Few things are as elemental to travel as guidebooks. Whether for a weekend in Washington or three months of exploring Australia, Fodor's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet and Moon tell us what to see and where to eat. But they're also an albatross. Consider that trip to Australia: Do you really need to drag 1,100 pages with every step? All that weight and bulk become a nuisance, especially when your wo...

Recently, Julia VanTieghem – New York-based coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance’s major gifts’ team – had an opportunity to travel with colleagues to Costa Rica to see firsthand the benefits of the Rainforest Alliance’s work on farms, forests and hotels. She writes… Our home base for the week was a hotel that has worked with the Rainforest Alliance to put good environmental and social prac...

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) is launching a new campaign titled "Vamos a Turistear" or “Let’s go Touristing” aimed at the domestic tourism niche. While ICT has made great marketing efforts to stimulate international tourism in the past, this time the campaign is focused only on those who are already in the country and are looking to get to know it better at affordable rates. Their...

The Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality company, a hotel and tour operator with resort properties located in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is offering special promotions for families traveling with children within the ages of 12 and below, according to the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail. Six of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality's resort properties are included in this Preferred Family Promotion, which ...

This is a guest article submission by David Ackley of Local Beer Blog (you can find them on Facebook). If there were an award for Most Scenic Brewery, Volcano Brewing Company would certainly be in the running. Just a few hours north of San Jose in the rural highlands of Costa Rica, lies one of the country's most active volcanos, Arenal Volcano.  Volcano Brewing Company sits a safe distance...

But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean. — H.P. Lovecraft After arriving in Costa Rica for the first time, I focused my thoughts as we traveled in our “Turismo” marked van to the Pacific Ocean coastline. Traveling with my husband, I was also excited for him to see it—as it was his first time seeing the Pacific. Our traveling group of fo...

Weekend Vacation Getaway in Costa Rica Are you getting burned out from working long hours on the professional treadmill of life? Do you want to get away for the weekend to a beautiful beach on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica? Well, you are in luck, and you get to choose the beach as well as bring your family! The Costa Rica Star has partnered with CasitasForSale.com to offer you a weeken...

Last year I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for the first time. The love of travel in my bones, as soon as I was asked about the opportunity to come to photograph the wedding of a longtime friend—I jumped into researching Costa Rica on the internet and learning all I could about the country and region, even before boarding the plane from Chicago to Atlanta, Atlanta to San Jos...

For most people, describing a cup of coffee involves just a few adjectives. Aromatic, bold, good, smooth, strong, tasty, and maybe a few more. For coffee enthusiasts familiar with the practice of coffee cupping, those adjectives are far from sufficient. In coffee cupping terms, a cup of the acclaimed La Minita coffee from the Tarrazu region would probably be described as bright and mild with aroma...

It's so well known that I'm almost hesitant to write about it. I'm almost tempted to tell you to skip it in favor of something more local...except that Manuel Antonio National Park is local. Like the Poás Volcano, it's among the most visited places in Costa Rica because both locals and foreigners visit. You're just as likely to see a over-sunned Swedish college student as you are a family of local...

Whether you're taking the vacation of a lifetime or just out for a Sunday drive, Costa Rica is a country seemingly designed with the photographer in mind. Beaches, mountains, wildlife and quaint towns abound. The only problem is deciding which camera or equipment to bring. There is no right answer but I'll try to help. If you are not a serious pro, are on a budget, or just don't want to risk all y...

There have been a lot of changes in travel lately. Airline fees tend to bring you to your knees in the past few years. I want to touch base with the traveling surfer and fisherman who are interested in traveling to Costa Rica. All of you “water sport junkies” have been hit really hard where it hurts the most, your wallet. I am on a mission to get the most out of my money, have the best time, and n...

Costa Rica has become one of the top destinations for tourists and travelers seeking close contact with nature, pristine beaches, National Parks and tropical rain and cloud forests. It is well established as one of the best countries to visit for biological diversity, primary forests, coral reefs, endangered species and enchanting white sand beaches, with outstanding surfing and scuba diving. Yet ...

While most industries in Costa Rica come to a virtual halt during the holidays, Christmas is the busiest time of the year for inter-province bus operators. According to a report published on daily newspaper La Prensa Libre and broadcast by its sister Radio America AM station, bus lines are stepping up their operational pace in an effort to meet the demands of hundreds of thousands of holiday trave...