The second edition of the International Trade Mission Costa Rica LGBTI event will take place September 4 and 5 at the Radisson Hotel in San José and will have the participation of the LGBTI Chambers of Commerce of Costa Rica, Canada and the United States. The goal of the Trade Mission event is to bring the attention over Costa Rica as an inclusive and respectful destination for the LGBTI popul...

If you enjoy exploring every corner of Costa Rica specially those you don’t usually come across in tourism websites, here is an option you might enjoy: Finca Robles Mimosos in Vara de Roble, Cartago is a wildlife sanctuary that brings relaxation to a whole different level. A great area for bird watching, natural trails lodging and restaurant. This private refugee was created in 1998 with the pu...

Situated in Quepos, Costa Rica on the outskirts of Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica Fads is one of the top charters for offshore & fad fishing in Quepos, Costa Rica,said the company which organizes customized FAD tours to their special offshore fishing sites. What are the FADs? FADs stand for Fish Aggregating Device and are set up on naturally occurring sea mounts from 100-13...

The Central Bank Museums included a small souvenir/gift shop two years ago, here visitors can find close to 250 articles created by Costa Ricans and representative of the country’s history and with relation to the items in exhibition at the Museums. Jewerly, pottery pieces, glass work, leather products, are just part of the many options available. “Each item here has a story to tell, every...

With the creation of national parks on August 24, 1945 Costa Rica made a commitment to protect areas of biological importance to improve the quality of life of current and future generations. According to information provided by SINAC, the country has 169 protected areas, which represent 26% of the country’s total area; this includes national parks, forest reserves, national monuments, wildli...

Experts from 15 countries will converge on San José, Costa Rica in October to share ideas and strategies on  sustainable tourism. The International Conference on Sustainable Tourism with its theme of Planet, People and Peace (P3), will feature exhibitors from Iceland, Holland, United States, Chile, Canada, Korea, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala and also from some African nations, said event or...

The Association of Bribris de Talamanca Indigenous Tourist Guides (Agitubrit), Costa Rica's first indigenous tourism agency, obtained official recognition from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) last week, said tourism authorities. According to the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC), which provided guidance to the project, the recognition was granted August 4 in Suretka, Talamanca...

Paquera, Puntarenas suffered damage to its dock last week when a ferry apparently crashed into it due to rough seas. The Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (MOPT) said they are giving priority attention to the dock's repairs given its importance for transportation of people and goods between Puntarenas and the Paquera/Tambor region. The ferry company, Naviera Tambor, is providing ma...

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 17th edition of the Travel Show Expo is scheduled for August 23 at the Aurola Holiday Inn Hotel in San José and it will gather close to 100 companies in the tourism industry, including hotels, car rentals, restaurants, tour operators, and local artisans, among others. The event will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with companies representing products, services and offers of al...

The Central America Birding Trail is the name of a project developed by Birdwatching Central America and Operador Latino two companies that focus on bird-watching tours and that wanted to create a new option for birding fans. Around 1500 species of birds can be spotted in the Central America region, from Guatemala and Belize to Panama. Sergio Arias, director of Birdwatching Central America e...

Photo Credit: To The Wonder Now we can all take pictures of everything anytime we want, but one thing is being able to take a decent selfie and another thing is to have the skills and knowledge to take amazing, breathtaking photos. If photography is something you enjoy, whether as a hobby or on a professional level and adventure travel is on your agenda, this is something you'll certainly be in...

The strategy implemented by the Costa Rica Tourism Board to promote the country for European tourists is paying off, according to data provided by the General Direction of Migration Costa Rica has received 8.4% more European tourists (through the airports) in the first semester of 2017 in comparison to the same period of 2016. The Minister of Tourism, Mauricio Ventura, has explained on several...

Costa Rica is a very small country and if you are the kind that likes exploring the many wonderful destinations the country has to offer it may seem that you've already ran out of places to go, but don’t be fooled, there are many small corners that you have yet to discover. Just thirty minutes from the center of Heredia, where the weather is cold and the air fresh, you will find the small town...

