Knowing a little something about a country’s cultural and social nuances before you travel there could mean the difference between having a fun or a frustrating vacation. You’d want the same for a visitor in your own country, so why not make cultural awareness just as important as what you pack when planning an international trip. The more information you gather before traveling to a foreign...

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...

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...

Recently The Costa Rica Star published about The Gigolos of Puerto Viejo: How Ladies Pursuit and Buy Romance in Costa Rica. It’s quite rare to be a single female traveler who leaves Costa Rica without falling in love. It is no secret that gringa’s who travel to this part of the world are often lured to Costa Rica to escape the stress in the States and to immerse in nature and also to experie...

Santa Teresa is one of those iconic Costa Rica tourism spots. Paradise found for so many international and Costa Rican tourists who “discovered” Santa Teresa’s pristine beaches, world-class surf breaks and lushly forested coastline. Yet as more and more travelers flock to experience these beautiful treasures, the isolation bubble stretches to the max, bringing with it the growing pains of any popu...

Travelers who are looking for a tropical destination on their next vacation might want to consider a cruise. There are so many benefits to cruising. You get to visit multiple countries, islands or points of interest all on the same trip without hassling with transportation, border crossings or logistics. On a cruise, you unpack once and your floating hotel takes you from place to place. Dining,...

Heading out on a school trip to Costa Rica? What you bring with you, from your attitude to the items in your suitcase, is one of the most important aspects of Costa Rica Student Tours. But to really make the most of your trip, go beyond a standard packing list, and check out our recommendations for the 10 things you must pack for your Costa Rican expedition! 1. Questions! There is a whole W...

Watching an enormous crocodile approaching from a river bank is enough to make most of us run a mile. But not for these intrepid tour guides who give a completely new meaning to the phrase “staring danger in the face”. The astonishing video below shows the men standing just inches from the giant reptiles as they hand feed them chunks of chicken. Jose Eduardo Chaves Salas, 32, runs Jose's ...

Lots of music, dancing and fun for all ages. In this way the community of Playa Brasilito will celebrate World Tourism Day on Friday, September 27th. The activities will begin at 11:00 AM and will take place in the communal center (Salón Comunal) and Brasilito’s sports field (Plaza de Deportes de Brasilito). Jason Vargas, head of the tourism management department of the police in Playa Brasi...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to publish your business press release, please contact us. Today, the Costa Rica Tourism Board announces goCostaRica, a new travel iPad app created by advertising agency 22squared and developed by MaxMedia. The app allows travelers to explore Costa Rica through a selection of videos, photos and interactive maps. Users can also build their own Precatio...

Source: Remembering Justin It has been more than two years since Justin Johnston was shot and killed in Costa Rica. His killer, a security guard who thought the teenager from Kansas was breaking into a hotel, is facing 15 years in prison. The retrial was ordered by the Appeals Court of San Ramon, province of Alajuela, under the doctrine of iuris tantum -rebuttable presumption. As explained ...

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), together with tourism businesses in Costa Rica, have been participating at the International Tourism Fair of Latin America (FIT) to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Then, later this week, ICT officials will attend the International Travel Fair Mark Latin America 2013 to be held in Quito, Ecuador. “The economic boom they are experiencing in cert...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to publish your business press release, please contact us. Santa Teresa, Puntarenas — Pollo Pass is a new discount service for travelers to the Santa Teresa area in Costa Rica. Pollo Pass is a discount bracelet that entitles the customer to discounts at local businesses including restaurants, bars, horseback riding, Spanish lessons, surf lessons, spas, yoga...

Source: Flickr CC When traveling to a foreign country, how much attention do you pay to travel advisories issued by your government? For example, if you follow the news releases published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Costa Rica, you would know that travel to Syria at this time is absolutely not recommended. Costa Rica does not publish travel warnings per se, although officials from...

This is a list of photos that we at The Costa Rica Star feel should be retired and never again used by any Costa Rican tourism company. These photos below have been used over and over again, online and in print advertising for many years, often without the approval or consent of the copyright holder to the photo. It's time that tourism operators and businesses spend some money to get new photos...

Costa Rica is a land of endless charms, and not all of them are related to her natural beauty, amazing biodiversity and penchant for environmental protection. Until recently, the National Board of Tourism (ICT) has focused on two major concepts for the branding and marketing of Costa Rica as an international destination. From now on, however, the focus will be on the Ticos. Esencial Costa Rica ...

Seventh-day Adventist professionals from throughout the Inter-American Division territory gathered for the church’s 13th annual Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) Convention in San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 14-17, 2013. The event brought more than 200 professionals and church leaders to Barcelo San Jose Palacio Hotel to celebrate their passion in sharing Christ through their businesses,...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to cover your business press release, please contact us. Stay at Peninsula Papagayo, Play Four Seasons Costa Rica Golf, Relax in the Privacy of Your Own Luxury Vacation Rental. Papagayo Luxury announces fall promotion for their private vacation home rentals at Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica: -Stay 7 nights, pay for 6 (valid Sep 1- Nov 14, 2013) -St...

One of the most popular day tours from San Jose, Costa Rica, is the charming artisan town of Sarchi. Called the “cradle of Costa Rican handicrafts,” both international tourists and locals alike visit Sarchi for its more than 200 stores and small family-operated woodworking and leather workshops. It is a perfect Central Valley day tour to combine with the Poás Volcano, a coffee tour, or the Juan...

A total of 1.32 million tourists arrived in Costa Rica in the first six months of 2013, which is an increase of 2.7% over the same period last year, according to data provided by the Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT). The majority of the visitors from January to June arrived at the Juan Santamaría international airport in San José, followed by the Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia, while ...

