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COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

Costa Rica’s Route 32 Reopens After a Morning Landslide Shuts the Highway

The Tico Times -
Route 32 closed for about four hours Saturday morning after material fell on the San José-Limón highway. Here are the alternates and why the road can shut again.

The Panama Canal Opened 112 Years Ago Today

The Tico Times -
Twelve years of digging, an estimated 27,500 deaths and roughly $375 million ended quietly on the morning of August 15, 1914, when a single steamship slipped into a lock...

Costa Rica Estate Becomes Refuge for Rare Agami Heron

The Tico Times -
Around 1,000 agami herons have made a private estate in Guatuso their home, creating an unusual concentration of one of the most elusive heron species found in Costa Rica....

One of Costa Rica’s Must-Do Trips: The Water Taxi from Sierpe to Drake Bay

Guest Author -
There are some trips in Costa Rica where the journey is every bit as memorable as the destination. The water taxi from Sierpe to Drake Bay is one of...

Five Costa Rican Surfers Advance at Playa Hermosa WSL Event

The Tico Times -
Five Costa Rican surfers remain in contention at the Garabito Surf City Pro after advancing to the round of 32 at the World Surf League qualifying event on the...

Mother’s Day Is a Full National Holiday in Costa Rica

The Tico Times -
Today is Día de la Madre, and it is a full national holiday in Costa Rica, not just a greeting-card occasion. Public offices are shut, most bank branches are...

Costa Rica Raises Yellow Alert as Tropical Wave Arrives

The Tico Times -
If you are driving on the Caribbean side or through the Northern Zone today, check that your route is open before you leave the house. The National Emergency Commission...

U.S. and Costa Rica Discuss Deeper Security Cooperation

The Tico Times -
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Costa Rican President Laura Fernández today as the two countries look to deepen security cooperation amid growing concern over drug trafficking...

Costa Rica Moves Immigration Applications Online for Some Foreign Executives

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica has moved several immigration procedures for foreign executives and their families online, allowing eligible applicants to complete and track the process through the Ventanilla Única de Inversión,...

Missing Hiker Found Alive After Four Days in Costa Rica’s Chirripó National Park

The Tico Times -
A 58-year-old Costa Rican hiker who had been missing for four days inside Chirripó National Park was found alive this morning, ending an extensive search across some of the...

Costa Rica’s Wild Capuchin Monkeys Are Using AI Touchscreens

The Tico Times -
Wild white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica are learning to use a touchscreen in the middle of the forest, giving researchers a new way to study animal intelligence without...

Costa Rica Dollar Exchange Rate Hits Historic Low as Central Bank Intervenes

The Tico Times -
The U.S. dollar has fallen to its lowest level in Costa Rica’s modern wholesale foreign-exchange market, increasing the squeeze on those residents who earn in dollars and adding fresh...

What the Caribbean Green Alert Means for Your Weekend Plans

The Tico Times -
If you are going to the Caribbean coast or the Northern Zone over the next few days, plan for rain and give yourself more time on the road than...

Search Intensifies for Missing Hiker in Costa Rica’s Chirripó National Park

The Tico Times -
Rescue teams continued searching today for a 58-year-old man who has been missing for several days inside Chirripó National Park, one of Costa Rica’s best-known mountain destinations. The missing...

Nicaragua Bishop Abelardo Mata Says He Is Well After Detention

AFP -
Catholic Bishop Abelardo Mata, a critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, said he is in good condition in an interview broadcast Wednesday by the government, which released him days...

Costa Rica Hands Macho Coca and Compadre to US Agents in New York Cases

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica surrendered two men wanted on United States drug trafficking charges to American agents on this morning, closing extradition proceedings that had run for months and opening a...

Corcovado National Park Placed on Red Alert Over Sewage and Crumbling Infrastructure

The Tico Times -
A coalition of Costa Rican environmental organizations has placed Corcovado National Park under what it calls a red alert, warning that sewage discharges, decaying infrastructure and chronic underfunding at...

World Surf League Returns to Costa Rica at Playa Hermosa

The Tico Times -
Professional surfing returns to Costa Rica’s international stage today as the Garabito Surf City PRO 2026 gets underway at Playa Hermosa, bringing an official World Surf League competition back...

Costa Rica Seals Security Contracts as “Operation Pegasus” Remark Goes Unexplained

The Tico Times -
A decree in force since August 10 seals Costa Rican security records including procurement files, as a governing-party lawmaker's unexplained "Operation Pegasus" remark sharpens the dispute.

Costa Rica Opens Eight-Lane Circunvalación Bridge in San José

The Tico Times -
All eight lanes of the Circunvalación bridge over the María Aguilar River reopened yesterday, restoring normal traffic on one of San José’s busiest highways after more than a year...

