This Wednesday, July 25 is a holiday in Costa Rica due to the celebration of the 194 anniversary of the “Annexation of Nicoya” (Anexión de Nicoya) also referred to as the “Annexation of Guanacaste”. When we go back in time, we learn that initially what was known as the “Partido de Nicoya” (‘partido’ meaning administrative district) was an independent territory that included the lands located to...

Guanacaste is not just famous for its many beautiful beaches and National Parks, but is also generates 38.22% of the electricity of Costa Rica since 1991, all of it from renewable sources. Structures created by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), the private sector and a cooperative, makes Guanacaste home to 27 electricity plants that are part of the National Electric System (SEN). ...

In Costa Rica currently the only wholesale market that exists is the National Center of Distribution and Supply of Foods (CENADA) located in Barreal, Heredia, but by the end of January 2019 the Chorotega Region wholesale market, will be a reality. The wholesale market is being built in the area of Sardinal, Carrillo, Guanacaste, a project with an approximate cost of $52 million and financed by ...

The expansion work at the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Guanacaste began early last year and were supposed to be conclude before the end of the year, however, after several delays the additional 4,118 square meters (44,326 square feet) in boarding gates and 417 square meters (4,488.55 square feet)of the main lobby as well as new infrastructure for counters, stores and additional ...

After 50 years of having settled in Costa Rica, the Coca-Cola Company celebrated, with a ground-breaking ceremony, the beginning of the construction of a new and modern plant in Liberia, Guanacaste. The new operation represents an initial investment of US $50 million. The concentrate of Coca-Cola and 89 drinks that are exported to Central America, the Caribbean, Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Argent...

One of the most important places in the history of Costa Rica is the Santa Rosa Hacienda in Guanacaste, where the famous “Battle of Santa Rosa” took place back in March 20, 1856 when a troop of close to 500 Costa Ricans defeated a group of filibusters in a very short battle. The “Casona” has now become a historical museum that takes visitors into one of the most memorable chapters of the idiosy...

The Guanacaste Conservation Area announced this week that the access to Playa Naranjo in the Santa Rosa National Park has been reopened. Access to this area had been closed since November 2017 as a result of the damages suffered by Tropical Storm Nate. The actions of the Liberia Municipality, the Municipality of La Cruz and personnel of the Guanacaste Conservation Area finally allowed the roa...

Blue Zones are geographic areas with high concentrations of individuals over 100 years of age and were people generally get to an advance age without experiencing health problems like obesity, heart disease, cancer or diabetes; one of the few blue zones around the world is found in Costa Rica, more specifically in the Nicoya Peninsula. According to recent data by the Ministry of Health, there a...

The Abangares Eco-Museum usually doesn’t appear in the lists of “places you must visit” in tourism sites, many people, in fact, don’t even know it exists, but it is a wonderful place full of history and that offers visitors an insight to what the Tico “Gold Fever” was like back in the late XIX century and beginning of the XX century. The museum was founded in 1991 and it stands in the same pla...

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) announced the agreement with Apple Vacations to operate a new charter flight connecting Rockford, Illinois to Liberia, Guanacaste. The new flight will be operating once a week starting January 4th and through April 5, 2019. Apple Vacations is a travel agency that organizes vacation tour packages for North American tourists and operates its own charter pla...

Personnel from the Protection and Control Program of the Guanacaste Conservation Area arrested two men of last names Sanchez Mayorga and Sanchez Sanarrusia as they were hunting in the Guanacaste National Park, four other men were with them at the moment of the arrest but were able to escape. According to information provided by the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ACG in Spanish), Sanchez Mayorga ...

Today, June 5, we celebrate the World Environmental Day, a day meant to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Costa Rica celebrated with the signing of a decree by President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Environment, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, for the expansion of the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, with the purpose of strengthening the protec...

After the voting this Sunday in the Nosara plebiscite, the initial count shows that the minimum number of votes needed was not reached, meaning that Nosara will remain under the administration of the Nicoya Municipality. The plebiscite process was overseen by the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE,) and called on all inhabitants of Nicoya to vote on their position regarding the administrative indepen...

This Sunday, June 3, over 40 thousand inhabitants of Nicoya, Guanacaste are called to vote on the administrative independence for the district of Nosara. The plebiscite which will be overseen by the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), will decide on whether or not to form the Municipal District Council of Nosara. In other words, Nosara will continue to be part of the Nicoya Municipality but it wi...

