The International Court of Justice, the main judicial organ of the United Nations, which has its seat in The Hague, Neatherlands, defined this Friday, that Nicaragua has to pay $378,890 to Costa Rica for the damages caused in Calero Island, also known as Portillos Island or Harbor Head Lagoon, as it is called in Nicaragua, between 2010-2015. The international court had ruled on December 16, 201...

The “Pura Vida” lifestyle of Costa Ricans is also reflected in the way we approach Presidential elections, in between debates, polls and diverse opinions, Ticos don’t lose their sense of humor, well, this is perhaps our way of taking a bit of the “edge” off a very serious matter. The last poll published by the Center for Political Studies and Investigation of the University of Costa Rica (CIEP-...

As we reported earlier today, the company Nature Air was expecting to receive the green light to resume operations in the country in the next few days, Civil Aviation confirmed this afternoon that they are lifting the suspension and the domestic airline can begin operating again immediately. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation confirmed that Nature Air had presented all pertinent docume...

The Juan Santamaria International Airport begins implementing new technology procedures of satellite navigation today, through which they expect to improve considerably in the times of arrivals and departures of flights. The project, under the name “Costa Rica Pura Vida” is being implemented by experts in navigation of Civil Aviation and has the support of the airlines and Aeris, the company in...

The National Directorate of Civil Aviation could be lifting the suspension of Nature Air flights by the end of this week. Rolando Richmond, sub-director of Civil Aviation confirmed that Nature Air presented all necessary documentation since this past Monday where they show that they have made the necessary changes and adjustments and hired additional personnel to comply with the requirements ...

This year’s first date of the Art City Tour will happen February 9 and it is titled “Por amor a chepe” or “For the Love of Chepe” (chepe being the way Costa Rican’s refer to the capital city of San Jose), tours inspired in Valentine’s Day and with the goal of making many fall in love with the city of San Jose. Art City Tours are cultural events that take place every two months and take the publ...

The Wine World Festival will have its second edition on March 3 and March 4 at Campo Lago in Lindora, Santa Ana starting at noon and through midnight while on Sunday it will finish at 8 p.m. The participation of several wineries will give attendees a wide variety of options to sample and along with food pairings. Live music, outdoor movie screenings, cooking classes, picnic area, kids area,...

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced that 12 Costa Rican riders were notified of an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) in samples collected December 22, 2017 during the Vuelta Ciclistica Internacional a Costa Rica. The riders Juan Carlos Rojas Villalegas (winner of the 2017 Vuelta Ciclística), Cesar Andres Rojas Villalegas, Jewinson Leandro Varela Zuniga, Vladimir Fernandez Torres, J...

Doctors of the Hospital Mexico in Costa Rica removed a 34 kilogram tumor from the abdomen of a female patient. The amazingly large tumor, which could be the biggest recorded so far in the world was located in the abdomen of Sonia Lopez, a woman that resides in the area of Tibas, San Jose, Costa Rica. “The life of Sonia changed forever. A giant tumor of 34 kg in her ovaries was removed Monday...

Last year (2017) was transcendental for the Life Sciences sector, in Costa Rica: it became the main product of goods exportations. Statistics from the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (Procomer by its Spanish acronym) and the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX by its acronym in Spanish) reveal that, for the first time in Costa Rica’s history, it surpassed the agricultural sector. In 2017, Lif...

There are two main reasons that people list when asked why they don’t go to the dentist as often as they should: 1. Costs: the majority of people especially in North America feel that dental treatments are too expensive 2. Fear: Fear of being in pain, of the instruments used, or even the sounds or smells of a dental clinic. Most people don’t look forward to dental appointments, just like...

In the last few years Costa Rica has worked in attracting new airlines to offer service in the country. So far this year the Tourism Institute (ICT) confirms it has generated 96,501 additional seats thanks to the arrival of new airlines and the increase in the frequency of flights to and from Costa Rica. Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura, explained that Costa Rica has created its own strate...

Making the decision to buy real estate is always exciting, especially if you are doing so in a foreign country for the first time. There are many aspects to take into consideration before you decide to invest in real estate, this applies for any country in the world, but if you are buying real estate in Costa Rica there are some particular pitfalls you should be aware of before you take the first ...

The global medical device company, Smith & Nephew opened its GBS (Global Business Services) operation in Costa Rica today, to provide globally specialized shared services. This diversification of operations will allow the addition of 150 new collaborators in the next two years, with an investment of around 1.8 million dollars. The inauguration of the GBS was attended by the President of the ...

