Each year in January, Ticos descend on the sleepy coffee town of Palmares, northwest of San José, for the country’s most rowdy fiesta. Palmares hosts a traditional Costa Rican festival with bullfights, horse parades and carnival rides, but also brings in famous international acts and way more beer than is probably necessary.
A recent National Tourism Chamber study was optimistic that this year's high season will surpass last year's in visitor numbers. But don't expect new hiring.
Newly anointed Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith met with the local media for the first time Monday. After a year off from football (he was fired at the end of the 2012 season after coaching the Chicago Bears for nine years), Smith began his introductory press conference with an anecdote about how he spent part of his free time in Costa Rica.