Costa Rica is known to be a peaceful country covered in green nature and is also one of the happiest countries in the world, these are part of the reasons why the country has become an important destination for wellness and medical tourism including drug and alcohol treatment centers. Drug and alcohol addiction is a growing problem everywhere in the world, on the road to recovery many choose to...

An imposing figure, known for its activity, the Poás Volcano is a perfect example of how a “living mountain” can bring about diverse, exciting tourist attractions in the neighboring areas. In this case, this area includes the communities of Poás, Vara Blanca, Fraijanes, Poasito, Sarchí and Bajos del Toro. Just a few days away from the country's mid-term vacation, between July 2-13, this region ...

UnCruise Adventures announced their new options for 10 and 12 night cruises in Costa Rica and Panama which will begin April 2019 and carrying through September. UnCruise Adventures is known for its small ships that have capacity for 22-90 guests and carry adventure gear for travelers to enjoy kayaking, paddle boarding, hiking, biking, snorkeling, etc. "After a year of operating in Costa Rica...

Alaska Airlines announced this Tuesday the increase in the frequency of flights from three a week to daily in the route Los Angeles-San Jose, during the high season; while United Airlines confirmed the increase in frequency of the Chicago-San Jose flights. When it comes to Alaska Airlines the itinerary will operate from November 15 through the 26, 2018 and from December 16, 2018 to January 6, 2...

The 61,595 Costa Ricans that work in the corporate services sector, which are attracted by the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), added a total of US$3.125 million in exports, last year. This represents 72% of the knowledge-intensive services exports generated by the country. This group is comprised of corporate services and the information technology sectors (ICTs). It represents...

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 ...

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, and the Minister of Treasury, Rocio Aguilar, signed this Monday Law No.9573 which grants Costa Rica a line of credit for $500 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) –known as Conditional Credit Loan for Investment Projects (CCLIP) - for the development of sustainable electric projects. Individual loan contracts will stem from this CCLIP ...

During the commemoration of National Tree Day in Costa Rica, the State of the Nation Report points out the that the country has taken a leading position in the region when it comes to forest cover recovery, however, many challenges still lay ahead. By putting into practice different legal restrictions such as the prohibition to modify the use of land; incentives like the payment for environment...

"Paniamor Foundation and YouthBuild International have begun an ambitious project to improve employment opportunities for young Costa Ricans by expanding opportunities for work-based training for youth, such as apprenticeships, with a focus on including vulnerable and marginalized youth. This project is funded by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The project was introduced d...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) concluded after an investigation that Venezuelan national Diosdado Cabello Rondon (Cabello) has used his influence to personally profit from extortion, money laundering and embezzlement, and has used countries such as Costa Rica for his money laundering activities. Along with Cabello, his wife Marleny Josefina Contrer...

In the frame of the World Day Against Child Labor, the Costa Rican Ministry of Work launched a campaign and signed a decree to raise awareness regarding child labor and with the objective of eradicating dangerous child labor by 2020. In Costa Rica it is forbidden for children under the age of 15 to do any kind of work, while teens over 15 are allowed to work under special conditions that guaran...

Eurofins Scientific, a global leader in bio-analysis, inaugurated its new offices in Costa Rica and foresees hiring up to 50 Costa Ricans with knowledge in Information Technology, professionals related to IT infrastructure, Data Center and IT operations, as well to application development, architecture, design, and support. Eurofins invested US$250,000 on this new service site in Costa Rica. ...

The National Seismology Network published the following information regarding the activity at the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano: “The Volcanology and Seismology Observatory of the Arenal and Miravalles (OSIVAM), operated by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) and that forms part of the National Seismology Network (RSN: UCR-ICE), registered changes in the behavior of the seismic activity in...

According to information released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flow of immigrants through the north frontier (Nicaragua) registers a mild increase. “Since three weeks ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains an Interinstitutional Coordination Committee to face the possible impact that the crisis in Nicaragua could have in Costa Rica”, informed the Vice-President and Chancellor,...

