Last month The Costa Rica Star was the first news media website in Costa Rica to publish about the closing of these zoos. The article below is a follow up from CBC News. Costa Rican officials say they plan to close both of the country's public zoos next year so that animals can be freed from their cages. But the foundation that runs the animal parks said Saturday it is trying to keep them opera...

R.A.W. and One Love Generation partner with the Museo de Guanacaste to work on renovation and beautification projects for this historic Costa Rican landmark. On July 13th, six teen artists from One Love Generation (OLG) traveled to the City of Liberia, located on the northwestern edge of Costa Rica. Here, in partnership with RAW Tours, they created a heart opening experience and lasting impact ...

In Costa Rica, no one is immune to home robberies, not even if you are one of the most recognizable faces in the country, like that of Public Education minister, Leonardo Garnier. The Fuerza Publica and Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ), report responding to call from the Garnier home in Zapote. According to the police report, the minister and his wife, Maria Marta Ortiz, were not at...

Trips to Costa Rica are more popular than ever, but do you know how to protect yourself from paying more for your vacation than you should, having a low quality experience, getting trapped by company policies, and/or receiving poor advice? If not, we can help. The following is a list of 5 red flags to be aware of (as well as our recommendations as to how to identify and avoid each) when purchasing...

Photo of FijiFiji and Costa Rica have formalized diplomatic relations at a ceremony at the Fiji Mission to the United Nations in New York, the Fijian government announced Saturday. The Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN, Ambassador Eduardo Ulibarri and his Fiji counterpart, Ambassador Peter Thomson, signed a joint communique establishing diplomatic relations between the two count...

The development association of North Esperanza in Nicoya held its 37th annual meeting on July 28, during which they approved the work plan for the next two years and swore in the new members of the organization. Among the projects that stand out for the coming years is the creation of a community aqueduct, with a total of 100 million colones ($200,000), from Water and Sewage (AyA), which will b...

Fourteen individuals with a history of sexual offenses were barred from entering Costa Rica due to a warning system by the International Police (Interpol), allowing immigration officers to detect the foreigners before landing on Costa Rican soil. Immediately, the foreigners were returned to their country of origin, said Freddy Montero Mora, deputy minister of the Interior. Montero explained ...

Photo of Antofagasta ChileThis is a guest post by Courtney Marie, who is a Canadian living in Chile on her way to moving to Costa Rica. ‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel, only read one page.’ Since the first time I read that famous St. Augustine quote, I felt home, I felt figured out, I felt understood; how beautifully said. As many travellers explore the world, we come acr...

Epidemiologist and Oncologist Dr. Roy Wong McClure asked the Ministry of Health and the Presidency of the Republic to declare a health emergency in Guanacaste due to the increase of renal failure in sugar industry workers. The oncologist said that figures for 2010 indicated 110 people on dialysis at the Enrique Baltodano hospital of Nicoya, 350 affected in Cañas and similar figures in the canto...

Eight out of every ten trailers operating on Costa Rica’s roads have mechanical problems, the Policia de Tránsito (traffic police) has found. The statistic was provided by Germán Marín, director of the traffic police force. Bald tires, missing lights, faulty suspension and faulty brake systems are some of the problems found with 80% of the truck trailers in circulation. Owners of truck tr...

Today the Organism of Judicial Investigation (OIJ) and the district attorney's office affirmed that the murder of ecologist was because of an assault in an attempt to rob his belongings. Two months after the murder of the environmentalist Jairo Mora, six suspects implicated in the crime were detained by OIJ. The suspects, for men and two women linked to contraband turtle sets, were captured ...

With categorical words, Marcos Jimenez, mayor of Nicoya, referred to his possible nomination as legislator for Guanacaste for the National Liberation Party (PLN) during the 2014-2018 term. Jimenez plans to make his candidacy official, depending on the outcome of the PLN internal election in San Jose on August 25th when the party's candidates for legislator for Guanacaste are defined. Jimenez...

In the past The Costa Rica Star has published about Prostitution in San Jose Costa Rica, and the price of those sexual services, using information from various Universities in Costa Rica. When people think of Costa Rica they picture its toucans, monkeys, volcanoes, and pristine beaches with amazing surfing locations up and down the coasts. They see in their minds the flora, the fauna, ad infini...

