The Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center will offer a course on the life and work of Spanish painter Francisco Goya (1746-1828) better known for his detailed engravings and the contemporary language of his paintings. Classes will be imparted by art historian Flor Gallardo in four sessions every Friday in May, beginning May 5th and through May 26th, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. These se...

UPDATED: 5/3/17 4:50 pm WhatsApp is now operational again in CostaRica : At around 2 p.m. Costa Rica time the instant messenger system WhatsApp went down affecting millions of users all over the world. When the users first noticed the problem the messages were simply taking a while to go through, but eventually they either wouldn’t go out at all or were left in the screen with just one ch...

TransPerfect, the world's largest privately held provider of translation services and technology solutions for global business, today announced the opening of a new contact center in Costa Rica. The facility will seat 120 new employees, most of whom are expected to be new hires from the greater San José area. Located in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), specifically in Alajuela, it is the co...

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as part of their PISA evaluation (Program for International Student Assessment) 2015, in their report “Students’ Well Being”, which was released at the end of April and includes a chapter on bullying, Costa Rica is the second country in Latin America with more bullying cases among the countries that are part of the OECD....

The Guayabo National Monument, the archaeological site located in Cartago, close to the city of Turrialba, has a new 323-meter-long trail named Caragra which has three observation points. Funds collected in the campaign Historical Trails made this possible, the campaign was an initiative of the Association ProParques and Teletica (Channel 7), it also benefited the Santa Rosa National Park which...

Maybe you are planning to travel to Costa Rica for your vacation and at the same time get some dental work done since you know that it is much more affordable in Costa Rica ?. Perhaps you are already on vacation and you are suddenly tormented by a toothache or other dental emergency, but how do you go about choosing the right dentist in Costa Rica? There are a lot of dentists in Costa Rica, clo...

Theater in Costa Rica started about 130 years ago, and today there are many small theaters, the majority distributed in San José; however, and as it can be expected, the majority of the theater plays presented in Costa Rica are in Spanish, which means the growing English speaking population rarely gets to enjoy this form of entertainment in the country, many are also unaware that there is one thea...

If you live in Costa Rica and even if you are in the country for just a few days, we would like to give you information on some of the cultural and artistic events taking place this month of May so you can plan ahead. Slayer Concert: The thrash metal band kicks off the month with a concert May 1st at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater of Parque Viva at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at boleter...

Situated in the southeast of the Nicoya Península, just 45 minutes from Montezuma, is the Curú Wildlife Refuge, famous for its pristine white sand beaches and abundant wildlife. This area, sometimes overlooked, is an obligatory stop for Eco-tourists. To get here you must take Route 27 to Puntarenas and head to the Pacquera ferry which will take you across the Nicoya Gulf in just about one and a...

Living in a foreign country can present many challenges, language being one of them. Costa Rica is home to a large number of expats, many who only speak English, fortunately many Costa Ricans speak a high level of English and expats have also identified the need and taken the opportunity to offer different services exclusively for this segment of the population; rehabilitation programs and recover...

In just two years the number of airlines connecting Costa Rica to Europe went from one (Iberia) to now six. Iberia, Air France, Condor, British Airways, Edelweiss and KLM are the companies that are now connecting Costa Rica to different European destinations. KLM was the most recent airline to offer direct flights, this time between San José and Amsterdam. The fact that KLM is opening the do...

Mexico's Lower House of Congress passed a bill on Friday to legalize the use of marijuana and cannabis for medical and scientific needs, a step closer to outright legalization in a country long scarred by warring drug cartels. The bill sailed through the Senate in December and will now be sent to President Enrique Pena Nieto, who is expected to sign it. "The ruling eliminates the prohibition...

“Chepe se baña” or "Chepe Bathes" (Chepe is a term used by Costa Ricans to refer to the city of San José) is a project to help transform a bus into a moving bathroom, with the purpose of providing homeless people of San José with the opportunity to take a shower, have access to a bathroom and clean up. With the help of private companies and individuals the first bus is already painted and prop...

Costa Rica currently has three biosphere reserves: La Amistad, Cordillera Volcánica Central and Agua y Paz; now it is trying to get a fourth one: Savegre River. What is a biosphere reserve? According to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), these are “areas of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems which promote solutions reconciling the conservation of bio...