President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, and the Minister of Environment Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, in the frame of the World Environmental Day, signed a directive that regulates the management, consumption and labeling of single use plastic in public institutions. “These actions respond to the unequivocal commitment this government has to reach carbon neutrality of the economy”, expressed Alvar...

Photo Credit:Cafe de Costa Rica 25 international expert coffee tasters chose the best Costa Rican coffee to participate in the tenth edition of the international virtual auction the Cup of Excellence 2018 which takes place July 10. The winner was the coffee of Mr. Luis Ricardo Calderon Madrigal from La Bandera de Copey de Dota, the variety of the bean, Geisha, managed a score of 91.29 and it...

Blackbaud, Inc. is a world leading cloud software company that has had a rapid growth over the past few years and is now serving customers in over 50 countries. Blackbaud recently announced it has selected Costa Rica to open its first office in Latin America. “As the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, we’re committed to providing the very best experience for our custo...

Source: U.S. Embassy Costa Rica The United States Embassy in Costa Rica shared the following list of safety tips for travelers visiting the country: Know Your Environment Costa Rica lies in an active seismic zone; small earthquakes are commonplace and authorities sometime limit access to national parks near active volcanoes for safety. During the rainy season from May to November, heavy rai...

Swarovski, leading manufacturer of precision cut crystal and a world-renowned brand that adds sparkle to everything from jewelry, watches, fashion accessories to couture fashion and state-of-the-art lighting technology, officially inaugurated its business services center in San José, Costa Rica. The new location will host the company’s Global Business Services (GBS) center in the Americas which wi...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) presented its Economic Outlook report 2018-2019, and in the specific case of Costa Rica affirms once again that the major domestic risk the country has involves the high fiscal deficit and the rapidly growing public debt. The report stresses that if left unaddressed the fiscal deficit and the growing public debt could end up threa...

The different police operations that have been organized so far this year by the Ministry of Public Security which have led to the seizure of 757 firearms. In the majority of the cases, the gun bearer didn’t have the respective permit to carry the weapon. Of the 757 firearms confiscated, 338 are pistols, 257 revolvers, 45 shotguns, 40 rifles, 46 rudimentary manufactured and another 20 that are ...

The General Directorate of Migration in Costa Rica has announced they are intensifying the security protocols to prevent people suspected to be part of organized criminal groups or gangs in Central America (known as ‘Maras’ eg..Ms-13, M-18) from entering the country. MS-13 and M-18, the two strongest and most widespread Mara gangs, were spawned in the 1980s in poor Los Angeles neighborhoods by ...

By the name of “Minnerva”, HP Inc. inaugurated its innovation center in Costa Rica. This site was created to develop creative ideas and promote innovation processes oriented to solve internal necessities of the company, as well as, in a second phase, support the academy’s innovation processes for products and services. The grand opening event included the participation of Justin Ferrell, an int...

The financial services firm, Encore Capital Group, will become the first multinational company to open its operations very close to what will be San Jose’s Technological City, as part of the Special Zone for Economic Growth, promoted by San Jose’s Municipality. It will relocate its operations to Yaohan’s old building, by next November. Encore is part of the Municipality’s initiative to promote ...

Today's travelers want to bring home more than tan lines and souvenirs. They aspire to achieve personal enrichment through life-changing experiences that create a shift in perspectives—of the world and the self. Enter transformational travel, the key to meaningful interactions, immersive encounters and genuine communion with nature and culture. According to the Transformational Travel Council, "we...

On October 15th and 16th, Costa Rica will gather high-level exhibitors from the life sciences industry, as well as decision makers from the companies that are global leaders in the sector, key suppliers, consulting firms, and others, in the fourth edition of the Life Sciences Forum Costa Rica 2018, organized by the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE). The recently inaugurated Costa ...

Press Release Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has reached an academic partnership agreement with the University of Costa Rica (UCR). The new five-year partnership with UCR, coupled with the current faculty-led travel study programs through Central American Mission Programs (CAMP), provide new opportunities for collaborative engagement in fields like pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing ...

