Learning about a country’s culture is one of the fun and interesting aspects of traveling. In Costa Rica, an intriguing cultural location is the village of Guaitil in the northern Pacific province of Guanacaste. Located between the small cities of Santa Cruz and Nicoya, Guaitil is famous for its pottery in the pre-Columbian style of the Chorotegas – one of the main indigenous groups of Costa Ri...

When I lived in South Beach back in the States, I would wake up from time to time (or, more often, still be up from the night before) and stumble my way out to the beach to photograph the sunrise. It was always personally rewarding, once the coffee infiltrated my system and I was adequately alert. The fundamental problem I had with shooting the sunrise was that it always happened first thing in ...

NEW YORK – July 15, 2013 – Renowned New York City architectural firm Ismael Leyva Architects has designed the tallest building in San José, Costa Rica, known as the Torres Paseo Colon. The premier luxury residential tower was developed by Grupo Inmobiliario del Parque with Arquitectura y Diseño as the executive architect. Completed in 2013 and completely sold out, this mixed-use tower combines res...

On July 2, the Ministry of Health declared a health alert due to the increase that the country is experiencing in cases of dengue, which have now reached 15,000, four times more than the same period last year. The Minister of Health, Daisy Corrales, stated that with this warning, they will reinforce health services across the country and strengthen the work of eliminating breeding grounds of th...

The Municipality of Nicoya has contracted several companies to install drainage in areas of Nosara and Samara. In Nosara, the company MABE expanded the road and placed 2,500 cubic meters of material, with a total budget of 5.6 million colones ($11,200), according to the Road Management Technical Unit (UTGV). Meanwhile, in Samara Transportes Falquesa worked on the route from Matapalo to Santo...

Despite various difficulties, the residents of La Esperanza Norte of Nicoya and the surrounding areas will finally have a new high school. The construction is underway with a budget more than 266 million colones ($532,000). This educational project initiated in the year 2000 through an agreement between the local development association and the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). It started ...

How can you help to reduce the number of animals hurt or killed on the streets of Costa Rica by automobiles? Join the 'I Brake For Animals' campaign organized by McKee Project Jaco and place a bumper sticker on your car to let people know that you brake for all of the animals of Costa Rica, including sloths, monkeys, cats, and dogs. Accidents happen, and animals get killed on the roads, and not...

SINGAPORE - Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang will be making his first official visit to Colombia and Costa Rica from Jul 16 to 19 to boost economic engagement and ties between the nations. In Colombia, Mr Lim will sign the Colombia-Singapore Investment Guarantee Agreement (IGA) with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, H.E. Sergio Díaz-Granados Guida. The IGA...

Now, while you can watch the colors of the sunset in Playa Guiones, you can enjoy the rhythms of marimba, boleros, tropical cumbias and folk music, thanks to the arrival of a trio of Nicaraguan musicians to Nosara, Pelada and Guiones. The group Los Hermanos Solis, originally from Leon, Nicargua, emerged in the 90s and have traveled together to Honduras, El Salvador and now Costa Rica “looking f...

The United States and Costa Rica both qualified for the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Saturday with victories in their Group C matches. In-form striker Chris Wondolowski scored twice to steer the Americans to a comfortable 4-1 win over Cuba while an own goal gifted Costa Rica a 1-0 victory over Belize. Wondolowski continued his red-hot form for the American national team with tw...

23-year old Fabianna Granados of Guanacaste beat 9 other ladies to be proclaimed Miss Costa Rica 2013 in a glittering finals held in Marco Picado auditorium in San Jose. She won the right to represent her country to the Miss Universe 2013 pageant in Moscow, Russia on November 9th. Her runners-up are Meribeth Duran (1st) and Alba Zuniga (2nd). Fabianna Granados who stands 1.73 meters is a stu...

In this article taken from the Facebook page of Captain Paul Watson, he tells a story about his issues with the Costa Rican Government and blasts them for not doing more for the murder of environmentalist Jairo Mora Sandoval. At the request of the Japanese government, the Costa Rican government seemingly spared no expense in tracking me down and having me detained in Germany in May of 2012. ...

Five members of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) came to study the state of the reefs of both Samara and Carrillo. In charge of this expedition was Juan José Alvarado Barrientos, professor of biology and a specialist in coral reef ecology. The Voice of Guanacaste had the opportunity to interview him about the importance of our reefs, their current state and keys for maintenance. After the stu...

