With the participation of the Latin American Motocross champion, Ricardo Chacon, and the runner-up Roberto Castro, as well as the national women’s champion Melissa Tencio, who is only 14 years old, the Guanacaste Motocross championship final will be held in Nosara on December 15 at 9 a.m. The race will complement the events of the second Nosara Christmas cultural festival, organized by the Nosara ...

Source: Santa Elena Project The late environmentalist Jairo Mora was certainly one of the most celebrated and important persons in Costa Rica in 2013. His commitment to the protection of sea turtles in the Caribbean coast ended up claiming his life and left many people wondering what makes the Caribbean region of Costa Rica so different from Playa Rajada and Playa Ostional in Guanacaste, two p...

Mari Brenes exploring Guanacaste at Arenal Volcano Contact Mari Brenes at Palm Real Estate by calling (506) 8352-9923 or send an email to [email protected], her team is available to answer all of your questions about buying or renting condos in Guanacaste Costa Rica. North American and European house hunters who are setting their sights on the United States housing market are findin...

Data provided by Bing search for Mashable.comAccording to Mashable, a leading British-American website covering Internet technology and social media, Costa Rica is among the top 10 most-searched travel destinations in the world. The data was provided by Bing, Microsoft's flagship search engine property, and it shines a light on how tourism and hospitality operators are taking advantage of these t...

Just in time for the holidays, popular tourist destinations such as Playas del Coco in Guanacaste are about to see a major influx of visitors. Although tourism and hospitality operators in Guanacaste and across Costa Rica have been working diligently over the years in making sure that their staff is fluent in English, from December 13th to January 5th they will mostly be catering to the needs of S...

As tourism continues to grow in Costa Rica, more than ever, travelers are seeking to combine elements of adventure, culture, and active engagement for a meaningful adventure that goes beyond a typical vacation. Chill Expeditions, an Eco-tour company with nearly 20 years of experience operating in Costa Rica, seeks to connect visitors with engaging, meaningful experiences that leave them with an-in...

Source: Wikimedia Commons When the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) recently announced a major sweep that netted 361 arrests of known street gang members and collaborators, it was revealed some of those in custody are from Costa Rica and may have ties to Guanacaste. This is a grim reminder that although anti-gang efforts in Costa Rica have been effective, law enfo...

The Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia (LIR), province of Guanacaste, is quickly becoming the favorite landing spot for visitors from Canada, Mexico and the United States, particularly for those whose first visit to Costa Rica involved landing at Juan Santamaria International Airport in Alajuela (SJO) and getting to know the lovable capital city of San Jose. A closer look at the...

Source: The Costa Rica Star Facebook Beyonce Knowles and Shawn Corey Carter, better known as Beyonce and Jay-Z (or hip-hop music's ruling couple), were recently spotted in Costa Rica. Through official reports from the Directorate of Immigration we know that they landed at the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia (LIR). We also know that they arrived on a private jet for their ...

Officials from the Ministry of Public Health in Costa Rica have tallied the latest dengue (or breakbone) fever infections and have announced that the national vector-borne epidemic has finally come to an end. In the Guanacaste region, however, residents and tourists should continue to take precautions since they were the last to be affected by the epidemic. According to a news article published...

For those of you still shopping around for holiday presents in Costa Rica, consider the following: You can pay a visit to a local Banco Lafise branch and spend no more than 10,000 colones (about $20) on a pretty cool stuffed toy and attractive Christmas cards lovingly designed by children. What is more important, however, is that these gifts are helping narrow the digital divide in Costa Rica. ...

Source: Facebook The battle over tipping and a livable minimum wage in the restaurant and hospitality industries of the United States has gone beyond that country’s borders and is now going global. The tipping conundrum involves many stakeholders: Servers, restaurant operators and the customers who support them. In Costa Rica, tipping is generally included in the bill; however, expat custom an...

The region of Costa Rica formerly known as the “forgotten province” is now being heavily courted by politicians and public officials. In less than 20 years, Guanacaste has gone from a mostly agricultural province to a region rich in nature conservation, lavish real estate developments, tourism, technology, and more. As a result, candidates to represent Guanacaste at the national Legislative Assemb...

Source: Wikimedia Commons A recent study indicates that a wading bird's appetite for the hatchlings and freshly-laid eggs of sea turtles presents an interesting situation of interference competition in which nature conservation activists and local protectors of marine life in Costa Rica are choosing one wildlife species over another. The species in question are the beloved olive ridley sea tur...