Lionel Messi Says He May Not Play Much Longer After Father’s Death

AFP -
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi said Wednesday that he has “a lot of doubts” about whether he will continue playing football “for much longer,” in an emotional farewell letter...

Is Panama the New Costa Rica? A 2026 Expat & Real Estate Investor Comparison

Sponsored Post -
For decades, Costa Rica was the undisputed poster child of Central American expat life. However, a quiet reshuffling of priorities is underway, and a growing number of (Real Estate)...

Costa Rica Wildlife Study Records 79 Species at Reserva Conchal

The Tico Times -
A year-long wildlife study at Reserva Conchal in Guanacaste documented 79 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, nearly double the 40 recorded during the property’s previous monitoring period in...

Costa Rica Free-Zone Growth Slows to Weakest Pace Since 2020

The Tico Times -
Growth in Costa Rica’s free-zone economy slowed sharply in June, falling to its weakest pace since 2020 and extending a year-long deceleration in one of the country’s most important...

Costa Rica Looks to Ukraine for Drone Technology in Security Fight

The Tico Times -
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Costa Rican President Laura Fernández exchanged invitations for official visits during a phone call yesterday, as the two leaders also discussed possible security cooperation...

Costa Rica Named Among Top Destinations for Solo Travelers

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica has been included among 25 of the world’s best destinations for people traveling alone in a 2026 selection by Travel + Leisure, which highlighted the mix of...

Costa Rica Drills for Disaster Today While Its Quake Sensors Go Unfunded

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica evacuates at 10 a.m. today. The alarms are not real, you should go along with whoever asks you to leave the building, and you will be back...

Gota a Gota Loans in Costa Rica — Warning Signs

The Tico Times -
If someone offers you cash the same day with no paperwork, no credit check and no questions about your income, understand what you are agreeing to before you take...

Costa Rica’s “Pecho de Rata” Weighs Possible U.S. Plea Deal

The Tico Times -
Edwin Danney López Vega, the Costa Rican alleged drug trafficker known as “Pecho de Rata,” could avoid a full jury trial in the United States after his defense confirmed...

New York Lawyers Group Raises Alarm Over Costa Rica Court Budget Cuts

The Tico Times -
One of the oldest and largest bar associations in the United States has asked two international bodies to keep watch over Costa Rica's judiciary, citing budget reductions imposed by...
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Popular Articles

Costa Rica’s Route 32 Reopens After a Morning Landslide Shuts the Highway

The Tico Times -
Route 32 closed for about four hours Saturday morning after material fell on the San José-Limón highway. Here are the alternates and why the road can shut again.

Costa Rica Named Among Top Destinations for Solo Travelers

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica has been included among 25 of the world’s best destinations for people traveling alone in a 2026...

Costa Rica Taxi Drivers Push for Digital Meters to Modernize Service

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica’s traditional taxi industry is proposing a nationwide digital meter system that would allow fares to be calculated...

One of Costa Rica’s Must-Do Trips: The Water Taxi from Sierpe to Drake Bay

Guest Author -
There are some trips in Costa Rica where the journey is every bit as memorable as the destination. The...

Costa Rica’s Water Squeeze Is Changing What Property Buyers Check First

Guest Author -
If you are looking to buy land in Costa Rica, the document that will decide your purchase is not...
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Travel and Tourism

Costa Rica Raises Yellow Alert as Tropical Wave Arrives

The Tico Times -
If you are driving on the Caribbean side or through the Northern Zone today, check that your route is...

Missing Hiker Found Alive After Four Days in Costa Rica’s Chirripó National Park

The Tico Times -
A 58-year-old Costa Rican hiker who had been missing for four days inside Chirripó National Park was found alive...

What the Caribbean Green Alert Means for Your Weekend Plans

The Tico Times -
If you are going to the Caribbean coast or the Northern Zone over the next few days, plan for...

Search Intensifies for Missing Hiker in Costa Rica’s Chirripó National Park

The Tico Times -
Rescue teams continued searching today for a 58-year-old man who has been missing for several days inside Chirripó National...

Costa Rica Opens Eight-Lane Circunvalación Bridge in San José

The Tico Times -
All eight lanes of the Circunvalación bridge over the María Aguilar River reopened yesterday, restoring normal traffic on one...
Load more

Expat Living

Costa Rica Dollar Exchange Rate Hits Historic Low as Central Bank Intervenes

The Tico Times -
The U.S. dollar has fallen to its lowest level in Costa Rica’s modern wholesale foreign-exchange market, increasing the squeeze...

Costa Rica’s Water Squeeze Is Changing What Property Buyers Check First

Guest Author -
If you are looking to buy land in Costa Rica, the document that will decide your purchase is not...

