Source: Vista Celestial Over the last few years, luxury has been one of the most visible trends within the tourism industry of Costa Rica. There used to be a time when traveling to Costa Rica meant modest accommodations, spartan customer service and functional transportation. To this effect, Costa Rica was mostly known as an ideal destination for backpackers and budget travelers. These days, how...

Toucan in Costa Rica Nature conservation and reforestation efforts in Costa Rica are certainly paying off for coffee producers, land owners, tourism and hospitality operators, and -of course- birdwatchers. Just about any visitor who stays at an eco-resort in Costa Rica is bound to enjoy birdwatching whether they planned it or not. Here's a recent press release on this topic: Manuel Antonio, Cos...

As the luxury travel and accommodation segment in Costa Rica continues to grow, tourism and hospitality providers are targeting their efforts on specific tourist demographics such as families and couples. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, luxury villa rentals are a major part of the upscale travel experience in our country, and the following press release by Villas of Distinction show...

Costa Rica Beerfest 2015 Lovers of craft beer and microbrewery creations in Costa Rica will be able to enjoy their first festival of the year this coming Saturday, March 7th in San Jose; this is when Beerfest 2015 will take place at La Sabana Metropolitan Park, close to the Scotiabank branch. For this year's Beerfest, attendees will be treated to more than just craft beers proudly made in C...

Ann Arbor MI (PRWEB) February 12, 2015 - Journeys International, the first adventure travel company to offer trips designed specifically for families, announced today the top 10 family destinations for 2015: Costa Rica Peru Panama China Japan Thailand Tanzania South Africa Galapagos (Ecuador) Indonesia “Firsthand research, feedback from our clients, and the expert knowledge of our o...

Quepos, Costa Rica (PRWEB) February 09, 2015 - With its fertile soil and abundance in fishing opportunities, Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica has a been a place of settlement long before it became a place for visitors seeking tropical adventure, wildlife, and beach relaxation. The Quepoa indigenous tribe, whose settlement dates back to 950-900 years ago, are perhaps the most prominent of the area's...

Many foreign visitors who stay in Costa Rica long enough to enjoy the locally produced and bottled Coca-Cola are bound to think that the popular carbonated drink tastes better here than it does in their countries of origin. These are mostly visitors who come from Canada, the United States, Europe, and generally outside of Latin America and the Caribbean. Is there really a difference between Coca-C...

The next time you arrive in Costa Rica and head to an auto rental agency counter to pick up the vehicle you intend to drive during your vacation (we recommend a Daihatsu Terios Bego), you just may run into someone famous. Costa Rica is known to attract celebrities from the world of entertainment, sport and business. In this press release from a car rental agency located near the Juan Santamaria In...

Source: Amazon Costa Rica is increasingly being chosen as a fictional backdrop by authors who specialize in crime and adventure novels. A few months ago, The Costa Rica Star featured two exciting excerpts of The Specialist: The Costa Rica Job, a novel penned by Charles Peterson Sheppard in collaboration with his brother, reality television star Phillip Sheppard. Now we have David Putnam, a ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons Solo travelers make up an interesting segment of the tourism industry. They are mostly middle-aged women who enjoy traveling by themselves from time to time. Many solo travelers are married and have families with whom they enjoy vacations with most of the time; still, these tend to be affluent and educated tourists who may wish to explore Costa Rica or participate in ...

Rainforest in Costa Rica San Jose, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 30, 2015 - During the winter months, Getaways Resort Management knows that many travelers want to be able to find amazing destinations that will offer them sunshine and sandy beaches while snow flurries set in back home. Fortunately, there are many of these all around the world, each more beautiful than the last. Costa Rica is one o...

Go Film Magazine Later this year, film lovers in Costa Rica will once again be treated to a unique, international festival that highlights the many facets of short cinema. The shnit International Shortfilmfestival is hosted around the world in various cities, and San Jose has been once again selected to host this special cinematic event. Go Film Magazine, a publication dedicated to the digi...

Traveling on a shoestring budget and backpacking through Europe seem to be vestiges of travel trends from the late 20th century. Luxury travel and upscale, all-inclusive vacations are the current hot tourism trend, and Costa Rica seems to be doing quite well in that regard. According to this amazing press release from the Travel Leaders Group in the United States, Cuba is one of the up-and-comi...

