The date has been moved several times, but now finally the first Chuck E. Cheese’s in Costa Rica will open doors this Monday, March 19 at Plaza Bratsi. Heredia. With an investment of $4 million which exceeded the amount originally planned, this first location will be the biggest of the three that are planned to open by 2019 with close to 2000 square meters (21528 square feet) and 60 employees. ...

The Sustainable Tourism and Commerce Chamber of the Central Pacific (CATUCOSO) was created with the purpose of reactivating the economy and tourism of the Puntarenas province by launching campaigns that promote the visitation of this area of Costa Rica. Jaco in Garabito is probably the most popular and visited tourist area of the Central Pacific, the community depends on tourism, however, in t...

Costa Rica’s Constitutional Chamber brings to a halt Fishing Institute’s (Incopesca) attempt of reactivating trawling permits. The Sala Cuarta or Consitutional Chamber, analyzed two constitutional appeals (recursos de amparo) and upheld the claims, declaring in this way null the Fishing Institute’s agreement to reissue shrimp trawling permits. “By majority we uphold the claim the appeal. We dec...

Costa Rica’s Soccer Federation (Fedefutbol) is investigating if the involvement of U.S. businessman, Scott Brannon with the Heredia Soccer Team violates FIFA’s Ethic Code due to his apparent link to online gambling sites. Costa Rica’s District Attorney, Emilia Navas, confirmed last week that Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson, also known as Scott Brannon, and David Patey, both U.S. businessmen res...

According to the Gender Observatory of the Judicial Power between 2007 and 2016 there were a total of 287 women murdered by men with which they had a romantic relationship; in 2017 there were a total of 26 femicides, and so far in 2018 there’s been 6 confirmed femicides, while 5 other cases remain in investigation and could make this number grow. “I express the solidarity of the Government with...

The National Tourism Chamber (Canatur) highlighted the importance for the country to respect the rights of the LGBTI population to prevent a decrease in the number of visitors to the country. Sary Valverde, president of Canatur, affirmed that this doesn’t just affect the interest of LGBTI tourists, which represent a 10% of the total number of foreigners visiting the country, to visit the countr...

The low cost airlines Volaris Airlines began operating this Thursday, March 15 the new route Costa Rica to Los Angeles, California. Flying from San Jose, Costa Rica to Los Angeles, CA, USA with Volaris can cost you as little as $300.00 (taxes included). As it happens with most low cost airlines the basic ticket cost includes the seat in coach cabin and a carry-on luggage, but the passengers ...

Costa Rica is the “happiest” country in Latin America, according to the World Happiness Report 2018, which ranks 156 countries by their happiness levels, and 117 countries by the happiness of their immigrants, the report is elaborated by experts of the United Nations. “The main focus of this year’s report, in addition to its usual ranking of the levels and changes in happiness around the world,...

The Daniel Oduber International Airport inaugurated today the extended Passenger Terminal and presented the new measures taken by the airport to respond to the increase in the arrival of tourists to the province of Guanacaste. President Luis Guillermo Solis and the First Lady Mercedes Peña were present during the activity organized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The extension...

According to a survey carried out by the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels, the majority of the beach hotels in the areas of the Central and North Pacific as well as the Caribbean are registering a high occupancy of between 90-95%. Although vacationists usually prefer the beach as their tourism destination during Holy Week, other areas also have a good level of occupancy such as mountain hotels in...

Costa Rica’s national soccer team, La Sele, will begin its preparation for the Russial World Cup 2018 with two friendly matches, the first one on March 23 against Scotland and the second one against Tunisia on March 27. Ramirez disclosed the list of 23 players he will be taking to these friendly matches: Goal Keepers: Keylor Navas, Leonel Moreira and Kevin Briceño Defenders: Cristian Gamb...

The National System of Areas of Conservation (SINAC) in Costa Rica, confirmed they are working diligently in all aspects necessary to be able to reopen the Poas Volcano National Park to the public. Even though some media channels announced earlier this week that the park could reopen for the upcoming Holy Week, SINAC confirms this is Not possible, since they have to comply with security requir...

The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) of Costa Rica informed they will be closing the crossroad in front of the Fiesta Casino, near the Juan Santamaría Airport in Alajuela this Thursday at 8 a.m. This road connects the area known as INVU Las Cañas and the General Cañas highway on the way from Alajuela to San Jose. The access from INVU to the Airport will also be closed tempo...