Costa Rica Targets Luxury Car Tax Evasion After Ferrari Case

The Tico Times -
A Ferrari declared for a fraction of its real value has become the poster case for a customs loophole...

Costa Rica Approves New Rules for Nighttime Ambulance Flights

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica has approved a national protocol governing nighttime air ambulance flights, closing out roughly ten months of uncertainty...

Is Costa Rica Losing Its Tourism Edge in Central America?

Don Mateo -
Imagine that the seven nations of Central America are participants in a race. The race has no finish line....
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Latin America News

The Panama Canal Opened 112 Years Ago Today

Twelve years of digging, an estimated 27,500 deaths and roughly $375 million ended quietly on the morning of August 15, 1914, when a single...

Nicaragua Bishop Abelardo Mata Says He Is Well After Detention

Catholic Bishop Abelardo Mata, a critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, said he is in good condition in an interview broadcast Wednesday by the...

Colombia Quake Death Toll Passes 200 as Rescue Efforts Intensify

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia yesterday has climbed above 200 as rescue crews continue searching collapsed buildings and...

Costa Rica Opens Consular Line in Colombia as Earthquake Toll Climbs Past 70

Costa Rica's embassy has opened consular lines in Colombia after Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake. Seven airports are shut, Bogotá is still operating, and Avianca and LATAM are waiving change fees.

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Colombia’s Pacific Coast

A powerful earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday morning, damaging buildings in the Pacific department of Chocó and sending office workers into the streets...

Why Daniel Ortega Is Moving to Eliminate Nicaragua’s Opposition

"They will have no choice but to bark," Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega shot back in response to the wave of international condemnation sparked by...

Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano Eruption Forces 1,700 Evacuations

A powerful eruption of Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano has forced authorities to evacuate at least 1,700 residents from areas near the crater and declare the...
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Arts and Culture

Mother’s Day Is a Full National Holiday in Costa Rica

Today is Día de la Madre, and it is a full national holiday in Costa Rica, not just a greeting-card occasion. Public offices are...

Costa Rica Races to Preserve Its Indigenous Languages

Several of Costa Rica’s Indigenous languages are at risk of disappearing as the number of fluent speakers declines and younger generations increasingly grow up...

Costa Rica’s Romería Closes With Zero Deaths and 1,772 Medical Cases

Costa Rica's Romería closed without a single reported death, ending a nine-day emergency operation in which the Costa Rican Red Cross treated 1,772 people...

Costa Rica’s President Attends the Basílica Mass for the First Time Since 2023

President Laura Fernández attended Sunday's solemn Mass for the Virgen de los Ángeles in Cartago, the first Costa Rican head of state to take...

La Negrita: Faith, Unity, and the Heart of Costa Rica

Today, thousands of pilgrims from across Costa Rica are arriving at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago. They come on...

Costa Rica Reaches the Heart of the Romería on the Feast of La Negrita

Today is the day the walking stops. August 2 is the feast of the Virgen de los Ángeles, the small dark stone image Costa...

Costa Rica’s Romería Reaches Its Peak With Major Security Operation

Costa Rica’s Romería entered its busiest time today as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims began converging on Cartago under one of the country’s largest...
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Environment and Wildlife

Costa Rica Estate Becomes Refuge for Rare Agami Heron

Around 1,000 agami herons have made a private estate in Guatuso their home, creating an unusual concentration of one of the most elusive heron...

Costa Rica’s Wild Capuchin Monkeys Are Using AI Touchscreens

Wild white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica are learning to use a touchscreen in the middle of the forest, giving researchers a new way...

Corcovado National Park Placed on Red Alert Over Sewage and Crumbling Infrastructure

A coalition of Costa Rican environmental organizations has placed Corcovado National Park under what it calls a red alert, warning that sewage discharges, decaying...

Costa Rica Wildlife Study Records 79 Species at Reserva Conchal

A year-long wildlife study at Reserva Conchal in Guanacaste documented 79 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, nearly double the 40 recorded during the...

New Coral Species Found Off Costa Rica Gets a Name From Tolkien’s Elvish

A bright yellow coral found on seamounts off Costa Rica was so distinct that scientists created an entirely new family for it, then named it in Tolkien's Elvish.

Rescue Center Raises $20,000 to Stop Wildlife Electrocutions

The Jaguar Rescue Center has finished a fundraising campaign with the organization Ma Earth that raised $20,000 to insulate 50 electrical transformers in Costa...

Costa Rica Approves Wildlife Crossings Law to Protect Animals

Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly unanimously approved a bill today requiring wildlife protection measures in new and existing public infrastructure projects, a major legal step...
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