Costa Rica is known among other things as a great producer of bananas, it has been for many years one of the main economic activities of this country and one of the most important export products. During 2017 Costa Rica was able to generate over U.S. $1 billion through the export of bananas, increasing from U.S. $800 million in 2016. This industry also sustains over 100 thousand families. ...

The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica is one of the most important trail running events in the world which will begin this Sunday, February 11 and extend for 6 days. A total of 110 athletes will be participating in the competition that involves over 236 km (146.60 miles) and takes participants through rivers, mountains and beaches. “The Coastal Challenge is a challenging competition, both physica...

If you haven’t made plans for Valentine’s day yet, you may want to get started, remember that this day most restaurants are packed so getting a reservation will certainly allow your magical evening to go smoothly; if you need some ideas on where to take your loved one this February 14 in Costa Rica, we leave you with 5 great options: Sheraton Hotel: Considering that February 14 falls on a Wedn...

A new species of the plant Tachia was recently discovered at Isla del Coco, Costa Rica; the information was published in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. Guillermo Blanco park ranger of the National Park was the first to discover the plant and immediately informed a group of botanic experts from the Costa Rica National Herbarium which belongs to the National Museum. Th...

Since 2014, a total of 34 surfers have received scholarships from the Costa Rica Sports and Recreation Institute (ICODER) and the National Olympic Committee and with the help and request of the Surf Federation a totaling over 144 million colones (approximately US $250,560.00). The athletes are picked by the organization as eligible to receive a scholarship in 2018. The following athletes comple...

This Monday, February 12 the road work near the Juan Santamaria Airport will begin with the purpose of improving the flow of vehicles in this area. According to engineer German Valverde, Minister of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), they will address two initial parts of the project , the construction of the loop that will connect the General Cañas highway to Route 3 (Rio Segundo) and ...

Another giraffe joined the tower of giraffes at Ponderosa Adventure Park in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. “Maira” was the name given to the new member of the Ponderosa family, and she was born January 23, she stood at 1.45 meters (4’7”) in height and is the daughter of Alika a firs time mother and the alpha male Mao. Maira is the 11th giraffe in the park, and there are two others that are...

Since this past February 2, the Turrialba Volcano in Cartago, Costa Rica has continued the emission of ash in a passive and constant way and in moderate quantities. The column of ashes, aerosol and gases elevates close to 300 meters above the west crater, and the wind is directing the column towards the southwest-west and northwest. Communities in Cartago; San Jose (specially Coronado, Goicoe...

The sexual education guides that the Ministry of Education provides teachers of public elementary schools and high schools in Costa Rica have raised controversy for several months, but this week, as students were scheduled to return to classes this became a bigger problem as parents from different education centers organized manifestations against these guides that made it impossible to open the...

A new venue to enjoy concerts, live shows and even boxing or MMA events in Costa Rica is now available. Next to the Children’s Museum in downtown San Jose, a new “natural” amphitheater was created with capacity for 4000 people and parking for 600 cars. To build this outdoor venue they took advantage of a steep mountain and then built the natural bleachers in a semi-circle style. The inves...

A newly discovered wasp species that so far it has only been found in Costa Rica, has experts around the world shocked because the small insect cuts its host open from the inside. Dendrocerus scutellaris is the scientific name of this sesame seed size wasp that has the characteristic of having saw-like spikes which scientists suspect are used by the wasp to cut open the host and lay their eggs,...

A couple was arrested as suspects of participating in at least 20 thefts that took place between June 2017 and February 2018 and where tourists were the main victims. The man of last name Caicedo and a native of Colombia and the woman, a Costa Rican of last name Centeno, would operate by puncturing the tires of the tourists’ vehicles and then showing up to offer help, at which point they would ...

The University of Costa Rica is building an innovative lab for minimally invasive surgery and cancer diagnosis. The laboratory will be dedicated to the training on minimally invasive surgery techniques, and will also offer Costa Ricans the opportunities to get tested for the early diagnose of different types of cancer, the ones of biggest incidence in the country such as breast cancer, prostat...

