Photo: Japanese Garden-Lankester Botanical Garden Costa Rica has several botanical gardens open to the public; the country’s privileged location and climate allow for a great variety of plants. Although there are many botanical gardens distributed in different areas of the country, here we mention three botanical gardens that are within the metropolitan area and are certainly worth the visit: ...

Costa Rica has the perfect conditions to grow many different types of orchids. This beautiful flower has a special place in the heart of every Costa Rican because one of its species, the "Guaria Morada" (purpe orchid) is the country's national flower. The fifth edition of the Expo Orquidea (Orchid Expo) takes place this weekend in the parking lot tower of the Clínica Bíblica in San José; the ex...

The second edition of the International Trade Mission Costa Rica LGBTI event will take place September 4 and 5 at the Radisson Hotel in San José and will have the participation of the LGBTI Chambers of Commerce of Costa Rica, Canada and the United States. The goal of the Trade Mission event is to bring the attention over Costa Rica as an inclusive and respectful destination for the LGBTI popul...

Costa Rican coffee is regarded worldwide, yet, believe it or not sometimes it is not easy to find the best quality coffee in the Costa Rican coffee shops, this is because the majority of the best coffee is exported; that’s why Café Don Mayo decided several years back to open a specialty coffee shop with high-quality coffee of their own production. The best grains of coffee are selected from the...

The second edition of the Costa Rica Food & Wine will bring together renown international and national chefs. This Saturday, September 2, the Costa Rica Food & Wine Festival takes place at the Real Intercontinental Hotel in Escazú starting at 11 a.m. and finishing at 11 p.m. providing 12 hours of an incredible gastronomy experience. The entrance is free of charge and it includes entert...

As The Costa Rica Star had reported back on July 28th, former ambassador to the United States in Costa Rica, Stafford Fitzgerald Haney will be part of the “celebrities” that will compete in season four of the T.V. dancing competition “Dancing With The Stars Costa Rica”. 48-year-old Haney will have professional dancer and Salsa world champion Lucía Jiménez as his partner on the dance floor. I...

Das Oktober has become a very expected event in Costa Rica since the tradition began 5 years ago; every year the festival grows in attendance, last year reaching almost 14,000 visitors, and participants, while the quality of the production and organization continues to show a very high level. This year’s edition will take place at the Pedregal Event Center on Saturday, October 7 from noon thro...

The Tamarindo Art Wave Festival 2017 is the result of the hard work and passion of a group of art lovers in this beautiful and inspirational beach town of Costa Rica. A group of artists formed the Tamarindo Arts Foundation, a non-profit, non-government-organization that doesn’t just put together this artistic display but that also plans to create the Tamarindo Arts Academy in the near future. ...

The Russian Classical Ballet Company will present the Tchaikosky’s popular Swan Lake at the Melico Salazar Theater September 29th and 30th at 8 p.m. This renowned ballet company has been in Costa Rica before performing other classics such as Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet. One of the most loved classical ballets, Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a princess turned to swan by an evil...

Tickets to the Fifth Harmony concert in Costa Rica are going on presale tomorrow, Saturday, August 26 at 10 a.m.; with the fan club members getting the first pick. Fifth Harmony will be in concert October 15 at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Parque Viva, La Guacima, Alajuela, Costa Rica starting at 8 p.m. as part of their PSA tour in which they are promoting their latest album 7/27 released in 2...

If you are looking to buy a house or property in Costa Rica this might be a great place to start looking. ExpoCasa y Decoración (House and Décor Expo) kicked off today in Costa Rica and this year it has the participation of 88 real estate developers, 15 financial institutions and 15 home decoration companies, among other exhibitors. The fair is being held at Kölbi Center in Parque Viva and it ...

Model Leonora Jimenez in a gown by Costa Rican Designer Rob Chamaeleo 26-year-old Costa Rican designer Rob Chamaeleo received an invitation to participate in the World Fashion Week in Malaysia, an event considered the maximum global platform for fashion professionals. Chamaeleo participated recently in the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week San José, and it was because of his participation in this ...

Costa Rica is known globally for its high-quality coffee, and this September 9 the country will celebrate National Coffee Day with a Gastronomy Boulevard in San Jose’s China Town. National Coffee Day is usually celebrated the second Friday of the month of September as established in an Executive Decree in 1988. The event is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the San José Municipality,...

Mexican actress Salma Hayek who was vacationing in Costa Rica last week, made an appearance at the Jimmy Kimmel show and shared anecdotes of their experience in the country. Hayek, along with her husband, French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault and daughter Valentina Paloma spent time in Santa Teresa de Cobano, Puntarenas, and shared some fun moments of her vacation on her Instagram; her expe...

