Scarlet Macaw PRLog - May 25, 2015 - ROCHESTER, Mich. -- For 10 days in late April and early May, a group of 14 Oakland University biology students left the classroom behind to explore the vast wilds of Costa Rica. The excursion was part of a tropical field ecology course that brought students into a world of diverse landscapes with untold varieties of animals and plants. Under the supervis...

Selva Nueva The international real estate market is currently sizzling with impressive real estate opportunities, and the Central American region is getting a lot of attention in this regard. Globalization and transnational free trade agreements are making it easier for foreign investors to acquire property around the world, and two of the most spectacular listings at this time are located in ...

Source: MSP A security task force convened by the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP) in Costa Rica arrested a citizen from the United States who will be charged with crimes against nature. According to an official press release by the MSP, the U.S. expat was apprehended along with a citizen of Costa Rica; both men will face charges stemming from activities related to the illeg...

The rescued French tourists. Source: MSP An offshore fishing charter expedition in Costa Rica turned deadly for a French tourist who was on vacation with friends and relatives. According to a press communication by the Ministry of Public Security (Spanish initials: MSP), officers from the National Coast Guard Service identified the victim as Huberts Nicolle. The tragic accident took place a...

Mouthless crab, a resident of the mangrove in Costa Rica The Pacific and Caribbean shorelines of Costa Rica are home to various mangrove forests that are extremely important for marine and coastal ecosystems. These forests feature unique vegetation that thrives on brackish water, and which provides a fertile habitat for many wildlife species such as tropical fish, crabs, caimans, monkeys, bats...

Source: Facebook On the same day that Jewish and Christian faithful in Costa Rica were celebrating their respective religious holidays of Passover and Good Friday, a tragic accident claimed the life of Matthew Kritzer, an expatriate from the United States who resided in the Southern Pacific coast, specifically in the town of San Josecito in the Osa Peninsula. As recently posted by Nicole Hi...

Source: Facebook Author's Note: Regrettably, The Costa Rica Star did not know about the life of Matthew Kritzer, a gentleman from the United States, until it was too late. We first learned about his tragic demise from a report filed by the medical examiner. While conducting research for the news article, we came across Mr. Kritzer's digital footprint, which paints the picture of an amazing hum...

File photo According to field reports filed by the forensic section of the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ), a 67-year old man from the United States passed away from massive trauma sustained after a tragic road traffic accident in Costa Rica. The crash reportedly took place in the Osa Peninsula, which is located in the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica. More sp...

Source: Brisas de Osa Uvita, Costa Rica - March 13, 2015 /MarketersMedia/ -- The developers of the much anticipated Brisas de Osa gated community in Costa Rica are proud to announce the unveiling of the project to the public. The development firm announced their initial public launch by releasing a selection of ocean view home sites overlooking the majestic coastline of Costa Rica's souther...

Rachel Brathen at the Envision Festival. Source: Instagram One of the highlights of the recent Envision Festival in the pristine southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica was Rachel Brathen and her yoga sessions. Ms. Brathen is also known as Yoga Girl, and her yoga workshops and retreats in Costa Rica are legendary. In fact, she is currently conducting a Costa Rica yoga retreat at Selva Armonia in ...

Toucan in Costa Rica Nature conservation and reforestation efforts in Costa Rica are certainly paying off for coffee producers, land owners, tourism and hospitality operators, and -of course- birdwatchers. Just about any visitor who stays at an eco-resort in Costa Rica is bound to enjoy birdwatching whether they planned it or not. Here's a recent press release on this topic: Manuel Antonio, Cos...

The two coastlines of Costa Rica are blessed with abundant marine life, excellent weather, and very nice people who are eager to teach newcomers to the world of deep sea fishing the wonders of going offshore. First-timers who want to learn more about deep sea fishing should plan a trip to Costa Rica for the purpose of becoming acquainted with this recreational activity. To this effect, the followi...

Cody Dial The information herein mostly comes from the GoFundMe online fundraiser set up by the parents of Cody Roman Dial, a college student from the United States who arrived in Costa Rica with adventure in his mind. Cody intended to hike across Corcovado National Park in our Southern Pacific region; he has been missing since July of 2014. For the purpose of style and flow of prose, The Costa...