U.S. businessman David Patey announced today his resignation to the presidency of the Heredia soccer team. Patey made the following statement through Facebook: “My concern is for my family and their well being is without a doubt my priority. I know who I am, I have a clear conscience. I feel bad this week for having taken so much space in social media and national press. I am a guest in this...

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...

Nepotism is basically the practice of those in power of favoring relatives or friends usually by offering them jobs or specific positions. President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis signed this March 13 the Anti-Nepotism Law in the Legislative Assembly. This law modifies Article 49 of the Personnel Law of the Legislative Assembly -Law N.4556, by adding a paragraph that states that trust pers...

Costa Rica’s District Attorney Emilia Navas confirmed the detention this Wednesday, March 14 of five people in relation to the Cementazo corruption case, two employees of the company Sinocem and three managers of public bank Banco Popular. 11 raids were carried out by the police authorities in different areas of the country to gather evidence. “Since 6 a.m. this morning four houses were se...

English world famous theoretical physicist, cosmologist, regarded author, Stephen William Hawking passed away March 13, 2018 at age 76. Hawking was diagnosed in 1963 of a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a motor neurone disease that gradually paralyzed him over the decades. When he was first diagnosed he was told he had only a few years to live; yet, he went on to become one of the m...

Walter Espinoza, director of the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) explained that after conducting the necessary investigations regarding David Patey’s allegations that a police agent tried to sell him a confidential file, they were not able to determine who this person was. Espinoza explained that back in November 2017, he received a phone call on his cell phone from David Patey, who told hi...

The confirmation of an open investigation involving two U.S. businessmen, David Patey and Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson also known as “Scott Brannon” was confirmed last week by the District Attorney Emilia Navas in an interview with Channel 7 Telenoticias. According to Navas, the investigation against both expats, who reside in Costa Rica since 2003 and 2004 respectively, was opened in 2015 a...

Costa Rica officially elected Emilia Navas Aparicio as the District Attorney for the next four years. Navas is the first woman to take this position in 43 years (the first District Attorney Costa Rica named was Francisco Echeverri in 1975). 53-year-old Navas had been working as the Ad-interim District Attorney since October of last year, when the Supreme Court suspended Jorge Chavarría. Navas ...

For the first time, Costa Rica has been chosen to host the largest cruise ship conference in the region, namely the Central America Cruise Summit, which will be held in the National Congress and Convention Center in 2019. The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), the world's largest cruise ship organization, has taken advantage of this occurrence to promote Costa Rica as the host of this...

The Quepos Billfish Cup organized by Marina Pez Vela in Costa Rica will take place this week March 14 through March 17. Here are the details of this event as provided by Marina Pez Vela: “The Quepos Billfish Cup is a three-day billfish team event with top-team honors going to the team that tallies the most billfish points during the tournament. Prizes pay down to third place (first, second, ...

Spiritual guru Teal Swan, founder of “The Principle of Authenticity”, author and speaker will be offering workshops in Costa Rica July 7 through July 14 during the retreat “The Curveball”. 33-year-old Swan who was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has raised plenty of controversy, she considers herself revolutionary (like Martin Luther King and Gandhi)and according to Dailymail.co.uk “She believes ...

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake shook Costa Rica this Monday, March 12 at 3:42 p.m. According to the National Seismology Network the epicenter was localized 18 kilometers East of Jaco in Garabito, Puntarenas. The movement was reported as strong in the areas of Jaco, Parrita and Quepos, as well as in most parts of the Central Valley. No damages have been reported....

According to data by the Central American Institute For Fiscal Studies, in 2018 the Costa Rica State Administration will cost a 21.6% of the GNP, the highest in the Central American region. Ten years ago, in 2008, the country reported its last surplus of $52 million but by the end of 2018 the country will be short $3.5 billion. The situation of the country has deteriorated throughout the yea...

Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) developed the digital platform www.JobLink.cr where currently 45 companies are offering 3800 jobs mostly in the services area and the majority of which require bilingual personnel (Spanish/English or Portuguese in most cases). The companies are mainly foreign investment companies; those interested can register through the site and take a languag...