When renting an apartment or house in Costa Rica people should always have their lawyer look over the rental contract before signing it. Nevertheless, there are a few things you should know to avoid misunderstandings and headaches down the road. (1) The amount of the monthly rent should be stipulated in a written contract. (2) The amount that the rent may be increased yearly if in colones. ...

Earlier tonight when listening to 99.5FM radio dos we heard Joe Walsh of Witch's Rock Surf Camp mention they have a new webcam that shows the conditions for surfing in both Tamarindo and Playa Grande. Which is a nice treat for both locals and people who are on vacation to check the conditions before heading down to the beach to set out on a day of adventure catching waves and hanging out in the su...

Introduction to Costa Rica If you’re looking for an epic environmentally friendly surf trip, Costa Rica should be high up on your list. As we’ll point out in this Costa Rica Surf Guide, there are so many cool things to see and do, especially along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Whether you’re looking to relax and completely disconnect or you’d like to incorporate a bit of adventure into ...

Written by Sunny A. M. Fitzgerald.  Dedicated to anyone who has lived, worked, or played in rural Costa Rica. Please feel free to add your “Sure Signs” in the comments section below. Pura vida! 1. You were never considered a “morning person,” but now you don’t even require an alarm clock; the sun beaming into your bedroom window and the birds chirping wake you up quite consistently. And t...

Quiznos, the pioneer of the toasted sandwich, announced it will work closely with its suppliers to eliminate controversial pig “gestation crates” from its supply chain between 2017 and 2022. The cages, used to confine breeding pigs, have been criticized in recent years by animal welfare advocates and the food industry alike, and Quiznos had introduced some gestation crate-free pork into its restau...

For the first time all fishing sectors are working together on a common goal in Costa Rica. To have more fish so everyone can work in harmony. Nearly 100,000 people depend on commercial and sport fishing to maintain their families and each year there are less and less fish to go around. After years of throwing rocks at each other, the commercial and sport fishing began meeting to discuss ways to m...

Mobile internet usage in Costa Rica has increased by nearly 60 percent over the past twelve months. Nearly half of mobile customers are currently using mobile data services on their handsets, according to a study by local newspaper El Financiero. Costa Rican operator ICE reports that over 38.2 percent of its mobile customers are using smartphones. Around 50 percent of Movistar’s user base is us...

Michael Barrantes scored a pair of second-half goals and Costa Rica defeated Cuba 3-0 Tuesday night in the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Barrantes broke open a scoreless match with a left-footed goal from the top of the box that got past diving Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina in the 51st minute. He added another goal in the 77th minute after Jairo Arrieta's scored in the 71st, exten...

This article was provided by BNAmericas.com, the leading business and technology insight website for Latin America. Mobile operators Claro and Movistar are calling on Costa Rican authorities to clarify the nation's spectrum management policy. Clear spectrum regulation would ensure fair competition between firms and attract investment, Claro executive Victor García was quoted as saying in a r...

On Monday, Costa Rica printed a controversial law in its official publication, La Gaceta, that could open the door to gay marriage. The measure, a reform of the country's Young Persons Law, modifies part of the code covering civil unions, or what could be called common-law marriages, between those who have been co-habitating for three or more years. It outlines “the recognition of the right, wi...

This is a creative writing style Blog article from Scott Alexander, a photographer who calls Costa Rica home and is not afraid to get out and find the best photos ops in all of the land. I wonder for a moment if the lack of oxygen to my brain is why I am suddenly rationalizing, "If I'm going to find a monkey, I need to think like a monkey." Then I realize that I have not a clue how a monkey th...

Everyone who has been diving out of Playas del Coco, Costa Rica has their own story. Whether it is seeing the biggest sea turtle you have ever seen come out of a hidden canyon on the back side of the Bat Islands, coming upon a group of adolescent Humpback Whales with their Mother calling in the distance out at Santa Elena Point, being engulfed by a huge school of fish only to have them ins...

Costa Rica’s only brewpub, Volcano Brewing Company, is moving to the Pacific Coast and beaches of Tamarindo in Guanacaste. Since first opening its doors in 2011, Volcano Brewing Company has been providing delicious microbrewed beer, tasty cuisine and plenty of smiles and unique experiences to a large part of northern Costa Rica, for both locals and visitors alike. With a long­ awaited plan for ...

Through our Fiesta Grecia we celebrate USA Independence Day on the beautiful grounds of Quinta Real in San Isidro de Grecia. Having begun in 2011 to enhance efforts of local charities thru our cash donation, we invite ALL to participate with us at this 3rd annual, and ever growing, celebration. Time: Sunday, July 7, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Food – Fun - face painting - Deejay & ...