What is better for Costa Rican tourism than an adorable talking sloth? A beautiful neuroscientist, yoga teacher and adventurer named Brittany Fair is better. In the last decade, Costa Rica achieved a 54% increase in tourists. Compare that to an 85% tourist increase for Panama, and a staggering 158% increase for Nicaragua, and you can see that Central American tourism is a highly competitive bus...

The Turrialba Volcano has been once again presenting eruptions since 12:30 a.m. this Monday morning. The eruption that took place at 12:30 a.m. presented a column that reached 500 meters above the crater and 3,840 meters above sea level (12,595.20). Another explosion was registered at 9:20 a.m. this time with a column of 400 meters above the crater, this one is still carrying on. Neighboring...

With an eye to improving the experience tourists have in the country, and to help visitors have a safe visit, Costa Rica's tourism authorities sought assistance from the Organization for American States (OAS) in drafting a pilot plan. Leaders from Costa Rica's tourist police branch and the tourism institute (ICT) met last week with international experts to draw up an action plan to improve serv...

The Poás Volcano National Park, one of the most visited parks in Costa Rica, has been closed for almost four months, due to the explosive activity it started presenting since April, this has caused big economic loses to local commerce that depend on tourism; it has also affected the National System of Area of Conservation (SINAC) that is not receiving the park entry fee. Considering that the Vo...

Almost four months ago Costa Rica received the announcement of the construction in Costa Rica of the theme park Discovery Costa Rica. The construction is supposed to begin early 2018 and in theory environmental requirements and permits are already in order; yet, it seems that the project has hit its first bump in the road as the project is still in a process of “discussion and clarification of ...

The new regulations contained in the Wildlife Conservation Law, signed this Thursday, August 3 by Costa Rica’s President Luis Guillermo Solís and the Minister of Environment Edgar Gutierrez, change some of the aspects regarding wildlife management using scientific and technical criteria taking as a base foreign institutions with vast experience in this topic. The Wildlife Conservation Law now d...

The leading U.S. travel magazine, Travel+Leisure, published their top Central America picks this week, with Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica's Hacienda AltaGracia topping the list. The resort, which received a score of 97.33 by the magazine, is described as follows: "Set on 865 acres of land in southern Costa Rica, this remote spot caters to its travelers from the moment of arrival — via its private ...

Costa Rica's national park system is about to get a major boost with the inauguration of top notch new facilities in a northern lowland protected area teeming with biodiversity. A visitor's center and a series of accessible walkways spanning parts of the wetlands and seasonal lakes at Costa Rica's spectacular Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge will be inaugurated Friday, August 4, reported the National...

The Chapel in the Clouds in Olan, Buenos Aires, Puntarenas, Costa Rica; is not considered a tourism destination, this because getting here is complicated, there are no lodging options or fancy restaurants; however, it is a magical place, almost out of a fairy-tale or children’s movie, a hidden paradise that will fill you with positive energy. If you like trail walking and hiking and are constantly...

In the recent months several cases of fraud with promotional tour packages have been reported, and this has raised the alert of the consumer protection authorities in Costa Rica that will be performing stricter controls of companies that offer tourism services. In the past two years the National Consumer Commission has received at least 641 legal complaints, including breach of contract and fra...

Isla Chiquita Glamping is the name of the new luxury glamping option in Costa Rica, located in Jesusita Island in the Nicoya Gulf, Puntarenas and that opened in April this year. For those of you not familiar with the term Glamping, it means “Glamorous Camping”, an option that combines the thrill of the outdoors experience but without sacrificing the comfort of a hotel. This new concept is ...

If you like wine and you are looking to experience something new in Costa Rica this weekend, here are some options that you may want to consider: Vintage Don Teófilo: The last vintage or wine grape harvest of the year in the Don Teófilo vineyard will take place on Sunday, July 30. Located in the community of Grifo Alto de Puriscal. This artisan winery came to life in 1989 and currently produc...

The Westin Golf Resort and Spa in Playa Conchal, Guanacaste, was recognized by renown British magazine Luxury Travel Guide, as the “Luxury Golf Resort of Costa Rica 2017”. Luxury Travel Guide recognizes every year the best tourism destinations around the world, in order to give out the awards they take into consideration several aspects such as guest reviews and recommendations, evaluations by ...