Gerardo Rios Mairena, the Costa Rican man who was arrested early February 2017, as the only suspect in the massacre of five university students January 19, 2017 in the city of Liberia, Guanacaste, was found guilty and sentenced to 216 years of jail. The sentence was dictated by the Liberia Tribunal Court by judges Guillermo Arce, Andrea Rodriguez and Kathy Abarca; the decision came after severa...

Sirenas Diving Costa Rica, a small, diving, snorkeling and fishing tour company that operates in Guanacaste had the opportunity to capture an amazing experience in video this past January 22 about 800 meters from the coast of Playas del Coco. Bobbie Joe and her husband Jose Daniel Barrera from Sirenas Diving, were giving snorkeling lessons in the area when they had a close encounter with a baby...

The first date of the “Kölbi” National Surf Tournament, where the “Pro Medical Team -Energy Law Firm” was at stake, took place this past weekend (January 27 and 28) in Playa Dominical saw great wave action and intense competition. Leon Glatzner a native of Pavones, took the Male Open category, his combination of surfing and aerial game earned him 7.00 + 6.87 marks; while Lisbeth Vindas from Jac...

We all need a little adrenaline in our lives, that rush that makes us feel alive, granted there are some people that certainly get addicted to the thrill and are in constant search of new adventures. Costa Rica is certainly a huge playground for thrill seekers, with many options ranging from canopy to white water rafting and waterfall rapelling. The Adventure Park in Miramar, Puntarenas, ...

The Costa Rican Embassy in Washington, D.C. shared the following information regarding Costa Rica’s presidential elections which will take place next Sunday, February 4. - The schedule for voting will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Costa Rica Embassy located in Washington D.C. (2114 S Street N.W. Washington, D.C., 20008) - The Embassy is located a few blocks from the Dupont Circle metro cente...

Costa Rican musician Giancarlo Guerrero added two more Grammy awards to his achievements, the announcement was made in the ceremony prior to the Grammy award official event. Guerrero won in the category of Best Classical Compendium for Hidgon: All Things Majestic, Viola Concerto & Oboe Concerto, which was produced along with Tim Handley who also takes the Grammy for this work; and Best Cont...

Some of the best coffee in the world is produced in Costa Rica, and certainly the culture of coffee in this Central American country has transcended through history and this beverage continues to be today one of the favorite of Ticos and people all over the world. Every year there are different events and festivals where coffee takes the center stage, February already has two lined up: Viva...

The umbilical cord blood is stem-cell rich blood, stem cells which represent a hope for people who suffer blood illnesses (like leukemia or lymphomas) or those patients that require a stem cell transplant, among others. The San Juan de Dios Hospital in Costa Rica has now opened and equipped a public stem cell bank with everything necessary, thanks to a donation of $109 thousand from the Japan ...

Italian food is a synonym for comfort food for many, no matter where you are in the world it is always great when you can find a restaurant that serves good Italian dishes. If you are in Costa Rica and perhaps in need of a break from rice & beans, or simply craving Italian food, we leave you with a list of 5 great Italian restaurants in Costa Rica, with these choices you can’t go wrong: L’A...

The Costa Rica Touring Car Championship (CTCC) is back this weekend and through six days it will offering the best of motor racing in Costa Rica. 15 pilots will be part of this third edition of the CTCC, known faces such as Juan Carlos Alvarado, Emilio “Milo” Valverde, Danny Formal (Current Champion), Erick Xirinachs, Bernal Valverde, Andre Solano, Andrés Montalto, among others. Also, a few ...

The foundation Insight Crime, which is dedicated to the study of organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean published its yearly “InSight Crime’s 2017 Homicide Round-Up”, with the purpose of giving a snapshot of murder rates in the Latin America region. Murder rates are calculated by InSight Crime, based on the number of reported homicides and the country’s 2017 estimated population tot...

Back in December 15,2017 the Electric Transportation bill was approved by Costa Rica´s congress; this bill promotes the use of electric vehicles by making them more affordable by establishing several tax exemptions of even 100% depending on the cost of the car. The President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis, signed the law this week, making it official, Ïn a few years the transportation flee...

