"The Festival of Media Global Awards is dedicated to the evolution of media, celebrating the best in media thinking and communications across the planet. Judged by an innovative, respected and diverse panel of global and regional brand marketers, the program is a prestigious event rewarding the very best work. Hosted at the Rome Cavalieri in Rome, the winners for the Festival of Media Global Award...

Many in Costa Rica are groaning at the specter of the newly approved ‘tax on legal entities,” better known as the corporate tax law, which is soon to go into effect. If you have a car, house or other personal property held in an inactive or “shelf” company, you will be required to pay a yearly tax on the company, though inactive companies pay the lowest rate. However, the government is givin...

After several days of very strong activity, the Poás Volcano in Costa Rica, has entered a period of relative calm, however, the volcano continues emanating gases and vapor, experts consider that under the current conditions more eruptions can be expected in a short term. Strong evaporation is present at the lake, with vigorous sub-aquatic fumaroles, the tremor that had been consistent during t...

Costa Rica’s National Technical Environmental Secretariat (Secretaría Técnica Nacional Ambiental, Setena) recently gave the green light for increased pineapple production in Costa Rica’s southern region, a move that is troubling to environmentalists and indigenous groups whose protected lands in that region would be threatened by the intensive monoculture agriculture, reported Edgardo Araya, Broad...

Marine conservation groups criticized today en executive decree published last week they say paves the way for exports of sharks (and fins from sharks) that are classified as threatened or in danger of extinction. The groups decried the Costa Rican President's decree that grants sole mandate to authorize exports to the Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (Incopesca), saying the agen...

Costa Rica’s Telecommunications Superintendence (Sutel)  announced this week they are moving forward with the Connected Public Spaces program. The program envisions creating 985 wireless access points in 360 districts of the country's 82 counties or “cantones”. They began the bidding process to find a contractor to implement systems for free Wi-Fi in parks, plazas, libraries, train stations and...

Costa Rican carrier Sansa, which runs mainly domestic flights within Costa Rica, experienced technical problems this morning when landing at the Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela, according to reports in Costa Rica's main Spanish daily La Nación. The craft, which was carrying 13 passengers, went off the runway at around 9 a.m. The fire department and other emergency officials we...

Twenty flights were rerouted over the weekend from San José's International Airport (SJO) due to electrical problems. Civil Aviation Officials concluded that a combination of old wiring and lightening affected the electrical cables along the airport runway, causing them to malfunction Friday. The airport was then closed again Saturday evening as technicians attempted to solve the problem. Fo...

Officials of Costa Rica's National Coast Guard Service, as part of their mission to protect marine biodiversity, this weekend detained a man who had 136 Leatherback sea turtle eggs in his possession, reported the Public Security Ministry. The Coast Guard's environmental unit was on patrol in the Barra de Marina region, where the Parismina beach is one of the few Atlantic beaches worldwide where...

Fatal road accidents have become a daily occurrence in Costa Rica, and it's no wonder many slogans and messages aimed at encouraging safe driving refer to the situation as a "war on our streets." This weekend was especially tragic with five young people dead in three separate accidents in just two days. Two children aged 5 and 8 died in the first accident, in Valle de Estrella, Limón, when t...

With the recent publication of Costa Rica's consumer price index (CPI), the Census and Statistics Institute (INEC) reported an inter-annual increase in inflation of 1.64 percent in April, which is its highest level in two years. Compared to March, inflation increased 0.15 points, with higher gas prices being largely responsible for the increase in inflation. The CPI has increased steadily si...

The National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) is hustling to invest around 600 million colones (about US$1,000,000) to make improvements to the Manuel Antonio National Park before the end of the year. The Ministry of Health ordered some big changes to be made by year's end including creating new access and exit routes in and out of the park. The park, located about an hour-and-a-half south ...

This week's weather forecast, includes the formation of a tropical cyclone in the Pacific Ocean near Costa Rica A large but disorganized low pressure system in the Pacific Ocean near the country has been generating a lot of instability, bringing heavy afternoon and evening rains to much of the country. This weather system will likely become organized in the coming days, predict Costa Rican m...