Costa Rica's Hotel Industry does not want to lose its leadership in Central America, so in order to stay competitive it's seeking to establish an innovation and renewal plan to be implemented during the next 20 years. The president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels (CCH in Spanish), Ruben Pacheco, explained that this initiative was the main subject of study of the National Hotel Congress, wh...

The Chinchilla government and the private sector are joining efforts to reverse the sharp decrease in cruise ship arrivals in Costa Rica, that has halved between the 2011-2012 season and the current one. The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) – Costa Rican Tourism Institute – and entrepreneurs are seeking to streamline procedures and improve safety at the Pacific and Caribbean ports. F...

If you want The Costa Rica Star to publish your business news press release, please contact us for details. Grupo Islita’s El Silencio Lodge & Spa and Hotel Punta Islita showcased as exemplary for upscale travelers who are considering Costa Rica as a vacation spot. With the inclusion of El Silencio Lodge & Spa in luxury travel authority Andrew Harper’s August Hideaway Report, Grupo Islita’s ...

Students at Technical Professional High School (CTP) in Nicoya will be getting more hands-on experience thanks to a new interchange agreement signed between the school and CASATUR, the chamber of tourism in Samara. Students began working at different hotels in Samara in July. “Of all of the opportunities that one has to keep working after the internship, we have an 80 to 90 percent chance ...

VagabrothersIf you were to win an all expense paid six month trip around the world - where would you go? Alex and Marko Ayling, better known as the "Vagabrothers" had to make those choices when they won My Destination's Biggest Baddest Bucket List contest earlier this year. Competing with thousands of entries from around the world, the Vagabrothers short video entry topped all others to aw...

R.A.W. and One Love Generation partner with the Museo de Guanacaste to work on renovation and beautification projects for this historic Costa Rican landmark. On July 13th, six teen artists from One Love Generation (OLG) traveled to the City of Liberia, located on the northwestern edge of Costa Rica. Here, in partnership with RAW Tours, they created a heart opening experience and lasting impact ...

Trips to Costa Rica are more popular than ever, but do you know how to protect yourself from paying more for your vacation than you should, having a low quality experience, getting trapped by company policies, and/or receiving poor advice? If not, we can help. The following is a list of 5 red flags to be aware of (as well as our recommendations as to how to identify and avoid each) when purchasing...

In the past The Costa Rica Star has published about Prostitution in San Jose Costa Rica, and the price of those sexual services, using information from various Universities in Costa Rica. When people think of Costa Rica they picture its toucans, monkeys, volcanoes, and pristine beaches with amazing surfing locations up and down the coasts. They see in their minds the flora, the fauna, ad infini...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to cover your Costa Rica business press release, please contact us for details. Well-known hotel in Costa Rica for its secluded luxury, prime location, amazing views, superb service and intimate setting, the Zephyr Palace reputation is now acknowledged worldwide by being voted for the 2nd consecutive year as the Top Hotel in Costa Rica and first time for Me...

Every year at the Cannes Film Festival, a single screening manages to polarize audiences. This time the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Paul Watson, who is fighting an extradition to Costa Rica, is trying to take the spotlight with his 2011 documentary "Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist", and to that extent celebrity guests -including American actress Michelle Rodriguez- planned a g...

On Monday, Costa Rica printed a controversial law in its official publication, La Gaceta, that could open the door to gay marriage. The measure, a reform of the country's Young Persons Law, modifies part of the code covering civil unions, or what could be called common-law marriages, between those who have been co-habitating for three or more years. It outlines “the recognition of the right, wi...

San Jose, Costa Rica – July 7, 2013 – Amatierra, a unique mountain Yoga retreat and wellness center located in the pristine mountains of Costa Rica, and the privileged recipient of the 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, is happy to announce their current promotions. These new promotions are ideal for travelers who are looking to get away and immerse themselves in a surrounding of sere...

Playas del Coco is one of the more well known beach towns in the country for both locals and tourists. Although it is one of the smaller beaches in the Guanacaste region, it is still full of nightlife and activities to do such as scuba diving, sport fishing, and snorkeling along with many bars and restaurants. During the main holidays such as New Year and Easter, Playas del Coco becomes packed wi...

Here is a video developed by Tourism Costa Rica that will be played in hundreds of theaters across the United States over the course of 2013. Costa Rica Traveler Magazine took the film crew on a 25 day tour, staying in 18 hotels throughout the country in order to get the video content for this promotional video. ...

We are Brenda and Christopher Cottes and we are the Samara-Carrillo Info Center! Well we are more then that really. We are the Welcome Center, Tourist Information, Travel Planning, Booking Station, Lost and Found, Volunteer Center, Job Bank and more. Our services are always 100% Free! Between the two of us we have lived in Costa Rica for over 20 years and have been to almost every pa...

My girlfriend and I just returned from a trip to Costa Rica and, as a transportation professional navigating a foreign land, I couldn’t help but take notice of certain aspects of Costa Rican mobility. During our trip, we spent all of our time in small, mainly rural towns – a vast contrast to the bustling urban environment in and around where we live in the Washington D.C. region. However, despi...

Don’t miss out on the Costa Rica vacation of a lifetime. Enter the Arenal Volcano Adventure Sweepstakes and Go Visit Costa Rica will bring your dream of a Costa Rica vacation to reality. Win a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and enjoy the biodiversity of Costa Rica. Get lost in the epic wildlife, culture and beauty on a Costa Rica vacation. The Arenal Volcano Adventure...

During the first 15 days of November, the beginning of tourist season, the tourist police reported an increase in the number of crimes against property. At the same time, Jeison Vargas, tourist police chief in Guiones, assured that this is what the tourist police are here for and that they are visiting the area businesses every day. The police advise taking necessary precautions to ensure that ...