Source: FreePlay A few days ago, the Costa Rica Star published an article about the CAT B15, an ultra-rugged smartphone made by Caterpillar that seems to have been custom-made for the active lifestyle of many expats and tourists in Guanacaste. Although the CAT B15's battery offers an astonishing 16 hours of talk time; this feature can be extended with the Freecharge 12-volt mobile device charg...

New beginnings are old hat at upscale Hotel Le Caméléon in Costa Rica, where their motto is “Every day is a new day”. The Costa Rica boutique hotel on the southern Caribbean Coast, that changes the color of its décor daily like a chameleon, is marking its fifth anniversary year with the opening of its new La Sula Sea Lounge on the beach at Playa Cocles. A vivacious opening party will be held...

Not much is known about the first native peoples to live near the massive Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province. A new archaeology tour at the area’s eco-lodge Hacienda Guachipelin will help shed some light on the mysteries of these indigenous ancestors of Costa Rica. “We’re rescuing the cultural traditions of Guanacaste,” said Fernando Camacho Mora, archaeologist in ch...

Although medical tourism in Costa Rica is known to be mostly a 21st century development, dental patients from North America and Europe have been coming here for decades for implants, general dentistry, oral surgery, cosmetic procedures, and more. In fact, a 2006 research study by the Department of Geography at the University of Kansas determined that dentistry, and dental implants in particular ar...

Locally crafted beer will surprise palates at the Costa Rican Craft Brewers Association’s 3rd Annual Craft Beer Festival. -The Festival will take place at Avenida Escazu Saturday, April 5th beginning at 11am and running until 5pm. -There will be more than 32 craft beers available for attendees to sample and enjoy. San Jose, Costa Rica - Craft brews created only in Costa Rica by small produ...

Reinventing a business is like soul-searching. Who are we? What are we about? What are we doing and why? It is a process not every business takes the time to tackle. Yet it is the most urgently talked about business concept over the past five years. Hotel Tropico Latino at beautiful Santa Teresa Beach in Costa Rica recently engaged in the challenge of reinventing and redefining its business. T...

One of the most well-known landmarks at Nosara, Costa Rica is the Nosara Yoga Institute (NYI). People come from all over the world for the yoga teacher training and yoga classes at the internationally-renowned center. Opened in 1994 by founders Don and Amba Stapleton, NYI is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Starting in the 1970s, pioneering expats from the U.S. began trickling into t...

Author's Note: This article was submitted by Asdrubal Zamora Corrales as a response to Bank Interest Rates for Term Deposits in Costa Rica, published on March 10th, 2014. Mr. Zamora is an executive in charge of debt instruments and other investments at COOPENAE, the most powerful credit union in Costa Rica. Mr. Zamora's original article has been slightly edited for grammar and style. COOPENAE's...

The abundance of outdoor activities hosted by Jaco never ceases to amaze. Did you know, from Jaco you have access to a gorgeous island filled with jet skis, kayaks, banana boats, volleyball, tropical fish to snorkel with, and loungers? Let me share with you my recent experience at Isla Tortuga. My day started with a gorgeous one and a half hour boat ride from Playa Herradura where I observed ju...

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...

Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica: APEGUA (the Alliance for Progress of Education in Guanacaste) will be hosting a 5k/10k race on Saturday, May 3rd along the beautiful Guanacaste coastline. This popular annual event will see some changes in its fourth edition, including a new location (the race route will now span from Flamingo to Playa Potrero) and a new date. This year’s race, which is being orga...

Front view of Paradizio Condos in Playas del Coco GuanacastePlayas del Coco, Costa Rica. March 17, 2014 – The Paradizio condominium developers are excited to announce the debut of their new website and virtual sales office for prospective buyers looking for stylish residential properties in Costa Rica's Gold Coast. Prospective buyers are invited to review the website and become familiar with ever...

Recent cover of US Forbes edition Two of the biggest global names in financial news media have recently expanded to Costa Rica and the rest of the Central American Isthmus. Bloomberg TV has teamed up with El Financiero of Mexico to launch a multimedia platform that will broadcast in Spanish, and Forbes announced the debut of a print magazine dedicated to Central American financial news. Acc...

