Seven Costa Rican properties take coveted spots on the list’s top resorts in Central and South America. The Costa Rica Tourism Board is thrilled to announce that Costa Rica was the most celebrated destination in Central America in the 2012 Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards released this week. The top honors went to the region’s favorite hotels and resorts, as voted by the readers of ...

Recently The Costa Rica Star published an article on a breakfast smoothie recipe, the one below involves liquor. Congratulations to Adrian Vega, head bartender at the Costa Rica Marriott San Jose, for winning 1st place at the Costa Rica National World Class bartender competition by Diageo. Find his winning drink recipes below: “Magma Fusion” -1 ½ oz Tanqueray Ten (gin)...

Help SASY! stop animal suffering by bidding high and bidding often at this year’s Annual Charity Auction. It is guaranteed to be a groovy party with over 200 items up for bid. Take part in our Live and Silent Auctions with hundreds of items in health, beauty, travel and much more! Don’t forget – all proceeds raised benefit the all-volunteer SASY! Organization working hard to end animal suf...

From erotic body painting, through topless ziplining, through naked horseback riding, the program is seeking out those that want an adventurous vacation experience in the friendliest place on earth. These are special weeks made available to open-minded adults only at two locations in Costa Rica. Each week is themed to coincide with the new for 2012 onsite Social Directors, the renowned enterta...

Amatierra is the proud winner of the 2012 TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award for Excellence. You can view HD pictures of Amatierra on The Costa Rica Star Facebook page. There is a place in Costa Rica where a unique award winning Yoga retreat awaits to provide travelers with breathtaking scenery, serenity and a holistic method to alleviate body and soul. Vacations are supposed to liberat...

Costa Rica is filled with attractive lodging options, but when it comes to San Jose the options become narrower. The capital city has lots of potential, but it seems as if hoteliers sometimes forget about it. For this reason, backpackers are often resigned to spending scary nights at the rundown hotels near the Coca Cola bus terminal, businessmen flock to the soulless and expensive chain hotels, a...

Here below are things you should consider before selecting a home. A PLACE OF YOUR OWN Like anything else related to lodging, home rental is an option that works best in certain circumstances. It's best for large groups and multiple families, although a couple with one or two children will have fun in a nice private residence. It is also best for stays of five days or longer. Most rentals ...

Renting homes for a few days as an alternative to traditional hotel accommodation for tourists, is a growing trend all over the world and Panama is no exception. In Panama City, the phenomenon is also being driven by the widespread availability of apartments built and purchased as an opportunity to gain profit from resale, which the current market stagnation has left unoccupied. An artic...

You can view more pictures related to this article on The Costa Rica Star Facebook page. During our recent visit to Costa Rica, we planned two and a half days at the Arenal volcano area. My wife wanted to relax in some hot spring pools and hike some trails. We searched the internet for lodging that would be reasonable and close to the activities surrounding the volcano. We came across Lo...

Costa Rica’s Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens has earned a coveted spot as one of the Top 100 Hotels in the Travel + Leisure 2012 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey, and wins the illustrious title as the No. 1 Resort in Central and South America. Once a hidden gem, Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens is fast becoming a favorite with honeymooners and couples in search of romance and adrenaline boosting adve...

TILARAN, Costa Rica – The Volcano Brewing Company, Costa Rica's First and only Microbrewery Hotel, is offering a special promotion for guests who wish to take advantage of a unique green season experience. Starting at $89 per person, based on double occupancy, guests can enjoy a full day of an all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink vacation at their farm-fresh restaurant and microbrewery lakeview h...

Recently, Julia VanTieghem – New York-based coordinator for the Rainforest Alliance’s major gifts’ team – had an opportunity to travel with colleagues to Costa Rica to see firsthand the benefits of the Rainforest Alliance’s work on farms, forests and hotels. She writes… Our home base for the week was a hotel that has worked with the Rainforest Alliance to put good environmental and social prac...

The Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality company, a hotel and tour operator with resort properties located in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is offering special promotions for families traveling with children within the ages of 12 and below, according to the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail. Six of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality's resort properties are included in this Preferred Family Promotion, which ...

Costa Rica is already famous for her ecolodges and yoga retreats, but the Sanctuary at Two Rivers is the ultimate destination for travelers seeking to combine fitness, relaxation and luxury. The Sanctuary was recently mentioned as the "ultimate jungle gym" by Kathryn Branch in The New York Times Style Magazine. The founders are Jeff Gossett and Perrey Reeves, an actress who is perhaps best remembe...

Author's Note: This is the first item in a series of articles that touch on the subject of sustainable practices in Costa Rica. There is a high degree of innovation and street smarts involved in sustainability; if you happen to know of a good sustainability tip, please feel free to share it with The Costa Rica Star. There are some aspects of sustainability that may strike people as revoltin...

In San Isidro de Penas Blancas, not far from where the Palmares festivities recently took place, a local farm located on acres of pristine rainforest land, is involved in some ancient practices that are currently and rightfully enjoying newfound interest around the world. Finca Luna Nueva Lodge is an organic and biodynamic farm involved in several activities that are essentially retooled from phi...

Finca Luna Nueva is having a winter yoga retreat February 18-25. Their new yoga platform will be finished by then. Here are all the details: February 18th – 25th, 2012 Enjoy morning and afternoon yoga with Timothy Burgin, with plenty of time to relax and explore the beautiful Rainforest, get a relaxing spa treatment, or go on an amazing adventure excursion. Winter is a time of deep stilln...