Donavon Frankenreiter returned to Guanacaste after a two-year absence. Thanks to the Safari Surf School organization and the Billabong program “Surf Like a Pro,” the Californian surfer and musician presented his new album “Start Livin” live, this time at the Tropicana disco bar in Nosara Center in front of 200 people. As soon as the doors opened at around 7:30 p.m., the first fans began arriv...

Best Fest is a 3 day (February 7th - 9th, 2014) grassroots music festival nestled between pristine jungle and one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica, Playa Ballena. The organizers routinely say that their location is one of the headliners of the festival and for good reason. The epic venue is located on a 2000 acre farm, just south of Uvita, and is a one of a kind environment where w...

Costa Rican artist Juan Carlos ValverdeShowing an interest in arts as a child, Costa Rican artist Juan Carlos Valverde spent many of his childhood afternoons canvassing red-dirt roads for materials like clay and Poró wood to create all types of figures and shapes, spending days crafting small cars and other toys. In his early adult life he came to realize that studying visual arts was his drivin...

Talk about Nosara, Costa Rica, and you actually mean a stretch of several beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula – from Playa Ostional to Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. This remote area of Guanacaste, just north of Samara in the country’s north Pacific, is known for long wide beaches, fantastic surfing, peace and quiet, and of course, it’s impressive wildlife. Three top nature activitie...

Playas del Coco has become one of the growing hotspots in Costa Rica for tourists and locals to come and enjoy a weekend away from the ever busy city life. With beaches all around, fantastic weather, and a laid back atmosphere, this little beach town is never asleep and never dull. If you stay for a weekend, you’ll want to keep coming back to enjoy all that Coco has to offer. But if you are...

I met a woman and her husband in the airport recently, while we were waiting to board our flight out of Costa Rica. They were tanned and relaxed, and had been enjoying the country’s beaches and rainforest … all for free! They had won a work contest to sell the most furniture for their company and earned the free incentive trip. This was actually the couple’s second year in a row to win – last year...

Knowing a little something about a country’s cultural and social nuances before you travel there could mean the difference between having a fun or a frustrating vacation. You’d want the same for a visitor in your own country, so why not make cultural awareness just as important as what you pack when planning an international trip. The more information you gather before traveling to a foreign...

Students and teachers from 18 Professional Technical High Schools (CTPs) of Guanacaste and Upala will participate in the 2013 Regional Career Fair II on November 1 in the Lopez Plaza of Santa Cruz. The objective of the activity is to present the technical offerings of the schools in the province to companies seeking technical labor as well as parents and prospective students. This is the sec...

Costa Rica – home of ecotourism and thrilling adventure tours – is not usually the first vacation destination people think of for travelers with disabilities. However, the country’s tourism industry is working to change that image and make Costa Rica’s famous attractions more accessible. So far, reports are positive from tourists who have enjoyed accessible vacations in Costa Rica. Several of C...

COSTA RICA, October 22, 2013 – The Flamingo Beach Resort, the enchanting beachfront property in Guanacaste, has announced the re-launch of its 2,800-sq.-ft. full-service spa. Formerly managed by a third-party operator, the new OnZen Spa takes a holistic approach to achieving overall wellness through the restoration and realignment of each guest’s mind, body and energy. The spa’s name, OnZen, si...

The Ministry of Culture and Youth (Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud), through the National System of Music Education (Sistema Nacional de Educación Musical), is promoting a music program in which the stars are disabled. This program is called Música con Accesibilidad Para Todos (Music With Accessibility For All) and gives the physically challenged population the possibility of a musical educati...

Singer-songwriter and pro-surfer Donavon Frankenreiter is returning to Nosara in November after a two year absence and will be performing a concert Nov. 8 at the Tropicana. Frankenreiter will be in the local waters as part of the “Surf With a Pro” program sponsored by Billabong at the affiliated Safari Surf School. He and his musical partner Matt Grundy will offer an acoustic show featuring som...

Can a movie produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake change the landscape of online gambling in Costa Rica? If it is up to the American Gaming Association (AGA), a powerful industry and lobby group in the United States, Runner Runner could be the worst thing to happen to online poker in Costa Rica since Black Friday. The Costa Rica Star has been following the...

