On Monday, October 14, machinery from the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) commenced maintenance work on route 160. Work began from the intersection of the Samara gas station toward Nosara. Julio Viales, regional director of MOPT, explained that they are first applying 200 cubic meters of arenon (a thick sand), which will go under the asphalt base in order to replace the clay-...

The Bailey bridge over the El Armado creek in Caimital has its days numbered because the National Roadway Council (CONAVI) will replace it with a new one made of concrete. The work will begin in late November and will consist of removing the existing structure and installing a new one-lane concrete bridge 12 meters long, said Reynaldo Mata, engineer in charge of supervising the work. CONAVI ...

On Friday, October 25, Vanessa Rosales Ardón, the president of the National Emergencies Committee (CNE), visited Nosara to officially inaugurate the works completed during the first stage of intervention on the Nosara River. The inauguration, originally scheduled for 2 p.m., was changed to noon because of the possibility of rain. Although the threat of rain loomed in the cloudy skies and it eve...

Students and teachers from 18 Professional Technical High Schools (CTPs) of Guanacaste and Upala will participate in the 2013 Regional Career Fair II on November 1 in the Lopez Plaza of Santa Cruz. The objective of the activity is to present the technical offerings of the schools in the province to companies seeking technical labor as well as parents and prospective students. This is the sec...

It has been a few weeks since Runner Runner, a film starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake premiered in the United States. The film, which was co-opted by the American Gaming Association (AGA) as the poster child and boogeyman of everything that is ostensibly wrong with the online poker industry in Costa Rica, seems to be having an immediate effect. Readers of the Costa Rica Star who are no...

Turn left at the White Anchor heading into Playas del Coco, follow Peacock signs up to Hotel Chantel Guanacaste, Costa Rica – October 28th, 2013 – Hotel Chantel, an ocean-view boutique hotel located in the relaxing beach community of Playas del Coco in Costa Rica, is proud of its acquisition by a new owner and a fresh management team. From November 1st to November 15th, lucky guests at Hotel Ch...

Wikimedia Commons Although residential construction in Costa Rica fell by about 4 percent in the first six months of 2013 in comparison to last year, commercial construction in the province of Guanacaste expanded by nearly 20 percent. This increase in building activity is benefiting the overall economy of Guanacaste, a region where the value of commercial real estate has appreciated by nearly ...

Wikimedia Commons Juicy and delicious oranges that could rival those grown in California, Florida, Brazil, ad Spain are being grown right here in Costa Rica, particularly in certain coffee farms in Guanacaste where citrus trees are being introduced to break up the monoculture practice of cultivating a single crop. Oranges are now the fastest-growing crops in Costa Rica; in 2012, production gre...

Source: Flor de Itabo Hotel The sleepy town of Comunidad, in the Carrillo canton of Guanacaste woke up to news of a ghastly incident that transpired on one of its few roads. According to metro beat reporter Carlos Eduardo Vargas of national newspaper La Nacion, a guest at the Flor de Itabo resort, which is located about a kilometer from the beach community of Playas del Coco, died when he purp...

Wikimedia Commons The coastal waters of Costa Rica are teeming with sharks. Many species of the Elasmobranch subclass swim in the waters off Guanacaste, Puntarenas, Cocos Island, Limon, and many other coastal communities in Costa Rica. This rich selachian biodiversity suits Brett McBride, captain of the Research Vessel (RV) Ocearch just fine, you see, this is a man who recently fell asleep amo...

Source: INCOFER A freight train project in Costa Rica aims to connect the communities of La Cruz in Guanacaste with the port city of Limon in the Caribbean. According to national newspaper La Nacion, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (Spanish initials: MOPT) recently put this ambitious plan on paper and hopes to begin construction in 2018. This project is part of Costa Rica's National...

Dibujando Nuestro Mapa A few months ago, a couple from the Balearic Island of Majorca in Spain converted their 1999 Ford Transit van into their living quarters for what will become an epic 8-month road trip on the other side of the Atlantic. They recently drove into Costa Rica and visited various beaches around Guanacaste. They are only about halfway through their journey, which started in Eur...

Sportfishing grand slams differ from baseball grand slams, although they are just as hard to come by. According to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the arbiter of most things fishing, an Offshore grand slam is defined as one boat/captain/anglers releasing any three of the following species during a one-day charter: Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Swordfish or Sp...