Roberto Zoch, the young entrepreneur now leading San José's top ranked municipal government, was recently profiled in Costa Rica's EKA business magazine. Moravia is a county north of downtown San José; its county seat is San Vicente. Its municipal government website is very user friendly with pages listing recycling routes, park clean-up dates, and other useful information for residents. The...

Every year the problem repeats itself, as soon as the rainy season begins in Costa Rica many streets in the metropolitan area flood, causing a lot of different problems; the cause is of common knowledge, the sewage system is clogged with trash, but the efforts of the municipalities are insufficient, people continue to throw garbage where it doesn’t belong, and the consequences affect everyone. ...

American actor and singer Zac Efron is having fun and enjoying the pleasures of Costa Rica. Through different images published on Instagram, Efron can be seen with a group of friends playing golf in the Papagayo Gulf. Efron is staying at Villas Manzú, the same location chosen by the Kardashian-Jenner family back in January; this place is ideal for celebrities since it provides a secure and i...

The poor decision when a group of 5 teenagers went swimming in Playa Espadilla, Manuel Antonio this Saturday night despite the heavy rain, cost one of them his life, while two others have not yet been found. The identity of the dead minor has not been revealed at this point. The emergency took place close to 8 p.m. this Saturday, May 6. Costa Rica’s Red Cross and the Quepos Coast Guard were abl...

Meet the changemakers promoting sustainable living in one of the world's greenest, and happiest, countries, Costa Rica:    ...

The Paradise Tattoo Convention will take place today and through Sunday, May 7, at the Pedregal Event Center in San Antonio de Belén, Heredia. This is the sixth edition of the convention that will bring together more than 100 national and international tattoo artists, musicians and body modification artists. The organization made a cultural alliance with the Central Bank Museums, the Jade Mu...

As Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís finishes the final year of his term, he urged legislators to focus on eight priority pieces of legislation in his address to this nation earlier this week. The first of these is relating to the value added tax, or VAT. Under this legislation, the current sales tax would become a value added tax (VAT), but remain at the same 13 percent rate. The p...

Costa Rica’s busiest airport, the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela, 20 minutes northwest of San José, has selected SITA to implement its ground-breaking control center technology solution. SITA, a global information technology provider to the air transport industry, will operate its ControlBridge which will provide Aeris Holdings, the airport operator, with a centralized ...

Today Costa Rican Security Minister Gustavo Mata Vega gave highlights of one of the biggest break ups of a drug ring to date in Costa Rica. With today’s 12 arrests - 10 in Costa Rica and two in Colombia - a total of 38 people have been caught in connection with a Costa Rican-Colombian drug trafficking ring after a 2-year investigation, said the ministry press office. Costa Rica’s Drug Contro...

Costa Rica’s President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, gave his third state of the nation report yesterday, May 3, at the Costa Rican congress. The President emphasized on the efforts of his government to promote the process of change for Costa Rica, with the purpose of “building democracy and ruling with honesty”. Solís stated his government has found complex external circumstances and limitatio...

When the La Cruz elementary school director decided to allow Nicaragua students to join her Costa Rican classes, things started to change. La Cruz, Upala, at Alajuela province's northernmost point, is on the border with Nicaragua. Under the guidance of creative designers and communicators from J. Walter Thompson and with the commitment of Costa Rica's leading TV station, Teletica, the children ...

While Latin America as a whole has experienced marked deforestation, Costa Rica has proved the notable exception, and has sustained and even increased its forest cover, said a climate investigation published in the University of Costa Rica’s weekly Semanario Universidad. What has led to Costa Rica’s success? The United Nations Organization for Agriculture (FAO) says state support and incentives...

Zona de Los Santos, Costa Rica — High in the mountains of south central Costa Rica is the Zona de los Santos, an agricultural area with unique qualities and whose inhabitants have perfected  the art of growing and processing one of the best coffees in the world. A series of natural factors have enriched the region's mountainous land, and those who live here have discovered how to make the most ...

Published every year since 2002 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the World Press Freedom Index is an important advocacy tool. The index's growing notoriety means its influence over governments is growing. Many heads of state and government fear its annual publication, said the nonprofit organization. The Index is a point of reference used worldwide by media, diplomats, and international enti...

