Despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Public Security in Costa Rica the request for the immediate deportation of Lebanese Ziad Akl after he was released from preventive imprisonment last week by the Pavas Criminal Court was denied. The same court who set him free is preventing this from happening by accepting a request of temporary permanence in the country presented by Akl’s defense attorne...

Costa Rican police detained two agents of the Judicial Investigative Police (OIJ) as suspects of attempting to sell information on an ongoing investigation to a third party for an amount of U.S. $15,000.00. According to Walter Espinoza, director of OIJ, the suspects were part of the Police Unit of Recollection of the Office of Plans and Operations (OPO) of the OIJ and had more than 10 years of ...

Over 100 free activities for the entire family will be part of the Amon Cultural Festival that will take place Saturday, March 3 in one of the most historic and emblematic neighborhoods in Costa Rica, Barrio Amon. This is one of the most important urban festivals in San Jose, and this is its third edition. Concerts, art exhibits, dancing shows, video mapping, theater, workshops, tours are just ...

During a press conference today, Bayer announced the inauguration today of their new shared service center in Costa Rica, which will be providing 350 new jobs in the country. The shared service center will provide accounting, business support and finance services to all Latin-America. Erika Bernal, President of Bayer Central America and Caribbean, stated “We are celebrating 40 years of being...

A colony of bats from the species Furipterus horrens set a nest under the roof of one of the rooms at the Selva Verde Lodge in Chilamate de Sarapiquí, Heredia. This species of bat had not been seen in Costa Rica for more than 45 years and in fact there are not many left worldwide. One of the bungalow type rooms at this hotel was the place picked by  close to 80 bats who set their nest; the h...

Every year thousands of tourists visit the Marino Ballena National Park, located in the South Pacific of Costa Rica and famous for the common sightings, specially certain times during the year, of whales and dolphins; however, this natural wealth is being threatened by climate change. “Climate change is already here. It is not just a change of temperature, it goes way beyond that”, said to EF...

If there is one thing Costa Rica is not short off is bars, there are way too many bars in every single community, but many are targeted to a younger crowd 18-25, generally loud and crowded. When you are 30+ you much rather sit down and enjoy a nice conversation and good food with friends. Luckily, Escazu has a good selection of bars for adults over 30: Oveja Negra: In San Rafael de Escazu...

The 5th edition of the Sustainable Cities International Conference will take place at the Radisson Hotel in San Jose, Costa Rica, May 17 and 18, 2018. The objective of this congress is to promote the design, planning and construction of sustainable buildings. Sustainable lifestyles, resource efficiency, society, finance, mobility, public space, waste, bio economy, inclusive cities and many ...

If you have your mind made up and have decided to build or buy a house or apartment in Costa Rica, the Construction Expo (ExpoConstrucción) 2018 is a great place to start looking for options . This event will take place February 21-25 at the Pedregal Event Center in San Antonio de Belen, Heredia. Lots, houses, apartments, condominiums, over 217 stands offering construction materials, decorat...

Ziad Akl brother of Elias Akl, the Lebanese man who was killed outside a private school in Guachipelin, Escazu, back in March 2017, and who had been in preventive custody on separate charges of attempted murder, extortion and kidnap after being arrested trying to flee the country at the Juan Santamaria International Airport, just hours after his brother had been killed, was released Friday. Ak...

The rural areas of Costa Rica are full of traditions that many times go unnoticed and that perhaps do not receive the credit deserved for their cultural and historic value; one of this traditions is the National Mules Festival. Celebrated every year in February in the area of Parrita, Puntarenas, this tradition began in properties in Esterillos in 1989, it started as a form of entertainment, an...

The Ministry of Public Works and Transportations (MOPT) will begin this Monday, February 19 with the establishment of security devices in 91 train intersections located in the areas of Pavas -San José- Curridabat, Heredia-San José and San José-Cartago. Engineer German Valverde, Minister of Public Works, explained that they expect these devices will force drivers to be more respectful of the tra...

The Quepos airstrip is receiving an important investment of over US$9.5 million that will better the conditions and infrastructure with the purpose of strengthening local tourism. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation explained that the runway will be built with hydraulic cement with a capacity of 50 thousand pounds of weight and will be extended from the current 13 meters (42.65 feet) in w...

