No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

Costa Rica Reopens Turrialba Volcano Park and Guayabo National Monument

Steven Hodel -
Two popular places people like to visit in the Turrialba area have reopened after being closed for more than a week because of heavy rain and concerns about uncertain...

Partial Lunar Eclipse Will Be Visible Across Costa Rica Tonight

The Tico Times -
Anyone in Costa Rica will have the chance to watch a dramatic lunar spectacle tonight, as a deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible across from start to finish....

Costa Rica Sees a Increase in Dengue and New Malaria Concerns

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica is fighting an uphill battle against two mosquito-borne diseases this year, with dengue cases climbing sharply and malaria showing signs of resurgence after a period of dramatic...

Costa Rica Moves Toward Satellite Cell Coverage With Starlink

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica is getting its first taste of satellite connected cell phones, and both of the biggest telecom operators are behind it. Liberty and Kolbi, the state linked carrier...

Costa Rica Supreme Court President Won’t Seek New Term

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica will soon have a new president of its Supreme Court after Orlando Aguirre announced that he will not seek another four-year term leading the country's Judiciary. Aguirre...

Costa Rica Psychedelic Retreat Industry Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Tourist Death

The Tico Times -
The 2024 death of an American tourist during a psychedelic retreat in Costa Rica has drawn fresh international attention after the New York Times featured her case in a...

Another Tropical Wave Arrives as Costa Rica School Closures Rise Again

The Tico Times -
When will it end? Costa Rica’s recovery from this month’s flooding suffered a setback today as the number of schools without in-person classes rose from 12 to 40. The...

US Embassy Says Tourist Visa Appointments in Costa Rica Are Not Affected

The Tico Times -
If you have an appointment in San José for a US tourist or business visa, keep it. Nothing has changed for you. The US Embassy in Costa Rica confirmed...

Panama and El Salvador Declare Alerts as El Niño Intensifies

AFP -
Panama and El Salvador declared states of alert on Tuesday over the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is expected to reach record levels and has already forced authorities to...

Sick Pelicans Keep Washing Up on Costa Rica’s Pacific Beaches and Nobody Knows Why

The Tico Times -
If a pelican walks toward you on the beach, something is wrong with that bird. Don't touch it. Sick, disoriented and dead pelicans have been turning up along Costa...

Canada is now the fastest growing source of tourists to Costa Rica

The Tico Times -
More Canadians are flying to Costa Rica this year than at any point on record, and the gap between them and every other market is widening fast. New figures...

Climate Change Could Dull the Brilliant Blue of Costa Rica’s Morpho Butterflies

The Tico Times -
One of Costa Rica’s most recognizable butterflies could become a little less brilliant as temperatures rise. A new study found that unusually hot temperatures during development can change the...

Route 32 Closed for Court-Ordered Investigation

The Tico Times -
If you are driving between San José and the Caribbean coast this morning, you cannot get through on Route 32. A one-kilometer (0.6-mile) stretch near kilometer 55, starting at...

Playa Panamá Residents March to Restart Stalled Papagayo Projects

The Tico Times -
Residents of Playa Panamá marched on Sunday, calling for stalled tourism projects in the Gulf of Papagayo to move forward, saying the delays are costing their community jobs and...

Four Seasons Costa Rica Unveils New Papagayo Suites

The Tico Times -
Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo has unveiled 10 new one-bedroom suites as part of a larger renovation of the luxury resort on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. Reservations are...

Is Costa Rica’s 98% Literacy Rate Really Accurate?

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica has long promoted itself as the most literate country in Central America, and by the numbers it is. Government statistics put the literacy rate among people 15...

Google Wins Auction for Spirit Airlines’ Massive Data Archive, Raising Privacy Alarms

The Tico Times -
For all us fun that have flown Spirit to Costa Rica, it was announced that Spirit Airlines has agreed to sell a sprawling trove of internal company data to...

Rain Returns to Costa Rica Tonight on Ground That Cannot Take Much More

The Tico Times -
More rain is coming tonight, and where it lands matters more than how much falls. Tropical Wave (a stretch of unsettled air that moves west across the tropics) 36...