Thanks to the effort of neighbors of the areas of Cuajiniquil, El Jobo and Puerto Soley in La Cruz, Guanacaste, the 732.1 hectares that make up Santa Elena Bay are now a Marine Protected Area. The objective of establishing this zone as a Marine Management Area is to reserve it for particular purposes, among them the conservation of marine life, the promotion of recreation and tourism and the s...

The second occupant of the light aircraft that crashed this Saturday morning in Bejuco, Nandayure, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, passed away. Jose Alberto Arroyo Guillen was a 26-year-old Costa Rican aviation student; he was in the plane at the moment of the accident along with his instructor, 34-year-old Esteban Mora Aguero when the accident occurred; the causes of the same are currently under inves...

One person died in the crash of light aircraft that took place this Saturday, April 28, in the area of Bejuco in Nandayure, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Two people were aboard the plane, a Cessna 182 with plates TI BIL and that apparently is part of an aviation school. The cause of the accident is still not clear, the second person in the plane is conscious but presents a head trauma and a fractu...

Photo Credit: CRHOY An English tourist passed away tragically this Thursday in Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. According to the Ministry of Public Security, the victim was 71 years old. The man was practicing snorkeling near Isla Catalina when he was dragged by the waves hitting some rocks. Even though the tourist received quick attention he was declared dead by the paramedics....

The construction of a hotel in the area of San Juanillo in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste came to halt by order of the district attorney office after the discovery of an archaeological site. National daily La Nacion informed of the situation today after receiving confirmation of the situation by Myrna Rojas, chief of the Anthropology and History Department of the National Museum. Apparently during ...

The Contentious Administrative Court acted upon a request presented by Reserva Conchal Beach Resort and has ordered the Municipality of Santa Cruz (Guanacaste) to take immediate measures to close the vehicle access and parking in the Maritime-Land Zone of Conchal Beach. They must transfer the unauthorized commerce ( Beach sellers)to a different location in the area. "It was determined that if this...

(Photo: Illustration Purposes Only) A man native of the United States was found dead in the pool of a condominium located in the area of Hermosa Beach in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. According to the Red Cross, it was his wife that found the body of the man in the pool in the early hours on Tuesday and made the call to the emergency service. Paramedics arrived at the scene and confirmed the death...

On March 28 the official arrival (arribada) of Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) began at the area known as Main Nesting Beach in Playa Ostional, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The National System of Areas of Conservation is taking control and protection actions to avoid the illegal transportation and commerce of sea turtle eggs in these sites. Each olive ridley turtles can lay in a...

Costa Rica took first place this year in the International Living Magazine Annual Global Retirement Index, as the best place for expats to retire and now, based on this same report, editors of International Living have chosen some of the most affordable beach towns to live abroad, among them Tamarindo in Guanacaste. The article describes this popular beach town as follows: “The Pacific-coast...

The Daniel Oduber International Airport inaugurated today the extended Passenger Terminal and presented the new measures taken by the airport to respond to the increase in the arrival of tourists to the province of Guanacaste. President Luis Guillermo Solis and the First Lady Mercedes Peña were present during the activity organized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The extension...

During an interview in Channel’s 7’ Telenoticias, Emilia Navas, Ad interim district attorney, confirmed that the Public Ministry has had an open investigation since 2015 regarding U.S. businessmen David Patey and Michael Lawrence Brannon Hutson also known as "Scott Brannon". Patey a native of Utah, is well known in Costa Rica, as the president of one of the biggest soccer teams in the country, ...

The Coca Cola Company officially announced the establishment of one of its largest and most technologically advanced plants in the city of Liberia, Guanacaste. The new plan represents an initial investment of approximately $50 million and will be located across the Daniel Oduber International Airport in the Solarium Free Trade Zone; the plant of 34,000 square meters (365,973 square feet or 8.4 ...

The town of Ortega de Balson in Santa Cruz, Guanacaste had to give up a tradition that they’ve had for at least 200 years, “la lagarteada”. La Lagarteada consists on a group of people jumping into a croc infested river capturing a live crocodile, preferably the largest in the area, (which locals refer to as lagarto/alligator), and taking it to the local plaza where the animal is exhibited for a...

