The whale watching season begins in the South Pacific of Costa Rica and national and foreign tourists have been posting their videos of the impressive mammals on social media and these go viral very quickly. The spectacle of humpback whales and dolphins during the months of July through October with a peak in September increases tourism to the South Pacific, particularly the area of Uvita a...

The consular section at U.S. Embassy San Jose announces a consular outreach event in Santa Teresa at the end of July. Consular staff will be available to accept adult passport renewals, perform notarial services, and handle inquiries on federal benefits and voting. The event will take place Thursday, July 27, 9 - 11 a.m.  at the Auditorio de la Clinica del Seguro Social en Cobano (150 meters we...

Life today seems to be going by faster than ever, days seem shorter, we are always working and there’s always something to do; and that’s precisely why we need to make time for ourselves and our family, and even when we might not have time to enjoy a long vacation, stepping away from the everyday life can do wonders for our energy, mood and spirit. The “Paseo de los Turistas” in Puntarenas...

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...

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...

There is no doubt that Costa Rica is a land of contrasts, and few places demonstrate this more than the Central Pacific coast, where several mountain ranges meet the Pacific Ocean, creating some of the most spectacular landscapes one can imagine. Stretching from the southern tip of the city of Puntarenas all the way down to Punta Uvita, the region offers something for everyone; from busy beach ...

Costa Rica now has its first national policy on wastewater sanitation and a funding plan that includes $520 million in infrastructure to provide long-awaited, significant improvements to the country’s public and environmental health. This policy is the result of priorities established in the National Development Plan (PND) created under the current administration. These include strengthening in...

A small boat transporting 11 tourists and its captain wrecked Saturday afternoon close to San Lucas Island in the Nicoya Gulf. According to information given by the Ministry of Security, the tourists and the captain were rescued and none of them suffered any injuries, they were taken to the Coopeinpesa dock in Puntarenas. The coastguard of Caldera and the naval unit of the firefighters were ...

Just one week ago, the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) confirmed that the high temperatures and a decrease in oxygen caused the death of thousands of fish at the Nicoya Gulf back in February 15. However, this Friday, the National University (UNA) stated they disagree with this version and that instead studies done point to the possibility of the event being related to illegal fishing. ...

If you are constantly looking for new places to discover in Costa Rica, this is one you may have not visited before, and a great option to stop by in your next visit to Puntarenas or nearby beaches (this place is 1 hour and 30 minutes from Jaco); if you are vacationing with your kids, they will also fall in love with this place. Located between the communities of Aranjuez and Pithaya in Puntare...

HRG Properties & Rentals, Los Sueños Resort, Costa Rica has just become home to one of the highest tech, energy efficient, luxury homes in the world and Catalfumo Construction and Development has delivered it. Globally, homebuilders and buyers are increasingly concerned with green building and Daniel Catalfumo has produced the perfect trifecta when it comes to Energy Star green efficiency, ...

The beach town of Jacó continues to attract visitors, its closeness to the city has a lot to do with this as for many it is the perfect destination for a day trip to the beach; a lot of people talk about the insecurity of the area or have a negative view of the place because they perceive it as a “party” zone. Granted, Jacó has quite a party atmosphere as do most beach towns, but it also has a ...

The thousands of fish that turned up dead along different beaches of the Nicoya Gulf back in February 15, died due to high temperatures and a decrease of oxygen, confirmed the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) after the analysis done by the Center for the Investigation of Microscopic Structures of the University of Costa Rica. According to the different analysis done, the temperatures in ...

With the purpose of increasing the tourism and improving the conditions for national and foreign tourists that visit Corcovado National Park, and in order to provide park rangers with an adequate space to do their work, the Costa Rica Government inaugurated today the new infrastructure at Corcovado in which $2.4 million dollars of the Sustainable Tourism program were invested. The works were ha...

This Friday a group of fishermen found the dead body of an alligator close to the area where thousands of dead fish washed ashore just this past Wednesday. The reptile was found in the Moraga estuary, just 700 meters from the place where sardines were found in the Nicoya Gulf. According to a neighbor of Manzanillo, Puntarenas, finding alligators and crocodiles in the area is not uncommon bu...

