Complaints from Costa Rican tourism businesses have been constant since the crisis of 2008-2009, but now a survey shows that business is not so bad. A statement from the National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) reads: Study reveals industry perception in terms of profitability, employment and demand for tourist services - 69% of respondents maintained their staffing levels. - 70% of employe...

Costa Rica has, for years, been a top vacation destination for honeymooners, families, backpackers and those who just need a break. There's a special vibration that resonates throughout this Central American country that most can attribute to the Pura Vida or “pure life” attitude that the locals infuse into just about everything they do. Not only to fit in, but to make a trip to this country a spe...

Seven Costa Rican properties take coveted spots on the list’s top resorts in Central and South America. The Costa Rica Tourism Board is thrilled to announce that Costa Rica was the most celebrated destination in Central America in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards released this week. The top honors went to the region’s favorite hotels and resorts, as voted by the readers of ...

A tourist guide had a lucky escape from a crocodile recently after he tried to get up close and personal with the monster. Luckily, the croc was already full. A tour guide in Costa Rica can count himself (and his fingers) lucky after having this near miss with a monster of a crocodile. While trying to impress a group of tourists by dangling some chicken in front of the croc, the guide w...

The prison island San Lucas has a dark history as the most brutal prison in Costa Rica. The prison ran between 1873 and 1991 and housed the most notorious and dangerous criminals in Costa Rica, but is now being converted into a tourist destination. Located close to Puntarenas, the area is already a major tourist destination. The island San Lucas, 472 acres, is located three kilometers from ...

Relying mainly on its geographical and cultural attractions, today Central America points to a dramatic growth in tourism, with some reports estimating that the number of foreign visitors will reach 14 million by 2020. According to reports by experts of the National Tourism Congress of Costa Rica and studies released on the Internet, in 2011 the region earned 3.6 percent of the total touris...

Costa Rica's national parks and preserves continue to attract attention from the world’s media. A recent story in The Australian wrapped up the appeal saying this is a park system where visitors “glimpse the seething life of the tropical rainforest” ... “simmering volcanoes and cloud forests offer otherworldly vistas and its reliable surf breaks are suited to beginners and experts alike.” T...

To arrive to a new place in the dark is like tasting a new food with a blindfold on. You can feel the edges, but a full color appreciation isn’t possible until daylight arrives. Night time in the small town of La Pirraya on an island in Jiquilisco Bay is quiet; the fishermen and their families gather in small compounds preparing the days catch and saving energy for an early rise the next day. ...

Boston-area authors escape city life for taste of pura vida lifestyle in new book. A travelogue with a guidebook twist, Two Weeks in Costa Rica entices and educates readers. Cambridge, Massachusetts – Well known as a slice of paradise, Costa Rica has more to offer than just sun and adventure. Matthew Houde and Jennifer Turnbull should know; they have been drawn back to this tropical dest...

Costa Rica often seems like it was made specifically for adventure travelers. Where else can you spend the morning scuba diving in the ocean, the afternoon swinging from tree to tree in the rainforest, and the evening at some incredible clubs, restaurants or hotels? And, just in case that isn’t quite enough to satisfy your craving for adventure, you can always get up the next day and hike ...

It is early morning, and my guide, Jose, has just stopped the four-wheel drive jeep in the middle of a dirt road in the middle of the forest. “We get out here,” Jose says. “But first we stop and listen.” We stand in the hush of dawn, the gray light slowly lifting the night, revealing a gray-green mist-shrouded forest. And then we hear a shrill, delicate cry. “Listen,” says Jose excitedly...

Unique and authentic experiences are now bookable through locals in Costa Rica, with Gunyah.com. Working with Green World Adventures a local company based in Cartago, Gunyah now offers a wide-range of short breaks in Costa Rica that are completely original and can’t be booked anywhere else. “Our goal is not to offer a run-of-the-mill package holiday,” says CEO Luke Ford, “by working with a...

Here below are things you should consider before selecting a home. A PLACE OF YOUR OWN Like anything else related to lodging, home rental is an option that works best in certain circumstances. It's best for large groups and multiple families, although a couple with one or two children will have fun in a nice private residence. It is also best for stays of five days or longer. Most rentals ...

Thank you Interjet and Aeromexico for making it possible to buy a ticket without feeling like you have been robbed at gunpoint. As was the case in other Central American countries with the opening of flights operated by companies outside of the isthmus, in Costa Rica, airline ticket prices for flights from San Jose to Mexico City have fallen by 60%. Although the article by Evelyn Grana...

You can view more pictures related to this article on the Facebook page of The Costa Rica Star. If you would like the author of this article to write a review about your hotel or business in Costa Rica using an article and HD pictures, contact us. Last Tuesday morning we found out, I had mistakenly noted 8 A.M. for the van pick up to Arenal, which was actually 2 P.M. With six hours to kill...