The opening of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica was announced by Sunwing Travel Group, a North American integrated travel company, which signed a deal with iconic lifestyle brand Planet Hollywood to dramatically increase the footprint of Planet Hollywood's hotel operations globally. The press release stated: For more than 25 years, the Planet Hollywood brand has been positioned as th...

The construction of the project Discovery Costa Rica was set to begin this 2018 and was supposed to open its first stage by 2020, according to the announcement made back in April 2017; however, to date, there are many doubts regarding whether or not Discovery Costa Rica will actually become a reality. Julio Viales, Mayor of Liberia, affirmed in an interview with El Financiero, that currently th...

Another giraffe joined the tower of giraffes at Ponderosa Adventure Park in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. “Maira” was the name given to the new member of the Ponderosa family, and she was born January 23, she stood at 1.45 meters (4’7”) in height and is the daughter of Alika a firs time mother and the alpha male Mao. Maira is the 11th giraffe in the park, and there are two others that are...

Coca Cola Company acquired 30 hectares of land in the industrial park Solarium close to the Daniel Oduber Airport with the purpose of installing their raw materials supply for their production. The Coca Cola Company already produces its raw materials in the country. The exports for the syrups and concentrates for the preparation of soda beverages continue in a constant growth. In 2012 export sa...

Radisson Blu Resort and Spa will be coming to Papagayo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The announcement was made by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The construction of the hotel that will have 100 rooms will begin late this year with the expectation to open doors in 2020. The Gulf of Papagayo area is known for its breathtaking beaches and the beautiful Santa Rosa National Park, home to a rare dry tropi...

Reserva Conchal Beach Resort, Golf & Spa – the luxurious resort situated on Costa Rica’s scenic northwestern Pacific coast – will host the 2018 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Essential Costa Rica Classic May 7-13 on its Robert Trent Jones II golf course. The 2018 tournament – sponsored by the Costa Rica Tourism Institute – will feature 144 professional golfers from numerous countries. Customary for...

Enio Cubillo, director of Civil Aviation and Michael Soto, Chief of Plans and Operations of the Judicial Police in Costa Rica have stated that three elements are being considered as possible causes of the light aircraft crash that occurred on Sunday, December 31 in the mountains of Nandayure, Guanacaste: weather conditions, mechanical problems and human error. “We are not ruling out anything”, s...

A light aircraft crashed in the mountains of Guanacaste this Sunday, December 31 at 12:16 p.m. According to initial reports by the director of Civil Aviation, Enio Cubillo, there were 12 people aboard including the crew (2), the aircraft operated a private flight apparently contracted by a group of tourists who apparently were staying in a hotel in the area. The plane took off from a local r...

The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Guanacaste 2017 had its fourth edition this December 28 at Hacienda Pinilla, where more than 50 models worked the runway showing the work of seven national designers. This edition of the MBFWG was unique in the sense that it had the biggest runway that has been set up so far in the country, 18x24 mts (59x78.7 feet), the size of a tennis court and all white sand. ...

Guanacaste Wildlife Protected Areas During the holidays the number of visitors to the Guanacaste Wildlife Protected Areas increases and therefore the Guancaste Conservation Area (ACG) establishes a special attention schedule for tourists to be able to experience the different areas. The following schedules will be in place through Sunday, January 7, 2018: Santa Rosa Sector: The Santa Ro...

In May this year the Four Seasons Hotel in the Papagayo Peninsula, Guanacaste announced it was closing down temporarily to undergo a complete remodeling. The hotel reopened its doors this December 4, after seven months of work, and an investment that exceeded the budget of US$20 million by close to an additional US$15 million. Now the hotel has 18 additional rooms for a total of 182 betwe...

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world's leading luxury hospitality company, will assume management of a new collection of environmentally designed private villas and estate homes set to commence construction in February 2018. Construction completion is targeted for mid-Q4 2019. The announcement was made by US based investment firm Gencom. The exclusive enclave of 20 wholly owned properties...

(Photo Archive) As it had been previously informed, the fourth edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Guanacaste is scheduled to take place December 28 at Hacienda Pinilla. The organization of the summer fashion show has confirmed the 48 models were selected out of a casting that had the participation of 170 models. Seven of the models picked are independent while the rest are part of dif...