Even though flying from Costa Rica to other countries within the Central American region involves a very short flight, data from the Central American Integration Secretariat (SIECA) shows that this region is not preferred among Costa Rican travelers just the same as this country is not the preferred destination for other Central Americans. The data provided by SIECA indicates that out of all th...

The expansion of the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste had been announced by the Costa Rica Tourism Institute since late 2016. The expansion involves 4,118 square meters (44,326 square feet) 17%, and is expected to be concluded in November this year. The work being done should increase the capacity of the Liberia Airport enabling the attention of at least 300 thousand m...

It’s always a good time to visit Costa Rica, but for the most part you will always hear it is best during the “summer” time, dry season actually is a better term considering it’s always summer in this country; however, traveling to Costa Rica during the green season or rainy season has its advantages. The green or rainy season in Costa Rica extends from May through December, however when it com...

Costa Rican boxer Hanna Gabriels will be defending her WBO (World Boxing Organization) and WBA (Word Boxing Association) Female World Super Welterweight Titles on Saturday, May 27 at the Pedregal Event Center in Heredia, Costa Rica. The information was released yesterday in Fight Club Training Center’s Facebook page, this is the gym Gabriels’ has been training at since her return from Las Vegas...

Costa Rican short film Selva (Jungle) will compete in a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival; while the film Entonces Nosotros (About Us) earned four nominations in the Milan International Film Festival. Selva (Jungle): Directed by Sofía Quirós, this 17 minute short film aspires to two awards at the International Critics’ Week, the oldest parallel competitive section of the Cannes F...

50mm GastroPub & Café, opened doors in Guadalupe, Costa Rica, and it’s a new option for those food and dog lovers. This pub is not only dog friendly, but it also offers a menu for our four legged friends. This concept started out as a family enterprise and combines the owners’ passion for photography, good food and dogs. Yalile Alvarado is a 21-year-old entrepreneur who graduated as a p...

Concentrix, a global business services company, launched a state-of-the-art delivery center at Pavas today. The center was inaugurated by Vice President, Ana Helena Chacón, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, Jhon Fonseca, with Concentrix President Chris Caldwell, CINDE representatives, clients, and company staff in attendance and is the 4th center in the country for Concentrix. The investment is ...

Costa Rican soccer player Shirley Cruz who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain was nominated once again by the National Union of Professional Footballers, as the best player of the Female Division 1, the maximum category in French soccer. This is the fourth nomination for the 31-year-old who is also the captain of Costa Rica’s female national soccer team, unfortunately so far Cruz has not...

Realty Group International (RGI) is pleased to announce their new partnership with Costa Rican luxury developer Kalia Living. Providing the ultimate discovery tour experience for interested investors and home buyers, RGI is offering clients an exclusive opportunity to explore Costa Rica and experience the Bellazo properties first hand. Bellazo is a modern luxury, gated community on the Pacific ...

Costa Rica has a total of 28 National Parks and 72 areas that are either protected zones, biological reserves or wildlife refuges, covering over 26% of the total area of the country. Tourists both local and foreigners prefer coastal and mountain destinations, those that are conveniently located, are easily accessible and of course, those that have more attractions to offer. According to inform...

Based on thousands of endorsements from previous travelers for the best places in the world for wildlife, Booking.com featured the top six destinations in the world to enjoy nature and relax, among them we find Copa de Arbol Beach and Rainforest Resort in Drake Bay, Osa Península, Puntarenas. With its tropical climate and outstanding flora and fauna, Drake Bay in Costa Rica is an explorer's dre...

May 14 is the established date for this year’s edition of La Luz Gastronomy Festival in Barrio Escalante which will extend from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. This is the fifth time this even is organized and it is already one of the most expected gastronomic events in Costa Rica. Forty stands will offer different food options, design, art and culture just like in previous years, but this time there...

The Poás Volcano has been experiencing a peak of activity for almost a month, the last big explosion took place on Saturday evening, since then, the volcano has continued emanating a column of vapor and has presented small eruptions, a few reaching just close to 1 kilometer in altitude. Although the eruption on Saturday evening forced the park rangers to leave the National Park, the professiona...