Source: Tulemar Resort There is a growing list of resort properties in Costa Rica that have been earning the coveted TripAdvisor Awards. This latest TripAdvisor Award recipient is located in the pristine Manuel Antonio National Park in the Southern Pacific coast. Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 30, 2015 - The annual TripAdvisor "Traveler's Choice" awards have been announced, and ...

Source: El Silencio Bajos del Toro, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 28, 2015 - El Silencio Lodge & Spa has been recognized as a world-class model of hospitality by Relais & Châteaux, a collection of the world’s finest independent hotels and restaurants. Relais & Châteaux’s by-invitation membership entails a rigorous incognito evaluation process that celebrates the “5-C’s”: Character, Co...

Hot springs in Costa Rica San Jose, Costa Rica (PRWEB) January 27, 2015 - The New Year has just begun, and GetAways Resort Management knows that this means a number of travelers have already started planning their next memorable getaway experience. Each and every traveler looks for different things to make their vacations memorable. For those who love adventure, the great outdoors and explorat...

Source: Nayara According to the renowned online travel community TripAdvisor, Costa Rica is home to the second-best hotel in the world. The Nayara Hotel, Spa and Gardens, located near the Arenal Volcano National Park, is a luxury hotel that has more than 2,100 reviews on TripAdvisor, and most of them are positive. Here is a snippet from one review: “The staff makes you feel comfortable and ta...

Source: Facebook At the Miss Universe awards ceremony held in South Florida on Sunday night, a few contestants stood out as crowd favorites even before the judges took their seats and the pageantry began. On the popular network Twitter, the name of Miss Costa Rica Karina Ramos was mentioned hundreds of thousands of times. There were very high expectations about Miss Costa Rica taking the Miss ...

Source: Tabacon CHICAGO, Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today announces the launch of United Eco-Skies® Vacations, a new travel program that provides United customers with vacation options that incorporate sustainability and environmental responsibility into their getaways. The airline is working with The Mark Travel Corporation, exclusive tour operator for United Vacations, and...

Source: Flickr Commons (Newswire.net -- January 13, 2015) Santa Fe, NM – According to Dr. Hedy Kober, a neuroscientist at Yale University, meditation improves the brain and psychological functioning on a variety of levels. Kober, who says she began practicing meditation to cope with the stresses of ending a relationship, discovered that meditation helped her handle stress and other unpleasant ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons TORONTO, Jan. 5, 2015 /CNW/ - With a cold winter ahead, many Canadians will be escaping down south in search of warmer weather. In fact, Travelocity.ca reveals traffic to their website surges after the holiday season. A new Travelocity.ca survey revealed the majority of Canadians said they enjoy an all-inclusive beach vacation with 65 per cent saying they are easy and...

A new April 2015 Southern Costa Rica: Birding and Nature Tour designed to explore Costa Rica’s rich avian diversity is announced by Naturalist Journeys. Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 01, 2015 - Naturalist Journeys, a top nature and birding tour company, announces a new Southern Costa Rica: Birding & Nature Tour from April 8-18, 2015. Travelers will explore Costa Rica’s stunning array of birds...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Geographic Society announced today the launch of National Geographic Private Expeditions, a new line of trips geared toward independent travelers, offered in partnership with Virtuoso®, the leading international network of luxury-focused travel agencies and advisors. Private Expeditions are unique itineraries to destinations all over...

Source: Ylang Ylang Resort As 2014 comes to an end, beach resorts in Costa Rica are preparing special activities for their guests, visitors and residents. One such resort is the Ylang Ylang, located on the Puntarenas portion of the Nicoya Peninsula, right near the tip. This resort is close to the coastal town of Montezuma, a prime tourism spot in Costa Rica. Like other beach resorts, Ylang Yla...

Source: Ludacris Instagram Actor and musician Christopher Brian Bridges, better known as Ludacris, is celebrating his engagement in Costa Rica. According to online news website Rap-Up.com, the marriage proposal by the hip-hop star was handled with a lot of style:   Ludacris has put a ring on it. The rapper and his longtime girlfriend Eudoxie Agnan got engaged on Friday.   W...

Source: Blue Osa The Active Times, a major online source of information about active, adventurous and healthy vacations, recently announced its Top Ten List of Health and Wellness Vacations for 2015, and Costa Rica made the list. The Active Times based its Top Ten picks on the following criteria:   For some, "getting away" not only means venturing to a quiet, calm and secluded retreat...

Source: Wikimedia Commons TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - December 23, 2014) - Tropical adventure came a little bit closer to residents of Alberta this week as Sunwing Vacations launched a new direct flight service from Edmonton to Liberia, Costa Rica. On the way to one of the country's most captivating regions, passengers were treated to award-winning Sunwing Airlines' Champagne Service, which fe...

