Costa Rica is the country in Central America with more digitally attractive to tourists and it holds fourth position in America in this category according to Digital Country Index. This digital country index was developed by Bloom Consulting and it measures the total amount of searches performed worldwide towards any given country. A Digital Country, according to Bloom Consulting, “refers to a ...

U.S President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he intends to dissolve his charitable foundation, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which has been under investigation by the New York attorney general. Trump gave no timeline for winding down the foundation, but said in a statement that he wanted "to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as President." He directed his counsel to ...

Donald Salmon Melendez, Ernesto Centeno, Jose Bryan Quesada Cubillo and Hector Martin Cash Lopez were found guilty of murdering sea turtle conservationist Jairo Mora back in May 2013; they were sentenced to prison back in March 2016 and this sentence was finally confirmed this Friday, December 23. The decision was taken by the Sentence Appeals Court of San Jose. The four men received 35 year...

Costa Rica began a battle in favor of social inclusion. In this fight, one of the axes is the National Strategy CRDigit@l, which has as an end the reduction of the digital gap in the country. In May, Costa Rica was awarded with the WSIS Prize 2016 of the World Summit on the Information Society in the category of Access to Knowledge and Information, thanks to the project Connected Homes, one o...

Denisse Velasco has been suffering from acute anxiety since spring, when she narrowly escaped being abducted from a busy street in Guadalajara, Mexico. She was waiting at a bus stop one morning when a man jumped out of a taxi and tried to force her inside. Velasco suspects it was a drug trafficker intent on kidnapping her for ransom. "The same thing could happen again in any moment," Velasco...

The Costa Rica Ministry of Education announced the launching of a project that will teach Portuguese language to students from six public high schools starting in 2017. “Falemos Português” is the name of the project that will benefit teens from technical high schools in Santa Ana, Sabana Sur and Pavas and the bilingual experimental schools from San Ramon, Grecia and Belen. In each of the sch...

Not a beach person? Don’t worry, Costa Rica has plenty of mountain retreats as well. Peace and quiet, sometimes that’s all we need, a place where we can breathe fresh air, and listen to just the sounds of nature around us, the wind, the birds and the trees. There are plenty of mountain hotels in Costa Rica, and although you can choose to go to beautiful destinations such as Monteverde or Rio...

It is official, Costa Rican midfielder, David Guzman, will be joining the Portland Timbers. 26-year-old Guzman has been playing for first division local team Saprissa since 2009 where he had become a key player, particularly for his ability to recover the ball. Guzman is also part of the National Soccer Team “La Sele”. “There were several options, I analyzed it with my family, with everyone....

If you live in Costa Rica, but you are one of many people that choose to stay away from the crowded beaches during this time of the year, and you are looking for options to do something different this end of the year we offer you some alternatives: Hard Rock Café: Friday, December 23 they will have “White X-Mas Party” a live show with Costa Rican Band “Los Ajenos”; starting at 9 p.m. December ...

Science magazine on Thursday declared the detection this past year of gravitational waves, which had been predicted to exist a century ago by Alberto Einstein but were spotted for the first time in 2016 by scientists, to be the scientific discovery of the year. (Watch the video at the end of this article to get a better understanding of what gravitational waves are) Adrian Cho of Science magaz...

Costa Rica has many talented women that work hard to stand out in their respective fields. Petra Magazine consulted 75 people, among them professionals in media communication , agencies and press offices, business men and women, to come up with the list of the most influential women in Costa Rica in 2016; each person interviewed could nominate two candidates that had to meet the following crite...

The face of human trafficking is changing with more children and men falling prey and more victims trapped in forced labor than a decade ago, the United Nations reported on Wednesday. International trafficking that exploits vulnerable refugees and migrants is reaching "appalling dimensions" and more trafficking is occurring within countries, said Yury Fedotov, executive director of the U.N. Off...

The third edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Guanacaste will take place December 28  at Hacienda Pinilla with the presence of talented Costa Rican designers. Fabrizzio Berrocal, Maria Lourdes Castro with her brand Guayaberi, Melissa Kopper of Truko Swimwear, and Evelyn Gomez and Iciar Telleria from Carmenta , will present their fashion proposals for the summer, the swimwear brands Solema...