Los Angeles-based fund manager Paladin Realty has completed a deal to invest in a $10 million joint venture to build middle-income homes in San Jose, Costa Rica. Paladin is teaming with CSC Management and Development, S.A., one of the largest middle-income home builders in San Jose. The joint venture, which is expected to build 400 middle-income residential units with a total sales value of up ...

The Costa Rican International Herpetology Symposium and Field Exploration will be held September 2-7, 2013, at Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve in Sarapiquí, located amidst primary forest in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. The symposium will feature presentations, workshops, conservation, herpetological organizations, and new findings and research from all over the Americas. The sym...

Mountain bikers around the world: There’s a new adventure race happening in August in Costa Rica – the 100-mile Rincón de la Vieja Challenge. The mountain bike endurance race is set for Aug. 24, 2013, starting off from Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin at Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste. The 100-mile race is the first of its kind in Costa Rica and Latin America, and according to race promote...

Starting yesterday, the state telecom, Instituto Nacional de Electricidad (ICE) will be charging its customers more to use their mobile devices (cellular phones and tablets). ICE yesterday announced new rates for its Kölbi mobile services, raising its text messaging cost to ¢3 colones per each message sent. Multimedia messages (photos and videos) will cost from ¢6 to ¢50 colones per minute, de...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to publish your Costa Rican business press release, please contact us. Villa de Agua is the newest and most exquisite luxury vacation rental home on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast. With four master bedrooms, sunset ocean views, water features everywhere and toucans singing in the trees, this amazing home is both exclusive and magical. Set in the verd...

The teamwork of some Nosara residents made it possible to develop an emergency plan in case of natural disasters such as fires, earthquakes and tsunamis, which includes direct communication between Rancho Suizo (in Pelada) and the National Emergencies Commission (CNE) in San Jose along with eight walkie talkie radio phones located at strategic points. Thanks to the work and financial donations ...

If you want The Costa Rica Star to publish your Costa Rican business press release, please contact us. The Shana Residences is a new condo resort in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica--now affiliated with the Shana Hotel & Resort. With 2 and 3-bedroom luxury condos, the Shana provides the perfect combination of quality and price. The new Shana Residences are luxury condominiums, affiliated with th...

Costa Rica scrapped limits on dollar loans on Wednesday as external headwinds and weaker harvests pushed the central bank to cut the country's growth outlook sharply. Central Bank of Costa Rica President Rodrigo Bolanos cut the forecast for economic growth of the Central American nation in 2013 to just 3 percent, which would be the weakest expansion since a 2009 recession. The forecast was 4 pe...

From Captain Paul Watson, taken from his Facebook page. Dear President Chinchilla, I can understand you agreeing to throw me under the bus as a political favor to your friends in the Japanese government. After all, I’m just a gringo. You don’t owe me a thing and you picked up a few hundred million yen for Costa Rica for your troubles. I’m sure there were no kick –backs, because after all,...

Two months after the murder of biologist Jairo Mora Sandoval, police on Monday arrested seven people in eight raids in the Caribbean town of Limón and in Guapiles. Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) agents were able to identify and arrest seven people they believe linked to the case early Monday monring, as well as confirm the seizure of important evidence in the case. Several of the ...

When Costa Rica Surf Travel Company was created in 1999 their slogan was “The best place to check the surf in Costa Rica.” After 14 years they have not only earned the top position on Google when searching ‘Costa Rica surf’, but have helped thousands of surfers and their families find safe and comfortable places to stay, along with waves matching their skill level. Their website, www.CRsurf.com...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to cover your Costa Rica business press release, please contact us for details. Well-known hotel in Costa Rica for its secluded luxury, prime location, amazing views, superb service and intimate setting, the Zephyr Palace reputation is now acknowledged worldwide by being voted for the 2nd consecutive year as the Top Hotel in Costa Rica and first time for Me...

This retail sector in Costa Rica comprises about 248 importers of second-hand clothes who are now looking at the middle class market. Although the prices of items range from $2 to $10, the large volumes handled by big chain stores make it a profitable business. Between 2007 and 2012, used clothing imports rose by 50%, 87% came from the U.S. and 10% from Canada. Last year alone, 21.7 mill...

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica— Conservation organizations and citizens are taking to the streets of San José, Costa Rica today, two months after the murder of environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval. They are marching from the Ministry of the Environment and Energy to the Judicial Investigation Organism to the Legislative Assembly to deliver a petition signed by more than 137,000 people from around the world ...