WELWYN GARDEN CITY, ENGLAND July 4th 2013 – Clamcleats Limited, a British manufacturer of its own brand of products, also employed for its molding and tooling services announces the opening of a new production facility in Cartago, Costa Rica in June. Further to signing a contract to supply plastic injection molded components to a long-term customer in Costa Rica, the British company opened...

An Exotic Anthropod A ridiculously colored thirty-sixipede scurried across my porch. It was between rains one leisurely afternoon in Herradura when this striking little creature decided to make an appearance, jump-starting my mind. After my brain finished processing this visual oddity, I bolted inside to get my camera before he could make his escape (delaying him first by putting him on top of...

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG This article was inspired by the readers of The Costa Rica Star, who are always asking us "when will a Canadian Airline offer direct flights from Vancouver and Calgary Canada to San Jose and Liberia Costa Rica?" Well, the only way to truly get this kind of change happening, is to gather enough support and signatures from thousands of people i...

Renting golf carts to enjoy your vacation or for an alternative transportation method instead of a car, is becoming a very popular option for people who come to Playas del Coco Beach. When you get into town from the Liberia International Airport or the San Jose International Airport, as you come down the main road to the beach, you will see a few companies that provide rentals. We will list th...

Renewing your Costa Rican drivers license has been streamlined, depending on the time and day, you can be in and out in less than two hours. A kind reminder that foreigners must be legal residents in order to get a Costa Rican drivers license. 1. The first step in the process is the medical exam. The exam is quick and reported electronically, meaning the doctor enters the “dictamen medico” ...

Liberia, Costa Rica – June 21st 2013: Wilkes University students arrived in Costa Rica on Monday, June 17th for a summer Ecotourism Development class, led by Dr. Andy Miller. They met up their in-country and host and coordinator, R.A.W. Tours, on Tuesday to begin their work at the Museo de Guanacaste (Guanacaste Museum). Their efforts at the museum will focus on: assisting in the creation of co...

Photo above is the ribbon cutting inauguration for the ground breaking event, now the construction begins. The ground breaking event for the finest luxury Casino-Resort in Costa Rica, Croc's Casino, was held this Thursday. Despite the rain it was a huge success, and The Costa Rica Star had the pleasure to attend the event and spend time with the invited guests and other media personnel. ...

While 15,000 Costa Rican fishermen and their families are suffering from a severe economic crisis, in the last 10 years international tuna fishing boats have taken more than 90 percent of the tuna extracted per year from the Costa Rican Pacific, using high-impact fishing methods. A recent study by Costa Rican Fishery Federation (FECOP) and the Costa Rican National Fishing Sector, based on ...

Here are some of the photos from the 2013 Exphore Hotels and Restaurants Conference hosted at the Pedregal Events Center in Belen Heredia, Costa Rica. For more photos please visit our Facebook photo gallery. If you would like to read a press release about this conference, please visit our previously published article. ...

The Costa Rican group Purdy Motor Company will be responsible for marketing the brand of Lexus vehicles in the country; with an investment of more than $1 million dollars in inventory and remodeling of galleries. This investment seeks to attract to the Costa Rican public, and represents the second stage of the brand in the country, so it clarifies Allan Sime, Lexus representative for Costa ...

June 10, 2013, San José – Canadians and Friends of Canada will celebrate the country’s 146th birthday at picnic festivities to be held Sunday, June 30, from 10 am to 4 pm at Quinta Roma Vista, Barrio Mercedes, Atenas in the province of Alajuela. Members of the club, non-members, new and old friends are invited to come for a day of fun! Canadian Ambassador Wendy Drukier will attend to officiall...

The picture above is an artistic rendering of the Casino-resort pool area. A ground breaking is scheduled June 20 in Jacó for a 17-story casino resort. The business, to be known as Croc's Casino Resort, is expected to be in operation by December 2014. The building will be on the north side of the central Pacific community of Jaco. Owners are Dag and Jennifer Hascall. He is the owner o...

LIBERIA, GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA – In a significant scientific and environmental achievement, a combined team of engineers and technicians from Ad Astra Rocket Company and Cummins Power Generation, a business unit of global power leader Cummins Inc., (NYSE: CMI) have successfully powered a Cummins-built electrical generator using mixtures of hydrogen and biogas. The team’s success goes hand-in-h...