“Costa Rican Art Masters’ Fair” is the name of the exhibit that will be showcasing close to 250 works from over 40 Costa Rican artists in the Gallery 11-12 in Plaza Itzkatzú, Escazú. The exhibit will summarize over 100 years of Costa Rican art history. “We want to follow up in an activity that began in 1986 and that since then has had the goal of promoting art as part of the national identity ...

The first edition of Visa Infinite Dining Series in Costa Rica is already here, a gastronomy event that includes 12 of the country’s best restaurants. The offer is for holders of Visa Infinite, Signature or Platinum cards, and it is available through the end of September, “an entrée to unique culinary experiences” and the opportunity to share with renown national chefs. Visa Infinite Dining ...

The Costa Rica Philharmonic Orchestra continues to sell out its concerts and win over its audience, its concert “Songs of Freedom” , a tribute to Bob Marley was a great success and therefore they will be presenting it one last time at the Coca Cola Amphitheater in Parque Viva, Saturday, September 23. The two hour show was presented for the first time in March 7, 2016 at the Melico Salazar Theat...

As we reported earlier this week, several celebrities are vacationing in Costa Rica, one of them, Mexican actress Salma Hayek along with her beautiful young daughter and her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault; the famous family was spotted in Santa Teresa de Cóbano, Puntarenas, but they had been discreet and careful about their time in the country; however, the sexy actress shared some of ...

Photo: Wyndham San Jose Hotel/Mother's day lunch For those of us lucky enough to still have our mother with us and if we have them right here in Costa Rica living with us, next Tuesday, August 15 we will be celebrating another Mother’s Day. All mothers are different and therefore it is difficult to make recommendations on gifts, some like working out, others have particular hobbies, some en...

Many see fashion as something ¨superficial¨ or "shallow", but luckily many others understand the art behind it and the important role it has in our culture and history. Fashion certainly goes way beyond just pretty clothes and beautiful models, the creative hands of the artists behind each piece are telling a story, are leaving a mark and are part of the transformation of our society. When we...

Daniel Mordzinski was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1960, he is known as the “photographer of writers”, he has worked for almost forty years in a “human atlas” of the Ibero-American Literature; the work of this artist is being showcased in Costa Rica in the photo exhibit “Objetivo Mordzinski”. The photos are on display at the Calderón Guardia Museum in San José, more than 200 photos of ...

Photo: (Ilustration only Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP) Actors of the popular television series The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus have been spotted in the country, apparently this is not a coincidence. Englishman Andrew Lincoln is best known for his portrayal of Rick Grimes the lead character in The Walking Dead. He has been spotted by several fans in the area of Nosara, Gua...

The Costa Rica National Museum takes you through the history of transportation in Costa Rica. Photos, historical objects and a 100 year old carriage that belonged to former President Tomás Guardia (1870-1882) offer us an idea of what life was like in this country back in the XIX century. From mules, carts and carriages, to the streetcar, cars and the construction of the train to the Atlantic...

Girl band Fifth Harmony confirmed its Latin America PSA tour and Costa Rica is among the countries where they will perform. Production company Move Concerts is in charge of bringing the band to the country and has informed the concert will take place October 15 at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Parque Viva. Fifth Harmony has currently four members Ally Broke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hans...

Photo: (archive) Salma Hayek and Family , photo for illustration purposes only Another celebrity has been seduced by the many attractions Costa Rica has to offer. This time it was Mexican actress Salma Hayek, who has been spotted with her family in Santa Teresa. Apparently the beautiful Hayek arrived this past Tuesday, August 1st at around 3 p.m. to the Juan Santamaría International Airport,...

Twelve Costa Rican designers had the opportunity to showcase their talent at the Swim Week 2017 in Miami, Florida which took place July 21-23 at Soho House Hotel. Guayaberi Swimwear, Fabrizzio Berrocal, Nomadic Collector, Etérea, Lolita Mia, John Howard, MEBKIKIS, Makalo Swimwear, Ana Gutierrez, NINFO Swimwear, Tres Tropical and Elha Jewerly are the twelve companies that took part in this event...

A growing demand for pet health services in Costa Rica is driving the growth in private veterinary hospitals. Many are open round the clock, 365 days a year. The Veterinary Practitioners Professional Association has five such complexes registered. Those include the San Rafael Hospital and Veterinary Clinic in Heredia; the San Antonio Veterinary Hospital, also in Heredia, and the Intensivet Vete...