The Danish company, Coloplast, which belongs to the ostomy and continence Life Sciences sector, chose Cartago, Costa Rica as the location where it will construct a manufacturing plant for medical devices, the first one of its kind in the American continent. Coloplast will begin its operations in a temporary plant located in the La Lima Free Zone, where the first group of 100 Costa Ricans will b...

In his last days as President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis signed at the beginning of May, an executive decree to declare the Hammerhead Shark Sanctuary of Golfo Dulce, a critical nursery habitat for the Scalloped Hammerhead, a shark that is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. “This Shark Sanctuary designation ...

The Center of Investigation for Biotechnology (CIB) of the Costa Rica Technological Institute works in the elaboration of a syrup with the use of a plant that grows in the North Zone of Costa Rica which will help save the life of poisoned dogs. The syrup is intended to provoke the vomit in a poisoned animal and diminish the effects of the toxic substance. At this time the group of investigat...

Press Release TripAdvisor announced the winners of the second annual Travelers' Choice awards for Rentals this week. The awards recognize 30 of the best holiday homes across the globe in three categories -- luxury ($300+ USD per night), mid-range ($100 - 150 USD per night), and affordable ($99 USD per night and under). The winning homes have traveler-loved amenities including private pools, ho...

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released the 2018 Special 301 Report, identifying trading partners that do not adequately or effectively protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights or otherwise deny market access to U.S. innovators and creators that rely on protection of their IP rights. The Report calls on U.S. trading partners to address IP-related cha...

The 61,595 Costa Ricans that work in the corporate services sector, that are attracted by the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), added a total of US$3,125 million in exports, last year. This represents 72% of the knowledge-intensive services exports generated by the country. This group is conformed by corporate services and the information technology sectors (ICTs). It represents ...

The United States and Costa Rica formalized the donation of four UH-1ST helicopters to the Costa Rican Air Surveillance Agency (SVA) of the Ministry of Public Security. With these helicopters, Costa Rican increases its capability to provide aerial support during maritime operations, as well as to provide direct support to the National Coast Guard Service and emergency care. “This is another ...

Costa Rican permanent representative to the UN Elayne Whyte Gómez and diplomats from the disarmament delegations of Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Africa, received the "2017 Arms Control Person (s) of the Year” award in recognition of their efforts to secure the historic 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons The recognition was awarded based on the votes o...

SOURCE: OECD Economic Survey The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), an intergovernmental economic organization, presented its Economic Survey of Costa Rica in San Jose detailing “the factors behind the strong socio-economic achievements of the past decades as well as the challenges remaining to ensure growth”. “Costa Rica has made impressive economic and social pro...

The U.S. Embassy signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), committing to work together for four more years in order to strengthen the teaching of English language in public schools in Costa Rica. The memorandum of understanding includes support for English language development for students, professors and MEP staff with English specialists; development of...

In May 2018, the Gran Hotel Costa Rica, which is affiliated with Hilton Worldwide and Hilton Curio Collection, will re-open after a complete transformation. Famously known as the hotel where John F. Kennedy stayed during his visit to the country in 1963, the Gran Hotel Costa Rica is the only hotel in San Jose declared by the government as a historical and architectural monument. It is located i...

Advant Medical a global leader in Medical Device contract services and manufacturing solutions, recently announced a significant investment for its expansion into Costa Rica. The Costa Rican expansion saw the opening of a 13,000 square foot facility with a 2,200 square foot, Class 8, cleanroom with capacity to manufacture Class I, II, III Medical Devices. Advant has also invested heavily in new...

NCI Building Systems, one of North America’s largest integrated manufacturers of metal products for the nonresidential building industry, announced today it plans to open a design center in Costa Rica to support its North American operations. NCI’s family of industry-leading brands works side-by-side to design, manufacture and deliver a comprehensive range of products for the non-residential const...