The beautiful community of Uvita will be the scenery of the 7th annual Envision festival, February 23rd through February 26th; an experience like no other, yoga, music, dance, education, meditation, sustainability, art and spirituality in connection with the incomparable nature of this beautiful country. What is the Envision Festival? It’s about envisioning a better world, learning about a b...

Thousands of dead fish, mostly sardines but also sea bass, are covering several small beaches in the Nicoya Gulf since Tuesday night. Executive president of the Costa Rica Fishing and Aquaculture Institute (Incopesca), Gustavo Meneses, confirmed to national media that the affected area is of around 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) along several small beaches and the Moraga estuary in Puntarenas The...

By Wendy Anders Last week, a Costa Rican court delivered a historic sentence, and for the first time served criminal charges for the illegal practice of shark finning. The court sentenced a Taiwanese business owner to prison over a haul of illegally hacked-off shark fins destined for sale abroad, officials and environmentalists said last Thursday, Feb. 9. The verdict, handed down last...

The Tarcoles River is home to around 50 to 60 crocodiles; many tourists make a stop on the bridge here, known as “the crocodile bridge” to take pictures of these impressive animals. However, the health of the reptiles has been a concern for quite some time, as locals have reported the crocodiles are very thin and apparently malnourished. This past Monday one of them was captured with the purpos...

TripAdvisor®, the travel planning and booking site, today announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice® for Hotels awards. Travelers' Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worldwide. In the 15th year of the awards, TripAdvisor has highlighted the world's top 7,612 properties in 109 countries and ei...

Costa Rica has many beautiful beaches that attract local and foreign tourists alike; they are without a doubt one of the many treasures this country has, however, some of these beaches suffer from a certain level of pollution, like it happens in every country, naturally some of the most polluted beaches tend to be some of the most visited ones. Costa Rica makes big efforts in implementing diffe...

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...

A small natural reserve in Montezuma of only 63 hectares honors the memory of Nicolas Wessberg, but only few know who he was or why this place is named after him. Olof Wessberg also known as Nicolas Wessberg was born in Germany but lived most of his life in Sweden; his wife, Karen Mogensen was from Denmark, they were married in 1952, the couple wanted to leave Sweden and Europe in general, due ...

Montezuma, a small and bohemian town located in southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in the province of Puntarenas, has gained popularity among tourists in the last few years due to its laid back and friendly style and of course its unique beauty. Many consider this area more of an option for “backpackers” but this is not entirely true, Montezuma can be enjoyed by backpackers, adventure seekers...

San Lucas Island is located off the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica, 5.4 miles from Puntarenas, and has an area of less than 500 hectares.  This island is famous in Costa Rica because it used to be a prison, at first just for thieves and other petty crime offenders but later for more dangerous criminals. The San Lucas prison functioned from 1873 to 1991 when it was permanently closed, what used to...

If there’s one thing Costa Rica is famous for is having some of the most idyllic beaches in the world; but besides being beautiful, some of them are also dangerous. The beaches in the Pacific Coast are more dangerous in comparison to those in the Atlantic Coast, this obeys to the rip currents. Take note of some of the most dangerous beaches in Costa Rica, and stay safe during your next vaca...

Playa Guacalillo (Guacalillo Beach), Playa Tarcoles (Tarcoles Beach) and Playa Azul (Blue Beach) located in Puntarenas in the Central Pacific of Costa Rica show the evidence every day of what is happening in Costa Rica when it comes to river contamination; the Tárcoles river mouth brings to these beaches all the trash that it carries straight from San Jose. The Tárcoles River also called “Grand...

The Men’s and Women’s Qualifying Series Essential Costa Rica Pro Open 3000 will take place October 5-9 in Esterillos Este beach, Parrita, Puntarenas.  This WSL (World Surfing League) event is being promoted in Costa Rica by former surf champion Diego Naranjo co-founder of the company Orange Wave. The date falls right before the start of the QS Brazilian end-of-the-year leg (October 18-25) and t...