The Costa Rica International Film Festival 2016 came to an end this weekend with the celebration of its award ceremony. This Festival presented 72 films from different parts of the world in an event that extended for 10 days. The winners in this fifth edition were: Feature Film category Best Central American Feature Film and Best National Feature Film: “Abrázame como antes” –Costa Rica...

“All Costa Rica helped those affected by hurricane Otto, but the second part of the rescue is just beginning. This summer, visit Golfito, Corcovado or Tortuguero. Admire the Celeste River, enjoy the hot springs or the Guanacaste beaches, take a tour of the Maleku territory; buy beans from Upala and cacao from Bagaces, travel, rest, eat, have fun, and while you enjoy, help them get back on their fe...

If this is your first-time spending Christmas in Costa Rica you will certainly love the excellent weather conditions this time a year, downside to this season in Costa Rica, like in any other, is that traffic gets worse than usual in San Jose in the days leading to Christmas and after Christmas the beaches can get really crowded. Costa Ricans celebrate Christmas much like other countries in Ame...

Costa Rica had its traditional Festival de la Luz (Festival of Light or Parade of Light) this Saturday, December 18 with the participation of 14 floats and 15 bands and the presence of the national cyclist Andrey Amador who was this year’s honorary guest. Floats parade, bands, masquerades, live music and fireworks were part of a beautiful December night that thousands of Costa Rican families en...

KC and the Sunshine Band, the very popular American musical group founded in 1973 by Harry Wayne Casey and that became popular in the late 80’s and early 90’s with their disco rhythm and funk, will be performing in Costa Rica for the first time, this Monday, December 19 at the Parque de Diversiones amusement park starting at 6 p.m. as part of the Retro Fest event. Songs such as: “That’s the Way...

The international firm Universum, published the results of the Global Workforce Happiness Index, which surveys more than 250 thousand professionals in 57 countries; Costa Rica ranked in the third position. The survey takes into consideration three factors: the employee satisfaction at their current job, their likelihood of recommending their current employer and their sense of job loyalty. Ac...

Tackling climate change is the "biggest economic opportunity" in the history of the United States, no matter who holds political office, said Hollywood star and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio. "There are a few, very prominent people that still deny the overwhelming conclusions of the world's scientists that climate change is largely human-caused and needs immediate urgent attention,"...

Actor and singer Cesar Melendez was known for his jovial and humble personality; his hard work and honest interpretations of different characters made him one of the favorite artists among the Costa Rican public. Cesar Melendez was born in Nicaragua, but lived in Costa Rica since he was 4 years of age. He passed away this Saturday, December 17 as he lost his battle to cancer. Melendez was be...

Many tourists every year decide to visit Costa Rica attracted by a number of different reasons: the excellent weather, beautiful beaches, healing nature and the warmth of its people; but there is another reason that has gained popularity in the past years and it’s medical tourism. Costa Rica is one of the preferred destinations for medical and dental tourism, and among the many different proce...

Before scheduling a bikini wax, or shaving down there, consider the results of a new study. Men and women who trimmed or removed their pubic hair were nearly twice as likely to report having had a sexually transmitted infection, or STI, compared with non-groomers, researchers found after adjusting for age and number of sexual partners. The lesson, according to the study’s senior author, Dr....

An unnamed company described in a sweeping probe of corruption in soccer's world governing body FIFA matches the description of a close affiliate of Grupo Televisa, the largest broadcaster in Latin America,according to a Reuters review of U.S. and Swiss government documents. In court papers filed on Tuesday, U.S. prosecutors said an affiliate of a major broadcasting company headquartered in La...

President Barack Obama will leave office in January with US-Latin American relations in "better than ever" shape, his adviser for the region, Mark Feierstein, told EFE, adding that it would "make no sense" for President-elect Donald Trump to change US policy toward those nations too much. "US-Latin America relations are healthier now than they've ever been," said Feierstein, who is Obama's spec...

Yokasta Valle Costa Rica Boxing - IBF Light-Mini Flyweight Female World Champion Costa Rican Yokasta Valle got a split decision win over Mexican Ana VictoriaPolo and with this victory Yokasta Valle made history, becoming the first Light-Mini Flyweight Female World Champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the second Costa Rican female to hold a World Championship belt. In a ...