Source: Spot Serving Costa Rica as a park ranger is a task that can be fraught with peril, particularly when it comes to being assigned to wild nature preserves such as the Corcovado National Park, located in the Osa Peninsula of our country's Southern Pacific coast. The dangers at this pristine, yet dangerous, national park include: snake bites, twisted or broken ankles, exhaustion, dehydrati...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Geographic Society announced today the launch of National Geographic Private Expeditions, a new line of trips geared toward independent travelers, offered in partnership with Virtuoso®, the leading international network of luxury-focused travel agencies and advisors. Private Expeditions are unique itineraries to destinations all over...

Source: Blue Osa The Active Times, a major online source of information about active, adventurous and healthy vacations, recently announced its Top Ten List of Health and Wellness Vacations for 2015, and Costa Rica made the list. The Active Times based its Top Ten picks on the following criteria:   For some, "getting away" not only means venturing to a quiet, calm and secluded retreat...

Source: Sergio Escárcega Rodríguez for Fishbase A giant female Pacific black snook (Centropomus) caught in Costa Rica earlier this year was recently certified as a world record by the International Game Fish Association (IFGA). The lucky angler is Ward Michaels, a fishing guide from Central Florida who has been putting together fishing trips to our country for his United States clients for a c...

At Finca 6 in Palmar Sur of the Osa canton yesterday, President Luis Guillermo Solis and representatives from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) unveiled the official plaque commemorating the declaration of the National Park of the Stone Spheres as a World Heritage Site. The Mayor of the Osa canton and officials from the National Museum of Costa Rica we...

One of the most pristine coastal areas of Costa Rica will be partially shut down after dark from now until March 15, 2015. The Las Baulas (Leatherback Turtles) Marine Park in the Osa Peninsula will close down beach access to Playa Grande, Playa Ventanas, Playa Langosta, and Playa Carbon from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am to allow for the massive arrivals of Dermochelys coriacea during nesting season. The ...

Humpback whale breaching in Costa Rica The Southern Pacific region of Costa Rica is known as one of the country's major magnets of ecotourism revenue. One of the big draws to the coastal region of the Osa Peninsula is the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena (Ballena Pelagic National Park), a unique spot on Earth that is known as an “aquatic labor and delivery chamber” for many cetaceans, including ...

For me, the Osa Peninsula is one of the most worthwhile places to visit in Costa Rica. The small stretch of remote rugged jungle in the southwestern corner of the country, bounded by the deep blue Pacific Ocean to the west and the placid Golfo Dulce to the east, is renowned by scientists, explorers and nature lovers as an astounding paradise. Covering an area of 700 square miles, this last rema...

Coming at the end of March to the Osa southern region of Costa Rica, the ninth Festival of the Stone Spheres celebrates one of the most enigmatic historical and cultural mysteries of Costa Rica. The 2014 Festival of the Spheres will be held March 26 to 30 in Palmar Sur, Palmar Norte and Sierpe. Put on by the National Museum of Costa Rica, the majority of the activities will be at its new satell...

Imagine attending a workshop or a retreat, but instead of a conference center or event hall, you were surrounded by lush coastal rainforest, listening to the sounds of lapping waves of 80-degree calm Pacific gulf waters and roars of howler monkeys in the jungle. This is what it is like to have a retreat or seminar at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica. The remote oceanfront jungle lod...

“Dogs barking after midnight,” remembers David, “the dogs went crazy every time a humpback whale blew or there were whales breaching right at Rincon Bay”. Those are the memories of David Herra Miranda, who was born and raised in Golfo Dulce. Now, more than two decades later, he is a research associate with CEIC, Centro de Investigación de Cetáceos Costa Rica (Cetacean Research Center Costa Ric...

Two top U.S. biology research scientists are coming to Costa Rica in early March to lead a study trip deep in the Costa Rican rainforest on the south Pacific Coast of the Golfo Dulce. The scientific tour will be held March 1-7, 2014, at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, a member of Enchanting Hotels & Resorts Costa Rica. Drs. Howard Topoff and Carol Simon of Arizona – both professors emeriti of T...

Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula is renowned by scientists, explorers and nature lovers as an astounding paradise of biological diversity. The southern Pacific Ocean off the Osa Peninsula is natural wonder of marine life, home to more than 25 species of dolphins and whales, four of the world’s eight different sea turtles, along with manta rays, sailfish, marlin, tuna and sharks. The southern Pacific, an...

Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica – Described by National Geographic as the “most biologically intense place on Earth,” there is an urgent need to protect the rich marine biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula due to rampant commercial fishing that is rapidly killing off dolphins, whales, sea turtles and entire marine ecosystems. The MPA for OSA group (Marine Protected Area for OSA Peninsula) has started a cam...