Photo Credit: Universidad Hispanoamericana /Freddy Alvarez project Architect Freddy Alvarez presented a proposal to create a marina in Limón Port as his graduation project “Transformation of the port space- tourism marina Limón Port”; the proposal raised the interest of the authorities of the Interinstitutional Commission of Tourism Marinas and Piers (CIMAT) which is an organ affiliated to the ...

The Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) had already made clear in the past months its interest in attracting more tourists from Europe, and as part of this strategy the government has managed to connect the country with different European countries through eight new direct flights (commercial and charter). British Airways and Thompson Airways; Air France; Lufthansa and Condor; Edelweiss, KLM and Ibe...

Low-cost airline Volaris will offer flights from Juan Santamaría airport in San José to Los Angeles, Oakland, Fresno and Sacramento in the United States with costs starting at $130.00 one-way, flights are available for travel as of September 12 and can be purchased now. The flights to Los Angeles will make one stop in Mexico City while the other three destinations will make a stop in Guadalajar...

If the soul of a destination is found in its gastronomy, then exploring Tico cuisine will unearth an infinite zest for life. Food-obsessed travelers with an insatiable appetite for dynamic gastronomic experiences will find sustainable practices, fresh organic ingredients and exotic dishes as part of Costa Rica's culinary offerings. From eating like a local at the Central Market in San Jose to enjo...

Banana Azul  located at Puerto Viejo's Playa Negra on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast is a top-ten pick of CNN's travel section. Ranked the top budget resort, the hotel was selected due to its generous amenities at a reasonable cost and luxurious tropical surroundings. Founded in January 2005 by a Canadian couple who quit the fast lane and jumped into this tropical adventure with no prior hotel...

There are just a few archaeological sites in Costa Rica, probably the most popular one is the Guayabo National Monument in Turrialba, Cartago; but there is another one, many times overlooked even by locals, this is Finca 6 In Palmar Sur de Osa, Puntarenas, also known as “Las Esferas del Diquis” (The Diquis Spheres). Finca 6 is the second archaeological site that is open to the public after Guay...

German carrier, Lufthansa, announced today that it will include a direct Frankfurt - San Jose connection on its summer flight schedule for 2018. Starting March 29, 2018, a non-stop Lufthansa flight will take off every Thursday and Saturday from Frankfurt to Costa Rica. This is the seventh European airline to announce a direct connection to Costa Rica in the last three years. Lufthansa, one o...

A multi-agency commission charged with improving things at the Costa Rica's main international airport has identified priority areas in their first two months of work. Costa Rican Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura said the commission detailed "seven internal problems at the airport, for which measures were proposed over the short and medium term." He was enthused at the speed at which the commi...

Rainforests, known as the "jewels of the planet" because of their extensive biodiversity, are the most important ecosystems in Costa Rica, providing a home for a wide variety of plants and wildlife. Jaguars, pumas, woodpeckers, toucans and poisonous snakes are among the wildlife that visitors can encounter in the Central American country's rainforests. Rainforest Adventures has been operatin...

Air France started operating the Paris-San José route back in November or 2016 and the service so far was only offered during the European winter from October through March, the airline had already announced in March of this year that thanks to the success they’d had the operation would add a third flight for the 2017-2018 season. Now, the airline has confirmed they will continue to operate t...

Costa Rica continues to make steady progress, earning a recognition position among investors, buyers and tourists in new markets. The good perception of the country brand, essential Costa Rica, positions it over competitors in the region, such as: Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Panama. The value of the Costa Rica brand moved up twelve positions in tourism and five in commerce and i...

A private lawsuit has been brought against the Municipality of Garabito, in Costa Rica's Central Pacific region, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MOPT) and the Directorate General of Transit (DGT) for a perceived dangerous situation along the southern Pacific coastal highway. Walter Brenes, a lawyer with the Energy Law Firm (ELF), filed the injunction against the entities requesting ...

280 thousand Costa Rican tourists have visited Nicaragua this year, an increase of over 25% according to the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute (Intur). With this number of visitors Costa Rica is the country that has sent more tourists to Nicaragua surpassing the number of tourists from the United States and Honduras that used to take the first places. According to Intur, the profile of the Costa ...