Year in review 2014

It’s all fun and games – until you get arrested by Central American authorities for shoplifting a metric ton of saltines.

Every year travel magazines and survey authorities across the world hurl accolades at Costa Rica’s beautiful beaches and seemingly happy people. This year was no different, but the predicted wave of praise was also accompanied with an unforeseen amount of criticism.

Costa Rica released its 2015 ad campaign for U.S. and Canadian visitors this month, but the country’s history as a destination for the rich and famous is endorsement enough. Here’s a run down of the biggest celebs who stamped their passports “pura vida" in 2014.

Football is by far Costa Rica’s favorite sport, so it's not surprising that 2014 will be remembered as a year of impressive performances by both "Las Ticas" and "Los Ticos."

The headline says it all. Find out who we picked.

Known worldwide for its pristine green image, Costa Rica's environmental record is often seen as flawless by outsiders. Still, environmental problems exist in Costa Rica, and this year's headlines showed that the country has a lot of work to do to truly earn that flawless reputation.

The year 2014 was a big one for Costa Rica: The country got a new president, shocked soccer fans in the World Cup and celebrated and protested in the streets. The Tico Times photography staff was there to capture it all. Here is our year in photos