Scientists Name the Fault Behind Costa Rica’s Coronado Earthquakes

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica's seismologists now have a name for what shook the Central Valley awake yesterday, and it comes with a history. The National Seismological Network at the University of...

IKEA Maps Out Its Costa Rica Rollout in Three Locations

The Tico Times -
IKEA has identified the first three sites it plans to operate in Costa Rica, giving the clearest picture yet of how the Swedish home furnishings retailer intends to build...

Costa Rica Is Setting Tourism Records and Its Hotels and Restaurants Are Still Losing Ground

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica is taking in more tourists and more foreign currency than it ever has however, its hotels and restaurants are not doing well. That contradiction sits at...

Costa Rica Relies on One Machine for Key Cancer Treatment

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica’s public health system depends on a single machine at Hospital México to provide an important form of cancer treatment, leaving patients vulnerable if the equipment stops working,...

Coronado’s Strongest Quake Since 1952 Produced 60 Aftershocks and One False Alarm

The Tico Times -
The two quakes that woke the Central Valley before dawn today were the strongest recorded in the Coronado area in more than seven decades, according to Ovsicori seismologist Marino...

Costa Rica’s Mangroves Face Growing Threats From Pollution and Development

The Tico Times -
Costa Rica’s mangrove forests protect coastal towns, support fishing communities and provide breeding grounds for marine life. Researchers warn that pollution, construction and changes to rivers are slowly weakening...

Watch as Camera Thieves Impact Wildlife Studies in Costa Rica

Vincent Losasso -
Certain things are guaranteed when camera trapping in Costa Rica. Some things are magnificent, for instance, with enough time and even the smallest patch of forest, you’re going to...

Costa Rica’s New Cultural Passport Sends You to 35 Places Most Visitors Never See

The Tico Times -
If you have already done Arenal, Manuel Antonio and Monteverde and want a reason to drive somewhere new, Costa Rica just handed you one. The Ministry of Culture and...

Coco Gauff and Arthur Fils Win Cincinnati Open Titles

Steven Hodel -
Coco Gauff and Arthur Fils left the Cincinnati Open with the biggest trophies on Sunday, August 23, after winning two very different singles finals at the Lindner Family Tennis...

Fewer Humpback Whale Sightings Reported in Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce

The Tico Times -
Tour guides in Costa Rica’s Golfo Dulce say humpback whales have been more difficult to find this season, raising questions about whether warmer ocean water is changing their normal...

Two earthquakes shake Costa Rica’s Central Valley before dawn

The Tico Times -
If you were jolted awake around 1:40 a.m. this morning you felt one of the strongest quakes to hit the San José area this year. The shaking was sharp...

Rincón de la Vieja Erupts Twice Ahead of Free National Parks Day

The Tico Times -
The Rincón de la Vieja volcano erupted twice today and the Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (Ovsicori-UNA) reported no ashfall and no lahars from either event. The...
Load more
Costa Rica Dental Care
Costa Rica Hospital
Loading…
COSTA RICA EXCHANGE RATE
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Friday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Costa Rica T Shirts

Popular Articles

Costa Rica Psychedelic Retreat Industry Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Tourist Death

The Tico Times -
The 2024 death of an American tourist during a psychedelic retreat in Costa Rica has drawn fresh international attention...

Route 32 Closed for Court-Ordered Investigation

The Tico Times -
If you are driving between San José and the Caribbean coast this morning, you cannot get through on Route...

Rain Returns to Costa Rica Tonight on Ground That Cannot Take Much More

The Tico Times -
More rain is coming tonight, and where it lands matters more than how much falls. Tropical Wave (a stretch...

Costa Rica President Sends Eight Major Proposals to Congress

The Tico Times -
President Laura Fernández has presented eight new bills that could change how Costa Rica handles pensions, loans, government contracts,...

Public Institutions Pull Out of Costa Rica’s Festival de la Luz

The Tico Times -
Several major public institutions will not bring their traditional illuminated floats to San José’s Festival de la Luz this...
Load more

Travel and Tourism

Another Tropical Wave Arrives as Costa Rica School Closures Rise Again

The Tico Times -
When will it end? Costa Rica’s recovery from this month’s flooding suffered a setback today as the number of...