CONCACAF awards nominees Soccer players that currently play in International and National clubs both in the female and male category, referees, assistants and coaches were taken into consideration for the CONCACAF awards 2016. In the category of best player of the year the nominees are: Keylor Navas, Christian Bolaños and Bryan Ruiz each of them were also nominated in their respective posit...

A group of scientists at a California university is testing in patients with spinal cord injuries a new method of electrical stimulation to help them heal. "The spinal cord contains alternate pathways that it can use to bypass the injury and get messages from the brain to the limbs," Dr. Daniel Lu, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the di...

Since ancient times, hot springs have been a fabled source for wellness, relaxation and cleansing throughout the world.  In Costa Rica, they've not forgotten the many benefits and pure pleasures of indulging in thermal baths.  The country welcomes visitors to share and discover their own favorite spot and therapy.  From coast to coast to coast, from the Northern Plains to the Guanacaste and Centra...

Verizon Communications Inc is looking at ways to modify its $4.8 billion deal to buy Yahoo Inc's core internet business after the technology company disclosed a second massive data breach, sources told Reuters on Thursday. Yahoo Inc shares fell almost 5 percent after the breach of data belonging to more than 1 billion users was disclosed, following another large hack reported in September. V...

Yokasta Valle vs. Ana Victoria Polo Costa Rican boxer Yokasta Valle and Mexican Ana Victoria Polo made weight today and had their last meeting with the press before their World Title Bout this Friday, December 16. Fighters faced off this Thursday, December 15 at noon time in front of the offices of Banca Kristal, sponsor of the event, in downtown San Jose. Yokasta Valle weighed in at 101.4 ...

Golfito Marina Village and Resort The port town of Golfito in the province of Puntarenas receives many visitors every year mainly attracted by The Duty Free Shopping Center, but also because of the many beautiful beaches and National Parks located nearby. A group of Costa Rican and North American investors in conjunction with the Municipality and the Regional Development Board, put together...

The construction of the National Congress and Convention Center (CNCC) will begin in January of 2017 as the Comptroller General of the Republic of Costa Rica notified that it has approved the contract for the construction of the center. The Costa Rican Tourism Institute confirmed that with this approval they will begin the construction in January 2017 and the awarded company, Edica, will have a...

The UN gave Costa Rican company Scosa, part of Florex Group (Grupo Florex), a global award for its inclusive employment policies. Scosa has been providing employment opportunities to the disabled population for over ten years and currently employs 12 workers in different areas: administrative, technical and others. The Association of Companies for Development presented the candidacy of Florex...

Although two students of the Vicente Lachner High-School in Cartago did not turn in their Civics project, the Costa Rica Ministry of Public Education forced the teacher to give them a grade of 100. During the second trimester of this year, the two students didn’t turn in any advances of their work or their final project, and therefore the teacher gave them a “1”; however, the mother of one of t...

For the first time in history Costa Rica will be hosting the Latin American PGA Tour from May 1-7, 2017 at Conchal Reserve, Guanacaste. The Essential Costa Rica Classic will have the presence of 144 golfers from 26 countries, and it is organized by the Latin American PGA Tour in alliance with the Costa Rican Golf Federation and production company RPMTV which will handle the logistics of the ev...

The 2016 Monitoring the Future (MTF) annual survey results released today from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reflect changing teen behaviors and choices in a social media-infused world. The results show a continued long-term decline in the use of many illicit substances, including marijuana, as well as alcohol, tobacco, and misuse of some prescription medications, among the nation’s teen...

Amazon today announced that Amazon Prime Video is now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe including Costa Rica. Customers around the world can now enjoy popular new original series and award-winning Amazon Original Series like The Man in the High Castle, Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, Tumble Leaf and more. Customers can sign up for a Prime Vide...

The first sign of a problem appeared in December 2014, when a fissure in the northern side of the Irazu, Volcano started to buckle the land where 84 telecommunication towers for television, radio and private communication are set. The cracks that continued to appear in 2015 were of around a meter and a half wide (5 feet) and 90 centimeters (35 inches)deep; now, new cracks atop of the volcano an...

The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC-MINAE), informs that the access to the National Parks: Rincon de la Vieja, Tenorio Volcano and Corcovado which had been closed due to the sequels of Hurricane Otte, are once again open to the public. Since November 29th, the authorities of the Guanacaste Conservation Area authorized the access to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park through the P...