By Wendy Anders  Coincidentally, as I sat down to report on this morning's 5.6 magnitude Oklahoma, U.S. quake, I was rocked by the 5.3 magnitude quake that was just registered 15 km north of Domincal, Quepos, in the Puntarenas province of Costa Rica. Over 100 Facebook comments were posted on the Dominical quake in the first 10 minutes after it was posted on the Ovsicori site. It was felt str...

By Wendy Anders During the upcoming two weekends, visitors can take part in whale and dolphin watching tours, as well as recreational and cultural activities, during the southern Pacific Bahía Ballena Marine Park's annual whale and dolphin festival. From Sept 2-4 and again from Sept 9-11 visitors can participate in activities such as foot races, cycling, family walks, a sand sculpture contes...

By Wendy Anders For the fifth year in a row the Universidad Latina (ULatina) has awarded five youth ages 18-29 for heading up projects that have a positive social impact, stated ULatina in a press statement. The Yo Creo Premio (I Believe Award) awarded five $2,500 grants on Friday to talented young people who have shown a demonstrated and measurable impact in addressing problems facing their...

By Jack Donnelly Mexico and Central America gained their independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. The news did not reach Costa Rica until October 11th, but Independence Day is still celebrated here on September 15th. Actually, there is a small movement to change the date, but the 15th is still the official holiday.   It took some time for the Central American countries to sort ...

Source: Wooster Surfboards Costa Rica Surfers from the United States visiting Costa Rica rescued a dolphin calf that had become stranded on the beach and separated from its mother. The rescue was witnessed by a shaper from Wooster Surfboards Costa Rica, and it was also captured on video and posted to the Facebook Timeline of the National Surfing Federation. The surfers self-identified with ...

By Wendy Anders From 7:00 am to 3:00 pm today and tomorrow everyone is asked to bring old tires, electronic waste, plastics, aluminum waste, glass, and tetra-brik packages for disposal at the Jacó Gollo. The activity is part of an ongoing community effort to eliminate mosquito breeding areas and to reduce the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. The Jacó-Garabito area of Costa Rica’s ...

BALTIMORE, MD (PRWEB) JUNE 13, 2016 - For decades, Costa Rica has been among the world’s premier retirement destinations. It’s a country that is nearly carbon neutral, sustainably producing most of its power without increasing greenhouse gasses. It’s a country with no standing army. It’s a country whose people consistently rank among the Costa Rica is Once Again the Happiest Nation According to N...

Illustrative image. (Flickr Commons) Oliver Meißner, a 30-year old German tourist who checked into a small beachfront in Costa Rica two weeks ago, was found dead in his cabin on Monday morning. According to a recent news report by Alexander Mendez of daily tabloid Diario Extra, hotel staff had seen Mr. Meißner alive for the last time on Saturday night. Mr. Mendez explained that hotel sta...

Source:: Gisele Bundchen Costa Rica One of the most glamorous part-time residents of Costa Rica decided to honor Earth Day by planting a tree in the backyard of her beach mansion. In a recent photo uploaded to her massively followed Instagram account, former Victoria's Secret model Gisele Bundchen can be seen planting with the help of her two children. Ms. Bundchen, who retired from the run...

(Facebook / Mauricio Camareno) A group of local surfers in Boca Barranca, Puntarenas, on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, rescued a baby pilot whale that had become stuck in the mouth of a river early Wednesday morning. Mauricio Camareno, one of the surfers who discovered the baby whale shortly after 5 a.m., said that they first noticed what appeared to be a “black lump” near the bank of...

Gypsy Jaunt, a socially conscious travel platform for women of the African Diaspora, recently announced its first official trip, which will feature a five-day vacation in Costa Rica. The trip is focused on the idyllic coastal community of Santa Teresa, located in the Nicoya Peninsula of the Puntarenas province. Details on this girlfriend vacation to Costa Rica, which costs $500, are as follows:...

Source: NOAA PTWC The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PWTC) of the United States National Weather Service has lifted an alert that extended from Ecuador to the Pacific coastlines of Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica following a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that destroyed buildings in Guayaquil and claimed more than 230 casualties. The Observatory of Seismology and Volcanology of Costa Ri...