The Zurich-based Swiss airline, Edelweiss Air, which operates flights to many European cities, North America, Asia, North Africa and the Caribbean, will start offering direct travel to and from Costa Rica May 9, said Enio Cubillo, director general of Costa Rica's Civil Aviation Department. The plans were announced last year by the President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solis, and the Ministe...

PayPal has extended its consumer protection coverage to include customers in 12 Latin American countries including Costa Rica, reported the region’s Summa business magazine. The service, which went into effect last week, aims to put customers more at ease when buying online, and is already available in several Latin American countries including Mexico and Brazil. PayPal said they will now re...

After taking a lot of flack for closures and delays, Costa Rican transportation officials announced one more total closure for the mega-overhaul of the Alfredo González Flores bridge spanning the Virilla River bridge along the General Cañas highway, the main artery into San José and to the international airport in Alajuela. The bridge will be completely closed starting Saturday, April 29 at 3 p...

While business leaders clamor for expedited border crossings, the issue has been pulled from the legislative agenda for further consultation with indigenous groups living in the southern and northern border regions, according to reports in several Costa Rican national media. A border integration program established with the Inter-American Development Bank to provide Costa Rica with US$100 milli...

Costa Rica has a total of 28 National Parks and 72 areas that are either protected zones, biological reserves or wildlife refuges, covering over 26% of the total area of the country. Tourists both local and foreigners prefer coastal and mountain destinations, those that are conveniently located, are easily accessible and of course, those that have more attractions to offer. According to inform...

The Costa Rican Comptroller’s Office (CGR) has taken on the challenge of inspiring citizens to be proactive in exercising their rights and understanding their responsibilities. The “Juntos Somos Mas” (Together We Are More) campaign was launched last year and works mainly through public schools to instill the civic notions of public responsibility, working for the common good, non-discrimination...

Come one, come all to try out creative fare from throughout Costa Rica at the sixth Gustico food fair at the La Sabana Metropolitan Park this weekend. The event gives small scale food and other agricultural-related producers an opportunity to meet with local and international buyers, distributors and businesses, as well as a chance introduce their value-added products to the general public. ...

The Central Volcanic Mountain Range Conservation Area (ACCVC, its initials in Spanish) invites residents in the western Central Valley towns of Zarcero, Naranjo, Grecia, Sarchí, and Bajos del Toro to participate in a participatory process to create a management plan for El Chayote and Río Toro protected areas, said Costa Rican conservation officials. The plan will specify measures to be taken o...

The Balmoral Hotel is offering a new flexible, furnished lodging option in downtown San José for short or long stays. Preferential rates are available in a number of different room sizes and types for stays ranging from 3 days up to a year. The remodeled “micro apartments" range in size from 32m2 to 86m2, and are newly fitted with Italian porcelain floors, fine locally crafted wood furniture...

If you want some extra income, and have a 4-door car no older than a year 2000 model, you can register at Nova to be a driver. The company is seeking applicants throughout Costa Rica's seven provinces. The driver phone/computer application will be released May 24, and the company says they plan to start offering services, complete with a legal services department for drivers, July 24, according...

The University of Costa Rica (UCR) will launch a project that seeks to revolutionize the transportation sector in Central America through a new computer application and a web page, announced the institution yesterday. The official launch will take place Friday, April 28, 2017 at the Wyndham Hotel at 8 a.m. At the event, the Caravana application will be officially presented to the Secretariat of...

As the demand for private health services grows by both Costa Ricans and tourists alike, leaders in the sector felt a broader approach to aid in coordination and communication was needed. Earlier this year at its annual assembly, Promed, Costa Rica's long standing medical tourism promotional body voted to change its statutes and to create an expanded body called the "Cámara Costarricense de la Sa...

Costa Rica's Drug Control Police announced they have attacked 40 criminal structures dedicated to illegal drug trafficking since January Of these, seven were dedicated to international drug trafficking, and 33 to local drug dealing, of which 16 were family-based operations. The Ministry of Public Security said the criminal groups detected and broke up by police involved arrests in different ...