A few days after the much-anticipated trailer of Jurassic World, a summer blockbuster film expected to arrive in theaters next year, a website for the fictional amusement park located in the equally non-existent Isla Nublar of Costa Rica began operating. At first sight, www.jurassicworld.com provides visitors with lots of information on the park, from a brief bio of the founder to an interactive m...

Source: Forbes Are there any lavish resorts in Costa Rica that can attain the coveted 5-star rating? Since the late 1950s, the world of luxury travel accommodations has been scrutinized by the star rating system made famous by the Mobil Travel Guide, which is now known as the Forbes Travel Guide. Five stars means luxury, which happens to be an emerging travel sector in Costa Rica. A 5-star rat...

Source: Bing In 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge, Lebron James, Beyonce, the Kardashian clan, and Costa Rica had something very interesting in common: They topped Internet queries from United States users on search engine giant Bing, owned and operated by Microsoft. Within the category of Vacation Destinations, Costa Rica was not only the most searched term on Bing; it was also the only Central ...

Earlier this week, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sat in their Sunset Screening Room and enjoyed the second screening of a movie directed by Laura Astorga, a filmmaker from Costa Rica. Making it to a second screening at the Academy is a big deal for a movie that hopes be nominated for the Foreign Language Film category of the 2015 Oscars, and there is a strong chance th...

Although the Jurassic World trailer was supposed to be unleashed on Thanksgiving, it appears that Universal Pictures jumped the gun (or the shark, if you watch the trailer below closely) and released an exciting theatrical trailer two days before planned. This new film, which is scheduled to be the mega summer blockbuster of 2015, is faithful to the fictional Jurassic Park universe created by the ...

Mr. DeNiro and Ms. Hightower. Source: Wikimedia Commons When it comes to celebrity endorsement, the world knows all too well about perfumes, colognes, clothing, and alcoholic beverages. It is no surprise that large catalog of celebrity-branded products would one day extend to coffee, and that day is now. From actors Leonardo DiCaprio to Hugh Jackman and from Bob Marley's son to legendary Aeros...

With the holidays right around the corner, people are scrambling to get thoughtful, high quality gifts for their loved ones and associates. Fine coffee from Costa Rica is shaping up to be a hot present under the holiday tree this year; a couple of months ago we reported on gourmet coffee from Tarrazu offered as an executive gift by J. Martinez & Company, this time we bring you this press relea...

A special art project inspired by a buried treasure legend in Costa Rica will benefit nature conservation in one of our country's most cherished national parks. Earlier this year, a treasure chest was buried in Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) by a progressive art academy in Vienna, Austria. Later this week, the sole encrypted map to the hidden treasure will be auctioned off in New York City; however,...

From mid-September to late October, French coffee connoisseurs learned about how coffee shapes the lives of residents of Costa Rica through a special photographic exhibit. At La Caféothèque de Paris, located near the Pont-Marie, Saint-Paul metro station, coffee is extremely serious business, and it was here where the work of seven Tico photographers who focus on coffee-related subjects recently to...

The casino experience in Costa Rica is becoming modernized and will soon match the level of gaming seen at some Las Vegas game rooms. Earlier this year, International Game Technology announced that it had been selected as the primary provider of games for the upcoming Croc's Casino Resort in Jaco Beach, slated to open later this year. Nonetheless, casino players in Guanacaste may be able to experi...

The national deficit in Costa Rica is threatening to freeze future performances by the National Symphony Orchestra (Spanish initials: OSN), but its directors and musicians are moving forward with the current season and preparing to deliver a magnificent performance featuring the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Carlos Jose Castro Mora. Beethoven and Mozart certainly do...

Source: IL3 Design Jones Soda is a sparkling beverage company based in Seattle that was originally founded in British Columbia, Canada, in the late 20th century. Until recently, the company mostly catered to the lucrative North American soda market, but in recent years it has been involved in testing international marketplaces in the United Kingdom, Bermuda, and Ireland. Costa Rica is the late...

Source: Wikimedia Commons New York, NY (PRWEB) October 16, 2014 - The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation provided $2 million to Oceans 5, an international funders’ collaborative dedicated to stopping overfishing and establishing marine reserves in the world’s five oceans. The funds will support projects creating large protected areas in the Pacific Islands and the Arctic, while also improving fis...