Source: Ronald McDonald House Costa Rica. The Costa Rican chapter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities is proud to announce the 14th edition of its classic Charitable Golf Tournament. This event has become the main fund raiser to cover the costs of operating and maintaining the Ronald McDonald House in Costa Rica, which opened in 2012. The stroke-play, 18-hole tournament will take place a...

Caterpillar B15 Smartphone, Tough as S#&@! People love Guanacaste for dozens of reasons, and one of the reasons most often mentioned by adventuresome tourists and expats is the wide range of outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in the province. Surfing, horseback riding, diving, hiking, stand-up paddle (SUP) boarding, mountain bike riding, kite boarding... the list goes on. Guanacaste...

When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of the United States was mentioned for the first time, analysts of the medical tourism industry wondered how “Obamacare” would impact the business of health travel. Now that enrollment in federal health insurance has been in effect for a few months, continuous growth of medical tourism in Costa Rica is expected due to three factors: Affordability...

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...

As record-high levels of snow, ice and rain and record-low temperatures continue to grip North America and Europe, Costa Rica is looking better and better as a Spring Break 2014 destination. Tired of that heavy winter coat, snow boots and wet, dismal weather? We agree. It’s time for some sun, and Costa Rica has plenty of it. Costa Rica’s dry summer season continues to deliver endless tropical s...

Delicious Tacos on the menu at Hotel ChantelHotel Chantel, the ocean view boutique hotel with the best 360-degree panoramic view of Playas del Coco in Guanacaste, is happy to announce that its scenic rooftop restaurant is now open to the public. This comfortable restaurant was inaugurated for the convenience of hotel guests just in time for the 2013 holiday season; however, management had to smoot...

Scene from DrumFest 2013 DrumFest Costa Rica is an international event organized by the Sanders Music Academy that has become an important cultural and musical gathering in Latin America. DrumFest 2014 will be the fourth iteration of this important event, which is dedicated to a very special guest: Renowned jazz drummer John Bernard Riley. John Riley is one of the foremost drum and percussi...

Among the numerous reasons medical tourism in Costa Rica has grown significantly over the last few years, quality of care stands out as being among the most important. In the 21st century, a handful of nations have consistently ranked among the top countries for health care in terms of quality and affordability, and Costa Rica is the most attractive destination for North American medical travelers...

Teletica, the media network that broadcasts nationwide as well as abroad via Internet data streams, recently confirmed rumors related to its expansion in the near future. By 2015, the TV network that includes channel 7, XperTV, CableTica, the new Teletica Deportes channel (TD+), and TuYo Movil, will have a new studio in Costa Rica. This expansion may also hint at a future focus on reality TV p...

In Costa Rica you can find just about any type of smartphone, from a variety of manufacturers, for all tastes and needs. But as of last Friday there is one particular cell phone that is made right here in Costa Rica and rivals any other smartphone in the market. Introducing the Sky II by Agora Wholesale, located in Lagunilla de Heredia. According to its creators, the smartphone was designed ...

The TEDx Pura Vida 2014 event, with 25 local and foreign exhibitors presenting their innovative ideas, will take place today, February 27th, at the Auditorio Nacional del Museo de los Niños. The event will also be available by video streaming at dozens of halls in different parts of the country at schools and businesses, like the TEC in San Carlos and Cartago and the Museo de Guanacaste, among ...

Exploring Costa Rica by kayak is a fun way to enjoy nature and spot wildlife in a myriad of different settings. Costa Rica counts close to 800 miles of ocean coastline between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, along with hundreds of rivers and estuaries, and several lakes – all full of kayaking possibilities. Kayaking is good exercise, and you can work on your tan at the same time! Oftentimes, ...

Part of Santa Elena Preserve Luxury beach resorts, marinas, theme parks, and hotels: This is Guanacaste in the 21st century. It was not too long ago when this region of Costa Rica was known as the “forgotten province.” These days, however, luxury resort developers and assorted capitalists are looking at Guanacaste with hungry eyes. A new $125 million project recently announced that it will ...