The problem of arsenic in the aqueducts of Guanacaste and the northern zone of our country should be resolved no later than the month of May 2014. This was said by Dr. Luis Carlos Vargas, director of the water laboratory of the Costa Rican Institute of Water and Sewers (AyA). In October, the Comptroller General of the Republic authorized AyA to conduct bidding to directly contract the desig...

Since he was five years old, Sean Forrester has been living on surfboards. “It was a soft board, and it was purple,” he said, recalling his first board. His father, Chris Forrester, former owner of C & C Surf, taught him how to ride the waves. Although Sean was born in the United States, he came to Costa Rica when he was three. He says he feels very Tico and now 14 years old, he says he is "10...

The La Esperanza Development Association is preparing to host fiestas in the community to raise funds for use in their own projects and to help the Nosara Red Cross. The festivities will be held from December 12 to 15 and will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the association. Rides, bulls, music and food sales are some of the highlights that those attending will enjoy. Carlos Villalobo...

The Daniel Oduber international airport in Liberia has become the favorite for half of Canadians traveling to Costa Rica. In the first part of the year, 44,000 travelers from Canada landed in the terminal (49% of Canadians who flew to the country during that time). Six years ago, in the same period, 35% of Canadian tourists came to Liberia. The city of Liberia has also become important for v...

The Samara community breathes easier now after the arrest made by the Judicial Investigation Organization (OIJ) on Sunday, October 13, to dismantle an alleged drug ring operating in the community. The investigation started this year in January and concluded with actions taken this weekend when eight subjects arrested of Colombian nationality, of ages between 25 and 52, were arrested, the OIJ p...

The Nosara Recycling and Education Center is starting a new collecting program for everyone living in Guiones and Peladas beach between Super Dos Lorenas and the Boca Nosara River. Every Wednesday the Center will be collecting recyclable materials such as plastic, tetrapak, aluminum, glass, paper and cardboard. The Nosara Recycling Association asks everyone to put all recyclables clean and d...

Mud, gravel, asphalt, loose rock, rain, cold, heat and sweat make the route of the conquistadors a real personal challenge that demands physical and mental strength of the participants. Pablo Sanchez, a mountain biker who lives in Samara, knows the challenge and defines it as a “unique and challenging experience.” At 33, Sanchez be traversing the 310-kilometer (192-mile) route for the third ...

Those traveling on the Pan-American Highway to and from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia will encounter some delays in traffic since CONAVI is working on installing bridges. The recent placement of the bridge over the Cañas River in August of this year along the route marked the beginning of the construction phase of 18 new bridges as well as the rehabilitation of 18 existing ...

Upon entering the hotel, the first thing one feels is peace and harmony with nature. We are welcomed right away by Marvin Seas, the hotel’s concierge, who cordially shows us the facilities and accompanies us during the tour. In Hotel Punta Islita, no detail is left to chance. Located in the Peninsula of Nicoya, in the community of Islita, this five-star hotel is the first hotel in Central Ameri...

Source: UCR Residents in some regions of Guanacaste are enjoying better roadways thanks to a special mix of asphalt tested by Costa Rica's National Laboratory of Structural Models and Materials (Spanish acronym: Lanamme). This special asphalt formula presents various advantages over mixes that have been previously in Costa Rica; in particular, it presents greater permeability at a more reasona...

Costa Rica – home of ecotourism and thrilling adventure tours – is not usually the first vacation destination people think of for travelers with disabilities. However, the country’s tourism industry is working to change that image and make Costa Rica’s famous attractions more accessible. So far, reports are positive from tourists who have enjoyed accessible vacations in Costa Rica. Several of C...

All-inclusive resorts make vacation planning easy. Everything you need – place to stay, meals, activities, entertainment – is included in one price. You don’t have to worry about the details, hidden extras or going over budget. Going to an all-inclusive resort is truly a no-worry vacation. All-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica have been around for years, but the concept is booming. Major internat...

COSTA RICA, October 22, 2013 – The Flamingo Beach Resort, the enchanting beachfront property in Guanacaste, has announced the re-launch of its 2,800-sq.-ft. full-service spa. Formerly managed by a third-party operator, the new OnZen Spa takes a holistic approach to achieving overall wellness through the restoration and realignment of each guest’s mind, body and energy. The spa’s name, OnZen, si...

What makes a sustainable business “sustainable” and why should we care? Here’s a news flash for you – we all live on the same planet Earth. In many ways we humans, and all of the living and non-living things and elements that exist on our planet, are connected. The dust storms in Africa that cause cloudy, windy, dry weather in Central America; the earthquake in Asia that causes a nuclear reacto...