Like the lion or the tiger, the jaguar is the “king of the jungle” in the Americas. It is the largest feline in the Americas and the third largest in the world, notes Wikipedia. With a range extending from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina, there are only an estimated 15,000 jaguars left in the wild, according to the W...

Meet sloths, kinkajous, tayras, ocelots, peccaries and anteaters. Stand next to Scarlet Macaws feeding on almond trees. Watch white-faced monkeys swing and play next to you, and have your heart melt when a spider monkey comes to hold your hand. This isn’t some exotic zoo, but rather the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary on Golfo Dulce in the South Pacific of Costa Rica. The Costa Rica wildlife refuge help...

Drake Bay. Source: Flickr CC The treacherous underwater currents of Drake Bay claimed the life of a Canadian man who was reportedly part of a film crew working for the international cable network NatGeo in Costa Rica. The photographer has been identified as Peter Brumer. According to daily tabloid newspaper Diario Extra, the late photographer disappeared around 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The unde...

If you would like The Costa Rica Star to cover your business, please contact us. The Osa Peninsula not only holds 5% of the world’s biodiversity, but it also has an extensive array of habitats, in which you can find and enjoy refreshing rivers and stunning waterfalls, primary and secondary forest, all joining together in a beautiful mix with the ocean. In these habitats we also find some amazin...

I remember the first time I caught a needlefish. Its electric blue teeth and skeleton (seen upon filleting) were a shocking surprise. The needlefish is tricky to catch given its long, narrow jaws filled with needle-sharp teeth (hence, its name) that usually cut fishing line like dental floss. Once you have one, though, they are really tasty – especially fried in olive oil and garlic for a finger s...

A new music festival that will bring world class musicians and rising stars together on one stage has been born in the southern pacific zone of Costa Rica. The first annual Best Fest promises to be an amazing event featuring musical genres such as reggae, latin, jazz, rock, blues, and more performed by bands from Costa Rica and the United States. The Best Fest invites audiences of all ages to expe...

An open letter to the honorable Sir Richard Branson and Jose Maria Figueres Olson, from Shawn Larkin, one of the most sincere animal activists in Costa Rica. I have raised my family on Costa Rican seas. The oceans sustain and provide for us everyday. So, I would like to thank you deeply for your most excellent support of saving sharks in this green country embracing blue. Having outstan...

Scarlet macaws, yellow orchids, iridescent butterflies that shift shades in the light. Under the Corcovado canopy, you could call it Hunter Green, but hunting here there is not. A National Park since 1975, this region boasts 263 square miles of protected territory that extends along the southern boot by el Golfo Dulce. Beyond Corcovado Park, though, there exists other walks of life beside t...

The Costa Rica White Hawk Project's mission is to purchase forested lands to protect all of the wildlife in the Carate River Valley, creating a crucial wildlife corridor all along the Osa Peninsula where animals can roam freely and be protected. Mission The goal of this project is to purchase forested lands for protection of all of the wildlife in the Carate River Valley. It will be part...

SPECIFICALLY, a study by the CREST Center for Responsible Travel released in 2011 reports that 62% of travelers claim traveling responsible is “important” to them, and over 80% state they want their hotel to be socially and environmentally responsible. But 73% of those polled did nothing to verify their hotel’s environmental practices, and 81% didn’t try to verify their hotel’s social practices...

For 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to live and work in this fabulous country and I’ve assembled the following information with links to share a slice of paradise with you. CENTRAL VALLEY - The heart and soul of Costa Rica, where 70% of the population lives and works. Strikingly beautiful with a mild, spring-like climate year-round. Costa Rica’s Central Valley lies at an elevation of 3,000 to 5,...

The National Museum, in conjunction with community associations of the Osa, Palmar and the Diquis Delta region, invite you to the VII Festival of the Stone Spheres this weekend. This is a cultural and festive event that will serve as a warm up for the future UNESCO candidacy of the magnificent National Park of the Stone Spheres of Costa Rica. The activities will start at 9:00 AM and will wrap u...

Finca Bellavista is a unique sustainable treetop community located in the Osa Peninsula. In the past, The Costa Rica Star has written about this unparalleled residential project, which has been getting a lot more attention lately. A recent visitor to Finca Bellavista was Tico journalist Sebastian Castro, who is one of the youngest feature reporters working at CNN. Castro is a graduate from ...