The first Crate & Barrel in the Central American region opens today, Friday, July 28, at Avenida Escazú, a trendy, upscale commercial and residential complex just west of San José, Costa Rica. The store involved an investment of US$4 million, has an extension of 2,200m2, and will employ an estimated 40 people for ​​sales, cashier, exhibition, and other work. Crate & Barrel offers its...

Barrio Escalante in the east of the capital city of San José is known as a Gastronomy Walk, an area where many different restaurants can be found; now in the west of San José, more precisely in Plaza Tempo Escazú there’s El Mestizo, a new Gastronomy Market where visitors can find 13 different culinary options all in one place. Here are some of the alternatives you’ll find at El Mestizo: Kami...

Canadian chef William Ayre and Costa Rican Business Administrator and Financial Analyst Daniel Loría met in high school; now, 15 years later they are partners in a new business, Hawaiian food restaurant Poke which opened doors June 13. Poke is located in Plaza Tempo, Escazú and required an investment of close to US $120,000.00. Poke is a Hawaiian dish involving raw fish salad served in a bowl. ...

The first edition of the Costa Rica Fashion Summit will take place August 3 and 4 at the Real Intercontinental Hotel in Escazú and it is held in conjunction with the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. “We believe that Costa Rica has plenty of talent to share with the world and showing our support to local designers through the Costa Rica Fashion Summit is our way to contribute on their road to interna...

If you have lived in Costa Rica for a while you probably are familiar with the Taj Mahal restaurant in Escazú, the go to place for Indian food in Costa Rica that has been operating since 2002; however, this famous restaurant has evolved, and now under a new administration has become part of the chain Naans and Curries and went from offering delicious Indian food to offering a complete experience a...

Costa Rica has served as a film set to scenes of several Hollywood movies, here's a list of some of them: Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams Some of the scenes of this movie that came out in 2002 were filmed in Manuel Antonio National Park and Arenal Volcano . After Earth: The sci-fi movie starring Will Smith and son Jaden was filmed near the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna de San Carlos. U...

“Amigos son los Amigos”, "Friends are the Friends" is the name of the art exhibit that can be enjoyed at the AG Gallery in San Rafael, Escazú through July 30th and that shows a sample of the works of Joaquín Rodríguez del Paso (1961-2016) and his friends José Sancho and Miguel Hernández. Joaquín Rodríguez del Paso was born in Mexico in 1961 and his family moved to Costa Rica when he was very y...

What could be more paradoxical than kids in the newly proclaimed wellness tourism capital lacking outdoor areas to get exercise and have fun? Well, strangely enough, many rural areas in Costa Rica - whether due to hilly terrain, very wet climates, and other environmental and political factors present in this tropical country - do not have safe or apt areas for kids, especially young ones, to ru...

Crackle is being offered to Tigo customers in Costa Rica and Guatemala, reported Argentina's Telesemana.com. Sony Pictures Television Networks Latin America announced an agreement to incorporate its OTT service into the operator's pay television network in all markets where Tigo has a presence two weeks ago. Crackle is now in eight Latin American markets through alliances with Internet servi...

Ariana Grande’s concert in Costa Rica takes place today, July 9 at Parque Viva and the Costa Rican police and security organisms in the country as well as private security hired by the production are taking additional precautions to assure the safety of all the attending public. Yesterday, through Facebook , a user made serious threats and spoke of a possible “attack” during the concert ; the O...

Stattoos and Territorio de Zaguates (Land of the Strays) dog shelter, will be hosting a fund raiser on Saturday, July 22 at Stattoos Alajuela starting at 10 a.m. Stattoos will be doing 100 tattoos at a price of 10,000.00 colones (under $20) but these tattoos are limited to small designs predetermined by the tattoo shop, a heart, a paw print, a bone, a star or rose are just some of the options a...

The video below, “Calling on Costa Rica”, was produced by Metro Golden Mayer and narrated by James A. FitzPatrick, and it showcases the Costa Rica of 70 years ago, the Costa Rica of 1947. Back in 1947 things were very different in Costa Rica, the video even mentions the country had some of the best roads! Imagine that! But behind the beauty and apparent calm that is shown in the video, the c...

Ever been curious about how those miniature trees are made? This weekend, the the University of Cota Rica's Lankester Botanical Gardens near Paraiso, Cartago, there will be exhibits of a variety of bonsai trees, as well as tea drinking ceremonies in the mornings, and free workshops (with your entrance fee) on bonsai techniques. Local bonsai groups, with support from the Japanese Embassy, are...