The conversations in Costa Rica after the presidential elections that took place this past weekend, have geared around two topics: the unexpected results of the elections that now have the country going to a second round, and the 57 “diputados” (deputies) elected for congress (Legislative Assembly). But was has the discussion been all about regarding the deputies? Costa Rica the Legislativ...

The Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) and Georgia Tech, signed an agreement that will allow to develop training programs for Costa Ricans, in academic areas of high demand in the actual labor market. The academic programs will be oriented to offer academic and training programs in the country in high demand areas such as: analytics, cybersecurity, data science, user experience and...

After two years of not celebrating the carnivals due to different problems with permits, finally the traditional Puntarenas Carnivals are back and they kick off Thursday, February 8th and will continue with different activities through February 18. The Puntarenas Carnivals are a great way to immerse in the culture and life of this beach town. Among the activities that will take place, are, a...

The Costa Rica Central Bank (BCCR) affirms that the Costa Rican economy is not going through an economic recession process and is not heading into a recession process. According to Eduardo Prado, manager of BCCR, the evolution of the recent and past numbers allows them to project an economical growth for the years 2018 and 2019 of close to 3.6% which is higher than the average of the Latin Am...

Businessman Juan Carlos Bolaños and former General Manager of Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) Mario Barrenechea, the two main defendants in the Cementazo corruption case, will remain in preventive custody for another six months. Although the initial sentence of three months of preventive prison concluded this February 4, the Criminal Court of Heredia extended the sentence for another six months for ...

The Costa Rican government has invested for the first time in necessary equipment and tools for the prevention and control of forest fires. The purchase of 15 “rapid intervention” Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles will allow firefighters to prevent and extinguish wildfires in the protected areas, these vehicles have the capacity to carry 125 gallons of water and are commonly used by rural fire servi...

The date for the fourth edition of Le Diner en Blanc – San Jose, Costa Rica will be March 10, 2018, announced the organization of the event this Wednesday, and of course, as it is the style in this type of event, the location will remain a secret. This invitation-only event has now become one of the most expected events by a sector of the population, usually geared towards upper-middle to upper...

The Tenorio Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is classified as an dormant or inactive volcano; however, the area presents six seismic faults which generate seismic activity. This year, however, the activity has been increasing, and since January 9 through date the area has been affected by an earthquake swarm that registered 505 events of different magnitude, the strongest ones registered we...

ExpoTur Costa Rica will take place April 25-27, this event is considered the most important tourism travel mart of Costa Rica and the Central America Region, and one of the most relevant in Latin America. This year the event will receive the support of LATAM Airlines in conjunction with the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT) and its organized by the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Profession...

So far this year the Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica had maintained a passive emission of ash with columns that generally don’t exceed the 500 meters above the active crater and the 3,840 meters above sea level (12,595.2 ft.), however, the morning of this Tuesday, February 6 the Volcano registered a significant eruption with a column that reached 1000 meters above the crater and 4,340 meters above...

Nature Air received the green light from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation to resume its operations in Costa Rica last Thursday, after a suspension of more than 20 days. The domestic airline has confirmed their flights will be operating again on Friday, February 9. According to general manager Nelson Vega, they are maintaining all the destinations but they are reducing the frequency of ...

Costa Rican model Karina Ramos, former Miss Costa Rica (2014), will be participating for the first time in her career in the New York Fashion Week that takes place February 8-16. Ramos will be modeling the collection of Wilfredo Gerardo, a Latino born and raised in North Hollywood, California who has participated in several occasions in the renown event. Her participation is scheduled for Frid...

Costa Rica is the perfect place to spend a luxurious vacation, the many beautiful beaches in the country offer multiple options to enjoy the sun, warm water and impressive nature. The accommodation options in the country vary immensely, from huge resorts to boutique hotels and ecolodges, but of course there are also many vacation rentals, available through different platforms and for all budget...

A total of 26 airlines offer flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela, Costa Rica, while 11 airlines operate from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. According to information from the Costa Rica Tourism Institute (ICT), flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport offer services to 37 destinations, and the ones from the Daniel Oduber Airport co...