If you were tuned in to ADN Radio 90.7 FM or Teletica Channel 7 in Costa Rica yesterday morning, you probably witnessed Mayor Luis Gerardo Castaneda of Liberia mention that the Disney conglomerate planned to develop a massive theme park in the 7,000 hectares of land located near the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport (LIR). You may have seen the news on the websites of La Nacion, CRHoy.com...

The holiday season in Costa Rica is usually brimful and awash with parades featuring elaborate displays of carrozas (floats), marching bands, carnival dance performances, live music, tasty (yet not very healthy) food, family activities, and -of course- lots of beer. This year, however, the Nicoya Brilla (Shines) Parade will be missing one key sponsor and participant: Cerveza Imperial. We are ju...

At a recent public hearing before Costa Rica's Constitutional Court, colloquially known as Sala IV, environmental activists and their legal representatives presented evidence to support their claims against RIU Hotels, a major international resort chain owned by a powerful Spanish consortium that includes Mexican and German investors. According to the plaintiffs, the RIU hotel at Matapalo Beach en...

Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Laureate whose Grameen Bank has been hailed as one of the most brilliant and functional concepts of poverty reduction through microfinance, was recently in Costa Rica to inaugurate Nutrivida, an enterprise he hopes will be a ticket out of poverty for women in Guanacaste, Limon, Heredia, and San Jose. Some aspects of the Nutrivida business model, howe...

The ashes of one of Mexico's most cherished singers will be spread among the sand, ocean and pleasant breeze of Playas del Coco, province of Guanacaste. Isabel Vargas Lizano, better known as “The Voice of Mexico” or Chavela, passed away on August 5th, 2012. Part of her ashes have already been spread in the surf off Veracruz, a Mexican coastal town that Chavela loved as much as her native Costa Ric...

When is a species really extinct? The recent rediscovery of a colorful frog in the southwestern region of Costa Rica and the potential return of sea turtle to nest in Guanacaste and other beaches along the Pacific coastline is calling attention to the methods of determining when a wildlife species has truly disappeared from our planet. Lazarus species is the term sometimes used to refer to a sp...

For businesspeople and entrepreneurs who operate in the potentially lucrative tourism industry of Costa Rica, getting the coveted Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) from the National Board of Tourism (Spanish initials: ICT) is like finding the Holy Grail in the midst of a forest property that the government has not yet turned into a national park. More than 20 years into the CST program, ...

Exercising in the hot sunny weather of Costa Rica presents a set of challenges one has to take into account. For those coming from cold climates, it takes about two weeks for your body to acclimatize and be able to maintain a lower inner temperature and heart rate, therefore reducing the risk of dehydration. After two weeks, you will start to sweat sooner and your sweat will be more diluted than b...

Luis Roberto Hernández, ICE Information Department Director, showing the Internet speed serviceThe Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) launched a Fourth Generation (4G) network for processing data up to 10 MB on Monday, November 25th. However, the technology will be available in all provinces except for Guanacaste, which will get it next year. But why not Guanacaste from the start? The ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons After tallying a death count of 90 marine turtle carcasses on the beaches and in the ocean off Guanacaste, biologists, investigators and conservation officials believe that high levels of toxicity caused by coelenterates such as jellyfish may be to blame for the grisly deaths. As reported by online news daily CRHoy.com, this Medusa Hypothesis comes after necropsy stud...

Avoid excess sugar that contributes to kidney stress, try honey or extra milk in your coffeeIn the past year, a surge of articles and reports has surfaced investigating kidney failure and the link to sugarcane farmworkers who live in the Guanacaste province. It is now well known that not only the farmworkers but others who live here are at high risk for developing chronic kidney disease. This ...

You don’t have to be a sportfishing fanatic to get genuine pleasure from a day or two of fishing. Many of the men and women who contact Americana Sportfishing to enjoy Costa Rica’s world-class saltwater sportfishing are first- and second-time anglers who want to combine a long-awaited vacation in a tropical paradise with a day or two out on the ocean, seeking more excitement and involvement than s...

Wastewater treatment in Costa Rica is once again making headlines, and the latest reports indicate that strict measures such as limiting access to entire beach towns along the Pacific coast of Guanacaste could be taken unless a comprehensive water management strategy is adopted soon. Earlier this year, Playas del Coco was one of the beaches slated for closure due to a high count of 450,000 fecal c...