American singer, songwriter and actress Demi Lovato will be offering a concert in Costa Rica May 1st at Parque Viva, confirmed Backstage Magazine. This will be the second time the famous singer performs in the country, but the first time as the main act, since in 2010 she came as part of The Jonas Brothers concert. Lovato actually fell during one of the songs but recovered quickly, the small ...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Security rejects the idea of legalizing marijuana in tourist areas, idea that was suggested by Mexico’s Tourism Secretary. Gustavo Mata, Minister of Security in Costa Rica was adamant about not agreeing with the idea of legalizing drugs in tourism zones, and was clear that these type of concessions “would only generate more and serious social problems as well as more...

The Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica is located in the area of San Isidro, Heredia, it is a wildlife sanctuary, rescue, rehabilitation and release center. Established in 2004 by Leslie Howle and Jorge Murillo initially only as a rescue center for toucans and other birds, it quickly expanded to care for other injured, confiscated and sick wildlife animals (sloths, monkeys, macaws, owls, among ...

Expats from the US Democrat Party are meeting in Costa Rica to plan their actions regarding the upcoming midterm elections in the United States. Members of the organization Democrats Abroad (DACR) are holding their Americas Regional Meeting from January 25 to January 28 at the Hotel Bougainvillea in Heredia, Costa Rica. 30 democrat leaders are attending who reside in Canada and different Latin ...

This Wednesday, January 31, the bridge over the Virilla River in the road that connects Santa Ana to Belen (Radial Santa Ana-Belen) will be closed from 3 a.m. through 7 a.m. A new bridge is being constructed here, and although so far the construction work has been done without the need to interrupt transit in the area, this time, however, they are required to close while they put in place a part ...

Contaminated rivers are not something unusual anywhere in the world, every country has their own contaminated rivers, which is sad, but true; Costa Rica being a “green country” is no exception. According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) the Tarcoles River in Costa Rica is the most contaminated river in Central America, it receives the equivalent of 100 Olympic pools of contamin...

If you have had the fun experience of driving in Costa Rica you’ve probably already had your share of encounters with one or many dangerous potholes. It’s actually difficult to find a road in Costa Rica in perfect conditions, and if you find one it probably will not last long, potholes are responsible for at least 20% of car failures according to AutoPits; from flat tires to damaged rims, suspe...

The Costa Rican police received an alert through the 911 system regarding a dead man in the Del Rey Hotel, a known sexual tourism hot spot located in downtown San Jose. The Costa Rican Red Cross arrived first at the scene and confirmed the death of a foreigner, however, when the police arrived at the Del Rey, private security officers of the hotel tried to prevent the entry of the authorities; ...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Security had made the announcement some months back of the donation by United States of three tactical vehicles known in Costa Rica as “Bestias” to be used by Specialized Units. Today, in an official act with the presence of the director of the Judicial Investigation Organism, Walter Espinoza, Mariano Figueres, Director of Intelligence and Security and US Ambassador ...

TripAdvisor announced the Top 10 Travelers' Choice Hotels in the World, and among them there are two Costa Rican hotels, the only two hotels in Latin America to make the top 10 that includes properties in Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Maldives, Italy, US and France. Tulemar Bungalows & Villas in Manuel Antonio is listed as number 2 while Nayara Springs in La Fortuna made the list in number 9. ...

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Costa Rica’s Ambassador to the US Gonzalo Facio Segreda passed away this Wednesday, January 24 in his house in Escazu. Facio was 99 years old and had been fighting an illness for some time. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1970 to 1976 and from 1977 to 1978. He was also Costa Rica’s Ambassador to the United States in three periods, from 1956 to ...

The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island (EMMIE) recognized the achievements of Costa Rica in the process of eradication of malaria in the country by awarding a prize of US $1.2 million to support these efforts. The Strategy of Elimination of Malaria in Mesoamerica and Hispaniola Island is a regional initiative financed by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuber...

This Tuesday evening the Drug Control Police (PCD) of the Ministry of Public Security, arrested a U.S. man entering Costa Rica through the Juan Santamaria Airport, originating from San Francisco, California with a load of marijuana extract in his luggage. The man of last name Trague is 24 years-old and was traveling from San Francisco through Houston with Costa Rica as his last stop, his retu...

The Hospital Metropolitano (Metropolitan Hospital) in Costa Rica continues its growth and announced the opening of between 15-20 service centers in 2018; it also signed a collaborative agreement with Sanford Health. The Metropolitan Hospital was born in 2010, and Grupo Montecristo is the majority owner, currently it has more than 30 service centers between clinics, hospitals and corporate docto...