The program Shelter City Costa Rica offers a Comprehensive Protection Center in the country for the temporary relocation of human right advocates of the Central American region whose lives are at risk. The initiative hopes to give and option for those human right advocates of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua who expose themselves in their day to day activities and have received t...

A large sector of the Costa Rican population couldn’t hide their disbelief when the first results of the presidential elections were announced. Fabricio Alvarado, the candidate for the National Restoration Party (PRN), an Evangelical Christian, preacher and singer, a pre-grad journalist and current deputy in the Legislative Assembly was proving the polls right. In second place, Carlos Alvara...

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal gave the first official cut for the votes casted during the Presidential Elections this Sunday, February 4 in Costa Rica. The first votes counted through 8 p.m. this evening represented 11.57% of the tables and showed candidate Evangelical Preacher Fabricio Alvarado from National Restoration Party (PRN) ahead with 26.71% of the support, followed by Antoni...

So far, there are four out of the 13 presidential candidates in Costa Rica that are the favorites to come out as winners in the elections today, and two of them, Antonio Alvarez Desanti from the National Liberation Party (PLN) and Rodolfo Piza from the Social Christian Unity Party (PUSC) are including private education and health services among the activities that would be taxed with the IVA (valu...

The world’s longest zip line opened at the end of January on Jebel Jais, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) highest mountain, in the adventure emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, this incredible project was designed and built by Costa Ricans. “At over 2.8 kilometers long it is the equivalent to over 28 soccer fields in length and it’s suspended 1,680 meters above sea level. Riders enjoy incredible views of ...

The “Electoral Party” began yesterday in Costa Rica, when a Costa Rican native of Heredia, voted in Australia, in one of the 52 locations set up to vote abroad. Over 6,600 election tables opened at 6 a.m. in the country, where more than 3.3 million voters are called to cast their vote. How does it work? In Costa Rica all citizens over 18 years old that have a valid I.D. can cast their vote....

Coca Cola Company acquired 30 hectares of land in the industrial park Solarium close to the Daniel Oduber Airport with the purpose of installing their raw materials supply for their production. The Coca Cola Company already produces its raw materials in the country. The exports for the syrups and concentrates for the preparation of soda beverages continue in a constant growth. In 2012 export sa...

Food Trucks have become a very popular way of taking different gastronomy options to many people, a fun, affordable way to try delicious food. This upcoming February 10 and February 11, another Food Truck Festival will take place at San Jose’s Barrio Chino (China Town), with the participation of 26 food trucks and 15 craft brewery options, live music and great atmosphere. The beautiful wea...

Heraeus Medical Components, today held the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, underscoring its commitment to its global customers, innovation and growth in Costa Rica. Recognized as one of the world’s leading medical device suppliers, Heraeus designed the Cartago site to play a major manufacturing role in its Finished Devices business line, which includes cardiovascu...

A U.S. man drowned in Montezuma Beach, Cobano, Puntarenas this Friday, February 2. The man was kayaking along with his wife when their kayak was dragged in by the waves and the strong winds, the kayak turned over the couple tried to get back on but the conditions of the ocean didn’t make it possible, neither of them were using a life vest. Witnesses that were in the area called 911 and went ...

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) dictated today a historical sentence regarding the cases of “Maritime Delimitation Claim in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)” and “Terrestrial Frontier in the North Area of Isla Portillos (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua)”, in which it established the delimitation of the maritime frontier between both countries and ordered Nicaragua to move...

The global consulting firm McKinsey & Company inaugurated a new state-of-the-art facility located in Lagunilla, Heredia, Costa Rica. The inauguration featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Firm’s Global Managing Partner Mr. Dominic Barton, the President of CINDE, Mr. Luis Gamboa and Mr. Alexander Mora, Minister of Foreign trade, along with local McKinsey colleagues. McKinsey started...

The months prior to a presidential election in any country provide opportunities for candidates to explain their government plans, their ideas and proposals. This Sunday, February 4th, Costa Ricans will be choosing their president for the next four years, and in the last poll more than 36% of the voters had not decided who to vote for. Part of the reason for this phenomenon has to do with facto...