Sadly, this is not the first time this happens, the Costa Rican Police (Fuerza Publica) and the Municipal Police found this Friday a hydroponic marijuana lab with 317 plants in a luxury house in Guachipelin, Escazu. The Police and Fire Department were alerted of an explosion that occurred in a house in the residential Pinares del Rio, when the authorities arrived they realized the explosion occ...

The construction of the project Discovery Costa Rica was set to begin this 2018 and was supposed to open its first stage by 2020, according to the announcement made back in April 2017; however, to date, there are many doubts regarding whether or not Discovery Costa Rica will actually become a reality. Julio Viales, Mayor of Liberia, affirmed in an interview with El Financiero, that currently th...

The American company Microtechnologies –specializing in innovating and delivering critical components for global industries– inaugurated today its new production plant in the Terra Industrial Park, in Coyol of Alajuela, Costa Rica. The new facility of 15,000 square meters- marks the celebration of the company’s twentieth anniversary in the country and represents a milestone of innovation within...

Andrea Miralles is only 13 years old, but she is already forced to face a big and difficult battle, she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer that is allocated in her left thighbone (femur), now she fights to save her leg and her life. The young Costa Rican is the youngest of three sisters and is passionate about dancing, reading and singing. It was actually after participating in a...

Costa Rica just had presidential elections this past February 4, but none of the candidates got the required minimum of votes (40%) to be able to win the elections, now, Costa Ricans are forced to vote again in a “second round” for one of the two candidates that got the most votes, Fabricio Alvarado (PRN) or Carlos Alvarado (PAC), this time around whoever gets the most votes, even if the differen...

Two passengers of an Air Canada flight that had as destination Costa Rica, suffered minor injuries after the plane hit severe turbulence which forced the flight to be returned to Pearson Airport in Toronto. Flight AC1806 declared the emergency as it was flying over Knoxville at around 8 p.m. this Thursday, February 15. The two patients had to be taken to the hospital by Peel Paramedics, whil...

The remains of the ship that surfaced last weekend in Playa Grande, Punta Uva, Limon,  after being examined by experts are estimated to belong to a vessel built between the XVII and XVIII centuries. The remains will be returned to the bottom of the ocean because the country does not have the necessary conditions to maintain them in good condition out of the water. “Because of its size, giving i...

The Chinese communities around the world prepare to welcome the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival this February 16, which is according to the Chinese calendar the Year of the Earth Dog. In Costa Rica the Chinese community has their own celebrations, one of them which is open to the general public will take place on Saturday, February 17 in San Jose’s Barrio Chino (China Town) from 10 a.m. an...

Photo Credit: +QN Facebook It is not uncommon that foreigners sometimes appreciate and care more about a country than its own citizens. That seems to be the case of Canadian Jimmy Vietz, a 45-year-old man that has been visiting Costa Rica for the last fifteen years, and for the past three he spends his vacation time in the county of Atenas in Alajuela, and the neighbors are familiar with h...

The US Embassy in San Jose announced two upcoming Consular events – in Limon City, a visa session, and in Puerto Viejo, routine services for U.S. citizens. The Consular staff will be on hand to provide the below services and answer any questions. To RSVP for passport renewals, notary services, and federal benefits inquiries, please indicate preference by writing to [email protected]. A...

The United States Coast Guard Service intercepted this Wednesday around 200 miles from Punta Burica in the South Pacific of Costa Rica, a vessel carrying a load of 1,256 kilograms of cocaine. The boat is Costa Rican and the five crew members, all natives of the area were arrested and taken into custody to Golfito. According to Gustavo Mata, Minister of Security, this is the largest load of...

Production company Primo Entertainment has informed through a press release of the cancellation of the debut show of Cirque du Soleil in Costa Rica “Séptimo Día: No Descansaré” (Seventh Day – I won’t rest) that was scheduled for today, Wednesday, February 14, 2018. The strong winds affecting in the majority of the Costa Rican territory are the cause of the cancellation of the show that was supp...

The Ministry of Public Work and Transportation (MOPT) and the National Roadway Council (CONAVI- Consejo Nacional de Vialidad) are investing 165 million colones (approximately $290,400.00 USD) towards the attention of National Route 620 which connects the Santa Elena community to the Monteverde Biological Reserve which suffered serious damages as a result of tropical storm Nate. This route is of...