Ask any fashionable Tica about designer shoes and the name Daniel del Barco immediately comes to mind. Mr. del Barco is the founder of Calzado del Barco, a footwear design and manufacturing firm in Costa Rica that is a favorite among the proud winners of the Miss Costa Rica beauty pageant. Mr. del Barco is a native of Guanacaste who spent his childhood in Playas del Coco, and he draws inspiration ...

After years of demands by residents and tourism operators, one of Costa Rica's most precious natural treasures is getting a modern, paved highway. According to a recent news article by Roberto Portuguez of news daily La Prensa Libre, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (Spanish acronym: MOPT) gave the green light to a highway project that will lead right up to the Monteverde Cloud Fore...

New Zealand is about as far from Costa Rica as you can get. That’s where 21 Costa Rican men and women are headed at the beginning of November to compete in the World Rafting Championships. Set for November 13-24 in Rotorua, New Zealand, the biennial World Rafting Championships (WRC) will draw 69 teams from 27 countries to compete in four divisions with men’s and women’s categories – Open, Maste...

The new specialty magazine of Costa Rica targets travelers looking for more authentic and meaningful travel experiences. It’s current, accurate and authoritative content guides readers to find the Authentic Costa Rica. Escondido, California – Vida Travel Media today launched Costa Rica Guest, a new travel magazine that showcases real and meaningful travel experiences in Costa Rica. It brings...

Welcome to the new sportfishing column that will appear weekly in The Costa Rica Star. Costa Rica is one of the world’s top sportfishing destinations, drawing anglers year round in search of its world record Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Roosterfish, Snapper, Tarpon and Snook. There are usually great stories to be told on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Contributors Mark Sydney a...

Source: Zoo Ave Fecebook One of the most beloved and emblematic wildlife species of Costa Rica had its own special celebration last Saturday. Zoo Ave, Costa Rica's premier wildlife rescue center, observed International Sloth Day with a series of educational activities centered on one of the cutest and most docile arboreal creatures in Costa Rica and 17 other countries in Latin America. Octo...

Source: Pacific Plaza More than a year after a mostly modest and unassuming inauguration in Costa Rica, the CIMA Hospital in Guanacaste is one of the few medical centers hiring in a region that is experiencing a dilemma with regard to unemployment. The current job vacancies at this fine hospital are for professionals in the fields of microbiology and direct patient care assistance, and they ar...

Source: Wikimedia Commons A small island in the province of Guanacaste is gaining significant attention among marine conservation circles as the busiest point for sea turtles that massively arrive in Costa Rica during nesting season. San Jose island is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area (Spanish initials: ACG), and from November 2012 until this past May had registered 1,933 nesting event...

Source: Wikimedia Commons A public and private partnership comprised of business leaders and health officials in the province of Guanacaste are attempting to jump-start the medical tourism industry of Costa Rica. A few days ago, a regional initiative named Guanacaste Health and Travel was unveiled. This initiative will try to shift the bulk of medical tourism to the Pacific Northwest region of...

Source: Wikimedia Commons The main attraction of the upcoming $10 Million Water Kingdom Aquatic Park in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is named after a legendary surfing spot in the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The Waikiki artificial wave pool is bound to attract many visitors, both foreign and domestic, and thus it is ready to accommodate up to 1,000 swimmers and inland surfers. The pool's mechanism wil...

Black Friday in the US. Source: Wikimedia Commons It is no secret that close ties between Costa Rica and United States have been creating certain cultural trends in the Central American nation over the years. The Halloween and Thanksgiving Day traditions come to mind, but the rise of consumer culture in Costa Rica is a better example. In this regard, some merchants in Costa Rica are poised to ...

Source: Wikimedia Commons In the 21st century, the province of Guanacaste has become a land of contradictions. Known for many decades as the “forgotten province” of Costa Rica, Guanacaste these days is a land of luxury yachts, extravagant resorts, impressive mansions, ultra high-tech aerospace firms, top-notch research universities, and excruciating unemployment. It is in Guanacaste that we...

Source: Wikimedia Commons With the high tourist season looming just before the holidays, Costa Rica is getting ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of North American and European visitors. According to Canadian tour operator Signature Vacations, member of the Sunwing Travel Group, the high demand from tourists who want to vacation in Costa Rica calls for added capacity. A recent press rel...