Poster for The Suicide Shop If you missed the recent online French film festival or the visit by acclaimed director Patrice Leconte to Costa Rica, the Alianza Francesa (French Alliance) wants you to know two things: 1) c'est la vie! and 2) you still have three more chances to catch great films directed by Monsieur Leconte in February. The best part about this news is that these cinematic goodi...

“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...

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s high-speed trimaran, the Brigitte Bardot has returned from its first successful patrol assisting the Guatemalan Department of Fisheries in its anti-poaching enforcement operations. Asked by Fisheries officials to help battle poaching in Guatemalan waters, Sea Shepherd is helping to lower the impact of illegal fishing of billfish by commercial fishermen. T...

Carlos Hiller hanging his artwork at the Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste Costa RicaFast, tenacious and colorful: these adjectives are subjective of course, but nonetheless describe the fundamental nature of these magnificent fish which have become icons of the sport and commercial fishing on Costa Rica's Pacific coast: sailfish, roosterfish and golden fish (Mahi-Mahi). The paintin...

Hotel guests enjoying a cocktail at Living Hotel NosaraThe Living Hotel is now a whole complex of services to cater to health-conscious guests. Located across from the Mini Super Delicias del Mundo, it is fully operational this high season with its own Living Café restaurant, full service spa, yoga classes, Nosaranet office center, bike rentals, surf lessons and airport transportation. Ricardo Mi...

One of the best music festivals in Costa Rica takes place in Playa Nosara, province of Guanacaste, each year. The Caricaco (Beach Crab) Music Festival has been taking place since 2009, and each iteration has been more exciting than the previous one. This year's Caricaco Music Festival will be no exception, and it will be held in Finca Austria, closer to Playa Guiones, in order to accommodate t...

Source: Weber BBQ Fest The smell of marinated and grilled fine cuts of meat permeated the air this past weekend at the 2nd Annual Weber BBQ Fest in Costa Rica, which took place in the parking lot across from Nova, in the glitzy (and secretive) Avenida Escazu. This festive gathering of carnivores and culinary experts included more than just plates full of steak, ribs, sausage, chicken, fish, an...

Pulmitan of Liberia Marcopolo Paradiso 1800DD passenger bus between San Jose and Playas del Coco, Guanacaste One of the most advanced, luxurious and comfortable coach buses in Latin America is operated by Pulmitan of Liberia, a respected transportation provider from the province of Guanacaste. The Marcopolo Paradiso 1800DD is an elegant double-decker bus that steals a lot of looks wherever it ...

Updated January 2017 Costa Rica is a top world travel destination because it has something for everyone: tropical rainforest, green mountains, spectacular beaches, active volcanoes, wild rivers and lakes, and charming towns. The dry tropical forest and wide savannas of the north Pacific are as varied as the dense, steamy jungle of the south Pacific, the misty cool cloud forest high in the centr...

Bilingual and friendly doctors and dentists await you in Costa Rica. The global health tourism industry has grown significantly despite a lack of substantial publicity or marketing. To this effect, Costa Rica is the leading destination in the Americas for medical tourists and visitors seeking quality and affordable treatment options; there are several reasons why this country enjoys this statu...

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...

For a couple of years now, the sport of tennis has been making inroads in the Nosara community, and now a couple of developers are stepping it up a notch, although not everyone is happy to see courts being built in the heart of Playa Guiones. In Esperanza, in Villas Esperanza, known as the 506 tennis center, Sam Carver is developing a tennis community with 12 homes planned. He believes that suc...

Nosara Yoga Institute adds new facilities for guests and teachersThe Nosara Yoga Institute (NYI), founded by Don and Amba Stapleton, brought yoga classes and training to the Nosara area since 1994, but teacher training and program participants had to look for accommodations elsewhere. Now the Institute has expanded its facilities to eight acres to include a hotel, restaurant, juice bar, a 25-mete...

Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel in Guanacaste Costa RicaThe Tamarindo Bay Boutique Hotel is the newest, luxury beach accommodation in Guanacaste's Gold Coast. This hotel, which offers a private and secure setting at a very short distance away from the beach and other amenities, is proud to bring a new concept in modern and sophisticated comfort and hospitality. The Pacific beaches of Guanacaste a...