A demonstration will be held outside of the Costa Rican consulate in L.A. demanding justice for murdered Sea Turtle activist Jairo Mora Sandoval. A petition with 137,000 signatures from more than 150 Nations will be delivered to the Costa Rica Consulate during this demonstration. The Costa Rica Star has published extensively on the death of Jairo Mora Sandoval. What: On Wednesday, environmen...

Article by CentralAmericaData.com with insights from Prensa Libre. Real estate projects in Costa Rica face a tough time expanding due to lack of drinking water in several areas of the country. Projects developed in cantons such as Escazu or Santa Ana are being affected by this problem, where local permits for the expansion of properties are held in limbo. "In Guayabo there was intere...

A Friday afternoon at 11 am hardly sounds like the perfect time for an Afro-Cuban Jazz show and hosting it at the Public Library in Limon makes it sound even less perfect. Electrical storms and heavy rains had closed schools and caused flooding that morning. But against all odds the Joel La Rue Smith Trio, played a captivating set to the 30 or so people who came to be a part of Costa Rica’s 2013 I...

One of Latin America’s most exciting new hotel openings will be unveiled this December on the dramatic Papagayo Peninsula on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Andaz Papagayo will represent the debut of the Andaz brand in Latin America. A truly original and inventive resort designed by iconic Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher, Andaz Papagayo will showcase groundbreaking ‘naturalist’ d...

When Joy Stoviak Flores came to Nicoya in 1963 as part of the very first Peace Corps group to arrive in Costa Rica, she thought she would be here for two years to have an interesting experience. “You just never know where life will take you,” the elegantly dressed woman remarked, now at age 72, sitting in the impeccably decorated living room of her home in Barrio El Carmen and reflecting on...

With Luis Guillermo Solis throwing his hat into the ring as the Accion Ciudadana (Citizen Action) party’s presidential candidate, which makes ten candidates aspiring to the presidential seat for the upcoming elections on February 2nd 2014. Interestingly after the government of Laura Chinchilla Miranda, no women are running for the presidency of the Republic. The only female candidate who had an...

The International Student Network (ISN) announced in July that U.S. educational institutions are now reaching out to Latin American college students to fill voids in technology, engineering and science enrollments, which have encountered substantial declines throughout the last several years. These specialties have the greatest demand for work in the United States, and Costa Rican undergraduates t...

Soda Doña Marta aka Rancho Shadday I had planned to put together a nice overview for out-of-towners on some of the standout sodas in Jacó. However, as I began to embark on taste-testing dishes at local sodas, I realized that this was a task beyond my culinary powers. I'm not a foodie. In fact, I operate with a very basic three-star rating system when it comes to food: 3-Stars: That's th...

Cheese, cheese, cheese and more cheese. The Santa Cruz Feria Del Queso (Santa Cruz Cheese Festival) is perhaps Costa Rica's greatest undiscovered culinary event for any tourist who does not mind severe constipation. It is a month of dairy delight culminating in the final Sunday unveiling of Costa Rica's largest cheese. Ever. It will probably remain undiscovered by most tourists because even wi...

At 3 p.m., the traditional Annexation Tope horse parade began a tour of the main streets of Nicoya, amidst a very festive mood and passion for the equine culture, organized by the Nicoya Riders Association (ASOCANI). This is the eighth consecutive year that ASOCANI has handled the planning. Ronald Montero, vice president, said this year around 400 riders successfully participated from Hojancha...

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Frank Potolicchio, Jr., 34, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to four months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in an illegal sports bookmaking operation. Potolicchio also was ordered to forfeit $...

The National Groundwater, Irrigation and Drainage (Senara) of Costa Rica has developed a project for the construction of a large reservoir in the Guanacaste area that would provide drinking water to 350 thousand homes, even in the dry season. It will be located in the lower part of the canton of Abangares, throughout 21 farms that are currently being devoted to livestock, as the land is not ver...

Long live Nicoya in peace! With these opening words, Marta Arauz, coordinator of the Annexation International Cultural Festival, welcomed hundreds of people who attended to enjoy an evening of music and dance in the Colonial City. The Technical Professional High School (CTP) of Nicoya warmed up the stage with a presentation of “The Traditions of my People,” a group of Costa Rican dances from...