My last guest article on The Costa Rica Star was about what to drink in Costa Rica. But, hey, we gotta eat too, right? So, this article will focus on 10 common Costa Rican foods that will have you eating like a Tico on your Costa Rica vacation. Enjoy! 1. Gallo Pinto – this is the signature Costa Rican dish. While it exists in other countries (Nicaragua, for instance), it is ubiquitous at the Ti...

The National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica was included in the list of nominees for the 2013 Latin Grammy Awards. The nomination corresponds to a composition on the disc Symphonic Bossa Nova (video below of live performance), which ran in the category of best contemporary classical composition, thanks to Abertura Jobiniana composed by Rafael Piccolotto of Lima, in which the orchestra is dir...

Source: Facebook At a recent lingerie fashion show in Costa Rica, a Colombian model who also performed as a singer onstage was asked by daily tabloid Diario Extra: “So what did you think of the show?” to which she responded “Awesome, you know? I love the people of Puerto Rico!” You can cue the trombones at this point, but the fact is that Costa Rica gets confused with Puerto Rico more often th...

Lots of music, dancing and fun for all ages. In this way the community of Playa Brasilito will celebrate World Tourism Day on Friday, September 27th. The activities will begin at 11:00 AM and will take place in the communal center (Salón Comunal) and Brasilito’s sports field (Plaza de Deportes de Brasilito). Jason Vargas, head of the tourism management department of the police in Playa Brasi...

Source: DeviantArt CC Pablo Vargas is a member of the Scumm Bar community in Costa Rica, which is a corner of the Web for serious fans of video games. Mr. Vargas is also a fine writer and contributor to the influential 89 Decibeles musical and cultural online community. What follows is a summary of his review of Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), a long-awaited and controversial video game that has m...

More English-language writers are choosing Costa Rica as the background for their fictional literary works. A recent novel by Alexander Banyan, a Florida-based author who has also sailed around the Caribbean, is about a man who saves a Costa Rican woman from a ship's captain, a privateer working in human trafficking. He falls in love and returns to Costa Rica with her. They steal money from the pr...

This is a guest article from MetalSucks.net. That Sight of Emptiness are from Costa Rica is certainly an interesting footnote — they’ve managed to garner quite a bit of worldwide attention despite geographic isolation from the international metal scene — but their music stands quite well on its own regardless. We’ve had our eye on these guys since 2010, and it’s great to see them not just s...

September is a special month for children in Costa Rica, and the celebrations continue on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th as the National Symphonic Orchestra, directed by special guest conductor Emannuel Olivieri, will perform classical arrangements of music from video games. The concerts will start at 10:00 a.m. in the Melico Salazar Theater in downtown San Jose. Classical music purists and snob...

It is sunrise in Nambi. Even though the roosters crow as usual, it is not an ordinary morning - there is a lot of movement in the village, hope and even nervousness. Especially among students of Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas School, who have the responsibility of carrying the torch of independence to central Nicoya. Joining them are their parents, teachers, and neighbors to accompany them duri...

Andres Soto is an emerging Costa Rican composer who is increasingly in high demand. Soto began his composing career at Hofstra University where he obtained his BA in composing. Later he got his masters at New York University in Music Composition and film scoring. During his year in college he worked with a number of filmmakers and wrote scores for a several films. The films included "Conciliati...

Costa Rica is not generally noticed as one of the major film producers of Costa Rica. However, "Por las Plumas," directed by Costa Rica's own Ernesto Villalobos is making appearances around major film festivals this season. The film is currently making the rounds at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and is slated to screen at the notable Vancouver Film Festival in the "...

Perry to send 100% of donations from newest single to fund and support Children’s Environmental Education Fund. If you would like The Costa Rica Star to publish your press release, please contact us. Toronto - Sept. 12, 2013 - Canadian recording artist Prince Perry releases his newest single “When I Think Of You” – all to raise funds and awareness for the Costa Rican My Environmental Rights and...

Without skipping a beat after being crowned Miss Costa Rica on July 12, Fabiana Yanory Granados Herrera is gearing up to compete for Miss Universe on November 9 in Russia. Fabiana, age 23, was born in Nicoya and grew up in Hojancha, and although she now lives in San Jose to study and prepare for pageants, she comes home to Guanacaste every chance she gets, usually on weekends to spend time with...

College Week wrapped up on Friday September 6, after five days of recreational and cultural activities involving the Nicoyan public and students of the National University (UNA). For Daniela Alvarez, from the Student Association and member of the event’s organizing committee, the activity was a success because it had the support of students as well as a large number of Nicoyans. "The purpos...

