and they have attempted to reproduce for the last decade unsuccessfully. In an interview with Teletica Channel 7, Dennis Janik, founder of...

The United States citizens celebrate this fourth of July 242 years of independent life, if you are in Costa Rica and you are looking for options on things to do this Independence Day, we offer you some alternatives: Backyard Bar: The Backyard Bar between Jaco and Hermosa in Puntarenas is hosting an "Old Fashioned Backyard Barbecue" starting at 4 p.m. with an open jackpot surf contest and live m...

The Costa Rica Piano Festival in its fifth edition will take place July 16 through July 21 and presentations will take place in the Musical Arts School (EAM) of the University of Costa Rica, the National Theater, the Eugene O’Neill Theater, the Costa Rica Tennis Club and the Municipal School of Integrated Arts of Santa Ana (EMAI). “The Costa Rica Piano Festival is one of the most important cult...

Playas del Coco in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is one of the oldest beach communities in the country, many expats live here and many more are considering making this location their permanent home. Every year many foreigners choose Costa Rica to start a new life, the country’s closeness to the United States and Canada, its weather, political, social and economic stability, and many natural attraction...

The Juan Santamaria International Airport will welcome travelers in a colorful and innovative way, with the incorporation of giant sculptures of Costa Rican wild animals, beautiful photographs of the country’s landscapes, technology and more. These elements are all part of the “Sense of Place 2018” campaign which has the objective of making the hours in the airport fun and entertaining while at...

The morning Monday, July 2, officers of Management Investigation of the Professional Migratory Police arrested a Costa Rican woman during a search in the area of Getsemani, Heredia, as the main suspect of human smuggling ring through the forging of documents. The woman's last name Benavides De la O, forged different documents such as bank statements, municipal permits, social security orders, w...

Officers of the Border Police in Costa Rica captured the man who had escaped from La Reforma Prison in San Rafael de Alajuela last Friday. The man, Juan Jose Palacios Rivera, a native of Nicaragua, was aboard a bus with destination to Panama. The bus was stopped by the authorities before crossing the border after receiving information that the man was on it, in the revision the police officers ...

Blue Zones are geographic areas with high concentrations of individuals over 100 years of age and were people generally get to an advance age without experiencing health problems like obesity, heart disease, cancer or diabetes; one of the few blue zones around the world is found in Costa Rica, more specifically in the Nicoya Peninsula. According to recent data by the Ministry of Health, there a...

The government of Costa Rica proposed the organization of a joint commemoration of the Central American Independence Bicentennial (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica). Costa Rica’s initiative presented during the meeting held in the Dominican Republic, seeks to promote a historic celebration from the multiculturalism and diversity of the region. It includes defining the pri...