British singer Elton John was forced to cancel his shows in Las Vegas and Bakersfield, California after facing a serious infection that had him hospitalized and in intensive care. Elton John fell violently ill after finishing his tour through South America. According to reports, he boarded his plane after his concert in Chile on April 10 and began filling ill, “he contracted a harmful and unusu...

A teen idol, that’s what Justin Bieber is according to many… but in reality, the audience at the National Stadium in Costa Rica included not just teens but women (mainly) of different age groups. The show was not sold out, Move Concerts, producer of the show, was still encouraging the followers through social media to buy the tickets at the stadium booth just hours prior to the concert, high pr...

The “Beach Break” at Banana Beach in Santa Teresa de Cóbano, Puntarenas, provided the perfect waves for the competitors to showcase their skills and for the audience to witness a great show during the third date of the “Kölbi” National Surf Tournament, OTIS Cup, especially on Saturday. 2-meter-high waves (6 feet), allowed for a very close competition among the 161 participants that started ou...

Shopping for the right house in Costa Rica is something that requires time, especially if you are the kind that believes that if you look carefully you can find the perfect balance between luxury, comfort and price, and you are right; just like with almost anything else in life if you do your fair amount of research and take your time to look and compare you will find the perfect house for you at ...

Many foreigners choose Costa Rica to invest in real estate, many pick this country as the perfect location to have a second home, whether for use as a second residence, a retiring home, vacation home or simply as an investment, houses and land near the beach or in popular expat communities are the most common election. But is real estate investing in Costa Rica safe? Costa Rica is a stable c...

Pablo Arce took part of the Ironman competition that took place in Woodlands, TX, USA and set a new record for Costa Rica, with nine hours, four minutes and thirty seconds. The Civil Engineer that competed in the category of 30-34 years, finished the swimming competition, which involved 3.8km, with a time of 1:05:23; he then took on the cycling stage of 180 kilometers and concluded with 4:44:45...

48 hours of continuous eruptive activity at Poás Volcano were marked this Saturday at 10:12 p.m. with a strong explosion that was captured by the cameras of the National Seismology Network, this explosion only lasted one minute and threw rocks at high temperatures in the areas close to the crater: This is the view from the thermal cameras located near the crater: The peak of activity...

The novel 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, is a trending topic these days among teenagers and concerned parents, especially after Netflix released the drama series based on the book. For those that are not familiar with this novel, it basically tells the story of a teenage girl, Hannah Baker, who kills herself and left behind a series of tapes for the people she blames for her suicide, explaining h...

Have you noticed the large number of pizza restaurants you can find in Costa Rica? Fast food pizzerias and more gourmet style pizzas by some of the best Italian chefs in the country, a variety of toppings and combinations, that is what the festival Pizza Rocks wants to showcase. Starting this Monday, April 24 and for six weeks, 23 restaurants and pizzerias will compete to get rid of the concept...

Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment, Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta referred to the Discovery Costa Rica project to be developed in Liberia, Guanacaste in a press release: “The environmental element is a fundamental part of these types of projects. Our country has proudly opted for some time now for a model of development in harmony with the environment, and thanks to this, our biggest wealth is pre...

On the morning of this Friday, April 21, the community of Golfito in Puntarenas, inaugurated the first stage of the Golfito Marina Village & Resort, a project of tourism attraction that hopes to increase the number of visitors to the Southern region of Costa Rica. The official inauguration had the presence of Costa Rica’s President, Luis Guillermo Solís, the Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Vent...

One of the first questions that comes up when a foreigner is looking to buy a property in Costa Rica has to do with financing options. Let’s start by saying that buying real estate in Costa Rica can be considerably more affordable than purchasing a home in the United States, vacation homes are not an exception, a beautiful vacation home with a beach view in one of Costa Rica’s most popular area...

A technical failure in the communication systems at the Juan Santamaría Airport in Costa Rica, has forced the cancelation and suspension of several flights. The failure took place at 5 p.m. local time, when the communication between the control tower and the aircrafts was lost. Avianca, Volaris, Copa and two additional airlines have their scheduled flights in stand-by until the situation is ...