It has been said in Costa Rica that the best “all-terrain vehicle” for navigating the country is a horse. Costa Ricans love horses and their riding traditions – their equestrian roots coming from the Spanish who brought horses with them to Central America in the 16th century. The heart and soul of Costa Rica’s equestrian life is the northwestern province of Guanacaste. Here, vast rolling plains...

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo in GuanacasteGuanacaste, Costa Rica. November 25, 2013 – At the International Association of Golf Tourism Operators (IAGTO) Awards ceremony for 2014, Costa Rica was distinguished as Golf Destination of the Year – Latin America & the Caribbean. Daniel Kung, president of ARA Tours, a special tourism operator in Costa Rica that focuses on g...

Source: PlayasdelCoco.netIf you are taking part in this beach race or watching in the audience, consider staying at boutique Hotel Chantel on the hillside overlooking Playas del Coco, for the most relaxing and peaceful lodging experience. One of Costa Rica's most popular 5K and 10K races will take place this Saturday, November 30th at Playas del Coco in Guanacaste. The Third Annual Recreationa...

Source: Witch's Rock Surf Camp Guanacaste, Costa Rica. November 25, 2013 – An instructor from the prestigious Witch's Rock Surf Camp in Playa Tamarindo is the first professional surfer to win a tournament in the brand-new Guanacaste Surfing Circuit. As proudly reported by Witch's Rock Surf Camp, Isaac Vega shone during the final heats of Day 2 under clear skies and less than moderate swells. ...

Zip line and aerial jungle canopy tours are among the most popular tourist attractions in Costa Rica, and those who overcome their fear of heights and surrender to their sense of adventure will have only fond memories of their time spent gliding from one section of the forest to another. Such are the memories a 90-year old woman from Texas now has to enjoy from her recent visit to Costa Rica. D...

Students of the University of Costa Rica’s Liberia campus arrived on Wednesday November 20th to the debate organized by UCR Guanacaste Conferences (Conferencias UCR Guanacaste) in order to hear the proposals of deputy candidates. "As students, as future professionals and as productive people, we believe should ensure the safety of social guarantees and defend our thoughts and attitudes towards...

“This was basically a dead zone. The open-range cattle industry basically murdered the soil,” related Ray “Tarzan” Beise, owner of Pura Jungla nature reserve and eco community in Paraiso of Santa Cruz. We are seven stories up, looking out across the treetops of the 100-hectare (247-acre) reserve, watching some monkeys hanging around. Beise has spent 25 years reforesting the land and protecting...

Due to the health alert in parts of Guanacaste related to the presence of arsenic in water, the private company Agua Solutions has decided to offer free tests to detect arsenic levels until December 15th. The initiative began this July and so far they have received samples from about 50 private residences, farms and ASADAS. In addition, since 2011 they have performed tests in conjunction with t...

If you require an airport or beach transfer service in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, please contact BeachTransfer.com. They have a team of English speaking drivers ready to handle your shuttle requests. Ever since the new terminal at the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia (LIR) inaugurated in January 2012, the province of Guanacaste has seen increased tourism activity and an uptick...

Source: President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica By the end of the year, people from the Abangares canton of Guanacaste will enjoy a new and spiffy marketplace where farmers and handcraft artisans will be able to showcase and sell their goods. This past Friday, President Laura Chinchilla inaugurated Costa Rica's first roadside market, which is located right off the Pan American Highway near th...

Source: UCR Music, theater and folklore were showcased alongside science, research and community development at the recent Guanacaste Expo of the University of Costa Rica (UCR). This major cultural and social event kicked off on November 6th at the Guanacaste Museum in Liberia, and it was deemed a sheer success by organizers who are pleased with the ongoing development and growth that this provi...

Source: Wikimedia Commons The most promising region of Costa Rica in the 21st century has not been able to flourish in relation to the country's national pastime and obsession. When it comes to football (or soccer, as some readers will insist) the Guanacaste province has a less-than-stellar past. This, however, is beginning to turn around thanks to various ongoing efforts. Football: More Ef...

The Ecological Blue Flag flies high over Playa Hermosa for the 11th year. PLAYA HERMOSA, GUANACASTE - On Saturday, November 16, 2013, on a gorgeous Guanacaste beach day filled with nothing but clear blue sky and sunshine, the community of Playa Hermosa gathered together on its "beautiful beach" to celebrate its 11th year of garnering Costa Rica's Ecological Blue Flag status (out of 12 years si...