At first glance, it may not sound too appealing. After all, if you're headed out for a partially relaxing escape to an exotic destination, why travel with your senior parents and your young adult children? I have to admit those were my first thoughts when presented with an opportunity to bring my kids along on a work-oriented trip to Costa Rica, which then evolved into a three generation fa...

WestJet announced today it will add four new sun destinations and extend two more from seasonal to year-round as part of its 2012-2013 winter schedule. The new Caribbean destinations are Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao and Costa Rica, all from Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airline's newest Mexican destination is Manzanillo, via Calgary International Airport. Details of WestJet's n...

You can view more pictures related to this article on The Costa Rica Star Facebook page. During our recent visit to Costa Rica, we planned two and a half days at the Arenal volcano area. My wife wanted to relax in some hot spring pools and hike some trails. We searched the internet for lodging that would be reasonable and close to the activities surrounding the volcano. We came across Lo...

SPECIFICALLY, a study by the CREST Center for Responsible Travel released in 2011 reports that 62% of travelers claim traveling responsible is “important” to them, and over 80% state they want their hotel to be socially and environmentally responsible. But 73% of those polled did nothing to verify their hotel’s environmental practices, and 81% didn’t try to verify their hotel’s social practices...

MONTEVERDE — I have always had a peculiar way of relaxing: This time, I would hurl myself into the arms of God, entrusting life and limb to a 150-foot rope as I swung like Tarzan in the forests of Central America. I had come to Costa Rica hoping for a respite from the breakneck pace of covering national politics, including the presidential campaign, for The Globe’s Washington bureau. And here I...

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...

When someone invites you to their home and you know they are non-smokers, you don’t smoke in their house. What about traveling to another person’s country where they have deeply held beliefs about behavior and attire? When in Rome, right? That is exactly the point that 23 year old Asma Al Muhairi would like to make to tourists in her country. It’s not just about religion but what she and others...

The men and women of the Tourism Police special unit of Fuerza Publica are sometimes called "Baywatch Cops" by their partners in blue. This is a playful tease that comes from the fact that Tourism Police officers are often seen patrolling on bicycles and jovially interacting with backpackers looking for the next bus to La Fortuna, or surfers whose belongings left on the beach disappear. What ma...

Costa Rica is known to attract a fair share of international visitors, but Ticos are catching up to foreign tourists –and they are turning to Google to plan their domestic getaways.  According to a report on online business daily Estrategia y Negocios, more than half of all Ticos who go on vacation within Costa Rica started their trip on Google. Google is paying attention. The Internet search g...

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...

The Costa Rica Star has recently published information about receiving your permanent residency in Costa Rica to avoid border runs, wasting time, and money. Author's Note: This article is being written in response to a dear reader named Jane, who is from the United States and is planning on moving to the town of Puerto Viejo in the Talamanca Region, province of Limon. Parts of her e-mail to the...

Faith travel or religious tourism has gained popularity over the years. This is a type of cultural tourism whereby people visit other parts of the world in order to see how their own faith is practiced, or to learn about how society is affected by religion (or even the other way around). Costa Rica may be the only constitutionally Catholic country in Latin America, but Christianity and Cath...

If you are planning on visiting our imposing volcanoes during Easter Week, the National Council on Emergencies (CNE in Spanish) wants you to take exercise extra caution. There are currently  five active volcanoes in Costa Rica now, and some have been acting up lately. The seismic and volcanic research departments at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the National University (UNA) are ke...

Author's Note: This is the first item in a series of articles that touch on the subject of sustainable practices in Costa Rica. There is a high degree of innovation and street smarts involved in sustainability; if you happen to know of a good sustainability tip, please feel free to share it with The Costa Rica Star. There are some aspects of sustainability that may strike people as revoltin...

Are you planning a visit to Costa Rica? Do you have an Android phone? If so, here are some handy Android travel apps that can aid you in planning your trip to Costa Rica. While having an unlocked GSM phone is preferred, you should be able to use these apps with any Android phone that has Wi-Fi access and a GPS. Planning a vacation starts with travel guides, and there are three good-to-excellent An...

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...

A few dear readers have asked variations on similar questions regarding the bills and sales receipts they get from restaurants located in tourist hotspots such as Jaco and La Fortuna, close to where Will Smith is currently filming After Earth.  A notable question came from a reader named Stacy who told us about the time she dined at a nice restaurant in Quepos and she asked the waiter to bring the...

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...

In the past 30 years, Costa Rica has gone from a sleepy little coffee and banana producing country in Central America to one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, Feb 1st 2012 – Central America has had a very turbulent history over the past 150 years, and in many regions, instability is still the norm. However, throughout all of this chaos, one country has ris...

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...

From previous articles, we know that a cell phone must be an unlocked GSM phone that support the cell phone frequencies used in Costa Rica. If you don't have a phone that meets these criteria, then your choices are to rent a cell phone, buy a cell phone, or go without one during your vacation to Costa Rica. I tried the latter option, and survived about three days before buying a cell phone here in...

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 ...