Former siamese twin Ezequiel Nuñez was able to leave the Intensive Care Unit at the National Children’s Hospital in Costa Rica and was moved to an isolated room where he is able to be with his parents 24/7. Unfortunately, his brother Samuel still remains in the ICU since he continues to depend on a ventilator. “Ezequiel is not in an isolation room that has been made available for him to make hi...

Pole dance combines dance and acrobatics, it requires a lot of strength, coordination, flexibility and ability and besides being very sexy it is also a great exercise. The times when pole dancing was considered vulgar are behind us, and now pole dancing has gained a lot of popularity as a form of fitness, an exercise that will not only help build your muscles and stay fit, but will also do wond...

Personnel of the National System of Areas of Conservation (SINAC) found two silky sharks and 30 fish tangled in an illegal fishing device 5 nautical miles from Isla del Coco. The device, known as fishing aggregating device (FAD), is used to aggregate fish and captures them in large quantities; it is believed it had been in areas close to the Isla del Coco National Park for months. “This typ...

The tourist who got lost yesterday at the Arenal Volcano National Park was rescued by Costa Rican rescue teams in the early hours of this Sunday. According to the Red Cross of La Fortuna, San Carlos, after receiving the alert on Saturday night they coordinated the search and rescue operation for Sunday at 5 a.m.; however, a group of park rangers and tourism guides that are familiar with the are...

Sadly this is not the first time this happens and likely it won’t be the last, a tourist got lost at the Arenal Volcano National Park in Costa Rica, the alert was received by the authorities at around 6:37 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. The tourist was able to communicate with his mobile phone and apparently got lost in the woods close to the trail known as “Coladas”. According to the initial...

Costa Rica stood out in its category and took the recognition as Best Exhibitor for the Americas and the Caribbean at the ITB Travel Trade Show in Berlin. “The stand represents the first impression of the country and for many people it is the only approach they have had with the country and even with America; for this reason we transformed our presence in international fairs, for our culture an...

11 Tourists were robbed while they were rafting in the area of Dos Montañas, in the Pacuare River at around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10. Apparently the group stopped to have a snack when 3 men with their faces covered threatened the tourists with firearms and took all their valuables including cell phones, cameras, cash and passports. “Rafting companies usually make a stop in this area t...

Karina Ramos, and the twins Esteban and Douglas Castillo were invited to take part of the L.A. Fashion Week to take place March 12 to the 16th. Ramos just took part on one of the side events of the New York Fashion Week in February. Esteban, who is Karina’s boyfriend participated in the casting for the LA show and was selected, the organization then informed him they also wanted his twin brot...

During an interview in Channel’s 7’ Telenoticias, Emilia Navas, Ad interim district attorney, confirmed that the Public Ministry has had an open investigation since 2015 regarding U.S. businessmen David Patey and Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson also known as "Scott Brannon". Patey a native of Utah, is well known in Costa Rica, as the president of one of the biggest soccer teams in the country, ...

The second edition of the popular Art City Tour in its 2018 season will take place March 14 under the slogan “Chepe nos une” (Chepe unites us) (Chepe is the way Costa Ricans’ refer to the capital city of San Jose). The free event will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude at 9 p.m. Remember these tours can be done by bus or foot. “ 'Chepe nos une' is a metaphor that honors the dynamic of the city as ...

Swiss airline Edelweiss will begin operating a third flight from Zurich to San Jose, the announcement was made by the Costa Rica Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura, from the ITB Travel Trade Show in Berlin where the country is participating. “Less than a year ago we announced the beginning of operations in the country of this prestigious airline, member of Lufthansa Group, today we feel ver...

NatGeo posted today a beautiful video (included below) of a baby sloth that was rescued in Costa Rica. The story behind this: The baby two-toed sloth was rescued in the area of Osa Peninsula, where an expat from Ohio, USA, Dirk Morgan, owner of Morgan’s Jungle Lodge, learned from guests about the sloth holding on to a rock and crying for help in the area known as Punta Tigre, they immediate...

On the International Women’s Day the walls of Catholic churches in San Jose, Costa Rica (La Merced, LA Soledad and Nuestra Señora de Barrio Luján) were vandalized with gender related messages and graffities done with spray paint during the evening hours. “Take your rosaries out of my ovaries” ; “Sexual Education Now”; “Sexist and Macho Church”, “My body is mine, I decide”, were just some of the...