This is a guest article by Bill Grinstead of CostaRecon.com. The views and opinions shared herein are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star. You must be 18 years or older in Costa Rica to drink alcohol in a bar, please observe and follow the law. You can definitely get by in Costa Rica without learning Spanish, but I’m not sure why you’d want to. I’ve had plenty of English-speaking frien...

Still from a Costa Rican short film entry. Luck has not run out for film lovers in Costa Rica. Hollywood celebrities such as Danny Glover were recently here at the Flowers of the Diaspora Film Festival in honor of Afro-Costa Rican Heritage Month, and the 2013 Costa Rica International Film Festival, Peace with Earth, is scheduled for October 11th to the 19th. Before then, however, shnit will go...

The British Government is making important changes to the passport service for British nationals living overseas. From September 9, 2013, the application process will be centralized and British nationals in Costa Rica should submit their passport application to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the UK. This important change follows reviews by the National Audit Office and is designed to ach...

With younthful spirit, University week started on Monday, September 2 and runs through Friday, September 6 at the Nicoya campus of the National University (UNA) . The university invites the general public to enjoy the dances, concerts, sports events and theater workshops. On Tuesday, the performances of several folkloric dance groups delighted the audience at the kiosk located next to the campu...

Source: WIkimedia Commons Although Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber has not included Costa Rica on the itinerary of his Believe World Tour, that is not stopping young Ticas from doing whatever they can to ensure they do not miss their idol. According to Melvin Molina of La Nacion, if the Bieber does not come to Costa Rica, Ticas will go to the Bieber. The Believe World Tour is only the sec...

Recently The Costa Rica Star published about the co-founder of Facebook Eduardo Saverin renouncing his citizenship to the United States in order to enjoy tax freedom and maximize profits. Costa Rica was listed by the social network Facebook as one of the countries that requested information of users, according to a report issued by the social network. According to the newspaper La Nacion, th...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to publish your business press release, please contact us. Jaco, Costa Rica – Revel in the lush beauty and fantastic waves of Costa Rica’s Green Season during Vista Guapa Surf Camp’s YOLO SUP Experience set for October 19th to 25th in beautiful Jaco on the Pacific Coast. The YOLO SUP Experience offers an all-around SUP-based adventure where guests enjoy dai...

UPDATED January 2017 You’ve met the man or woman of your dreams. You’ve planned your wedding down to the last sugared almond and flower arrangement. Now it’s time to think about the honeymoon. Costa Rica is one of the top destinations in the world for newlyweds to honeymoon. According to Perfect Honeymoons & Holidays Travel, Costa Rica ranks #3, right behind Hawaii and Italy, and outpace...

Costa Rica celebrates Afro-Costa Rican heritage in August of each year, and this year's activities are strongly focused on film. The Costa Rica Star has already written about the Flowers of the African Diaspora Film Festival currently playing at Cine Magaly in San Jose; now the Southern Caribbean Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (CATCCAS in Spanish) invites you to enjoy part of the film festival in...

Fans of quality rock music and cinema in Costa Rica continue to be a lucky bunch. This country is already a magnet and source of inspiration for some of the coolest rock bands, and in the next few weeks Costa Rica will host a couple of film festivals where Hollywood celebrities such as Danny Glover will be guests of honor. This weekend, good rock music and excellent cinema come together at the ...

A security guard who wants to get into the cockfighting game buys, befriends, and becomes inseparable from his rooster protégé Rocky, in this winsome feature debut from Costa Rican director Neto Villalobos. “Por las Plumas” (All About the Feathers) is about Chalo (Allan Cascante), a security guard who wants to get into cockfighting. He lives in an apartment above a fried chicken joint in a slee...

Source - Wikimedia Commons A widely praised and esteemed crime writer has passed away in his home in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Elmore Leonard was 87 years of age when he passed away from a complications following a stroke. With 45 books, most of them crime novels, and numerous screenplays under his belt, Mr. Leonard was a very prolific and stylistic author. Mr. Leonard's last novel, Ro...

Source: Flickr CC Film lovers in Costa Rica rejoice: you have a few options to enjoy some very fine selections and even meet celebrities of the seventh art in August, September and October. Over the next few weeks, Costa Rica will be a haven of the silver screen with three thematic festivals that will feature domestic films, international offerings and Hollywood blockbusters. Plus, famous acto...