The art exhibit “Detrás del Portón Rojo: una visión de la erótica en el arte costarricense” (Behind the Red Gate: A Vision of the Erotic in Costa Rican Art”) is showcased at the Costa Rican Art Museum (MAC). This art movement has been present in different ways since the Pre-Columbian era in Costa Rica; the exhibit is centered in the notion of the erotic as a natural reality of the human being, ...

The first edition of Perro Cross Camping will take place March 10 and 11, confirmed the organizers. Perro Cross usually organizes cross-country competitions with dogs, but this time they are inviting dog owners to a fun camping experience in the estate "La Lucha" located in San Cristobal Norte, Desamparados. The idea is that those interested in participating register before March 5, they can...

Bananas, pineapple exports and medical devices, all of great importance to Costa Rica’s economy but they still don’t come close to the numbers tourism generates for the country. Throughout the last 10 years the tourism industry has contributed over U.S. $28 billion to the country's finances and with the exception of 2009, when the world crisis affected the numbers, the growth has been of close to...

Costa Rica will lift a 30-year ban on Robusta coffee trees, a crop that is considered of lower quality than Arabica but that is more resistant to diseases and rising temperatures, confirmed the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Agriculture’s resolution, will allow the production of robusta varieties, a crop that was banned since 1998 for phytosanitary reasons that are no longer relevant;...

Authorities from the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the National System of Areas of Conservation (SINAC) among others, are meeting again to evaluate the current conditions of the Poas Volcano and the steps towards a reopening of the park. Although just a few weeks ago members of the National Emergency Commission spoke of the unstable conditions of this Volcano which makes it difficult to ...

The Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT) will be participating in the meeting Routes Americas which will be held in Quito, Ecuador starting today, February 13 and through February 15, with the purpose of negotiating the arrival of new airlines to the country. This event gathers all airlines that operate in America, close to 70, as well as representatives from different airports in the region, de...

The Ministry of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica (MINAE) is carrying out the campaign “Limpia tu Huella” (Clean your Footprint), on Saturday, February 24 and are requesting the help of volunteers that wish to participate on the cleaning of National Wildlife Refuge Camaronal located in the North Pacific of Costa Rica, seven miles south of Playa Samara. The contamination of the oceans is af...

The lake that reappeared at the crater of the Poas Volcano in Costa Rica late January, is still somewhat superficial, but in its deepest point it reaches 15m (50 feet). Eliecer Duarte from the Observatory of Volcanic and Seismic Activity in Costa Rica (OVSICORI), explained to national daily La Nacion, that some of the formations that had been documented just a few weeks back have now disappe...

The Turrialba Volcano registered yet another important eruption, this Monday, February 12 at approximately 4:30 a.m. with a column that reached 1000 meters above the crater and 4,340 meters above sea level (14,235.2 ft.). The impressive was even visible from the Irazu Volcano as you can see in the video included below. The emission of ash is continuous and of variable volume and has been consta...

Amazon Costa Rica announced today the inauguration of the new Seller Support Hub in El Tobogan Corporate Center in Barrio Tournón, San Jose, as the first step of a series of changes that would generate up to 1,500 new jobs this 2018. With an investment of close to U.S. $10 million, the Amazon Costa Rica team will offers support and attention to small and medium size companies that sell through ...

Being mindful of the environment, when planning a wedding, is increasingly important. Luckily, it's also now easier to achieve. For couples interested in hosting an earth-friendly wedding, Costa Rica provides plenty of ways to do so. With beautiful natural landscapes, farm-to-table culinary traditions and sustainable venue options, an eco-responsible ceremony in Costa Rica can be a magical experie...

The Costa Rican Caribbean has been experiencing high tides and the level of the sea has increased in the past few weeks to the point that it has even put at risk some hotels, restaurants and houses and the intervention of the Municipality’s machinery was necessary to create small dams; this phenomenon could have been what brought the remains of an antique ship to the surface in the area of Playa G...

The 8th edition of the Envision Festival is happening February 22-26, 2018, as usual in the beautiful area of Uvita in Costa Rica’s South Pacific. This festival brings together art, spirituality, yoga, music, dance, live performances, education, and connection with nature. The Envision Festival offers in general experiences for those that envision a better world and celebrates the awakening ...

The University of Costa Rica is organizing the International Symposium based around Isla del Coco, an event that will bring together experts from different countries who have researched and studied this National Park which was declared a World Natural Heritage site twenty years ago. Isla del Coco has been an object of different investigations and studies for centuries. At the end of the XIX and...