US Embassy Says Tourist Visa Appointments in Costa Rica Are Not Affected

The Tico Times -
If you have an appointment in San José for a US tourist or business visa, keep it. Nothing has...

Sick Pelicans Keep Washing Up on Costa Rica’s Pacific Beaches and Nobody Knows Why

The Tico Times -
If a pelican walks toward you on the beach, something is wrong with that bird. Don't touch it. Sick,...

Canada is now the fastest growing source of tourists to Costa Rica

The Tico Times -
More Canadians are flying to Costa Rica this year than at any point on record, and the gap between...

Route 32 Closed for Court-Ordered Investigation

The Tico Times -
If you are driving between San José and the Caribbean coast this morning, you cannot get through on Route...
Load more

Expat Living

Ring of Fire Earthquakes Put Costa Rica’s Seismic Risk in Focus

Don Mateo -
A series of powerful earthquakes around the Pacific Ring of Fire has renewed attention on Costa Rica’s seismic risk and the tectonic forces constantly moving beneath.

Why Spending US Dollars in Costa Rica Can Be Surprisingly Difficult

Don Mateo -
When money is the subject, I am as old school as anybody. Cash is king in my world. The...

More than 900 Costa Rican schools have no classes this Monday

The Tico Times -
If your child goes to school in Turrialba, Sarapiquí, Limón or Sulá, there are no classes today. Those four...

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...

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...
Load more

Latin America News

Panama and El Salvador Declare Alerts as El Niño Intensifies

Panama and El Salvador declared states of alert on Tuesday over the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is expected to reach record levels and...

El Salvador Faces a Major Test as TPS Ends in the United States

As Temporary Protected Status for roughly 170,000 to 200,000 Salvadorans in the United States comes to an end on September 9, most coverage of...

Nicaragua Moves to Reject International Rulings and Foreign Laws

Nicaragua’s Parliament on Saturday approved a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at rejecting international rulings and foreign laws. It will be put to a vote...

Panama Canal Cuts Ship Traffic as El Niño Drought Worsens

The Panama Canal will allow fewer ships to pass through the waterway beginning in September as a drought linked to El Niño reduces the...

China’s Xi Warns Against Outside Interference in Latin America

Chinese President Xi Jinping defended Latin America’s “independence and self-reliance” during talks with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, arguing that countries in the region should...

Family Demands Answers on Missing Political Prisoners in Nicaragua

Relatives of a retired military officer and his wife, who were detained a year ago in Nicaragua, demanded Saturday that the government of Daniel...

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...
Load more

Arts and Culture

Is Costa Rica’s 98% Literacy Rate Really Accurate?

Costa Rica has long promoted itself as the most literate country in Central America, and by the numbers it is. Government statistics put the...

Public Institutions Pull Out of Costa Rica’s Festival de la Luz

Several major public institutions will not bring their traditional illuminated floats to San José’s Festival de la Luz this year, forcing organizers to rethink...

Costa Rica’s Maleku Chocolate Wins International Bronze Medal

A 70% dark chocolate grown, fermented and finished entirely in Costa Rica has earned international recognition for its Guanacaste-based producer.

What happened to Galeria Namu?

Founded in 1998, Galeria Namu had become a must-visit attraction for tourists visiting San Jose, as well as for many nationals, interested in seeing...

Possible Archaeological Find in Costa Rica Delays Water Project

A long-awaited project to bring piped drinking water to Isla Caballo has hit another delay after crews uncovered ceramic pieces, shells and fossil material...

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...
Load more

Environment and Wildlife

Climate Change Could Dull the Brilliant Blue of Costa Rica’s Morpho Butterflies

One of Costa Rica’s most recognizable butterflies could become a little less brilliant as temperatures rise. A new study found that unusually hot temperatures...

Playa Panamá Residents March to Restart Stalled Papagayo Projects

Residents of Playa Panamá marched on Sunday, calling for stalled tourism projects in the Gulf of Papagayo to move forward, saying the delays are...

Rain Returns to Costa Rica Tonight on Ground That Cannot Take Much More

More rain is coming tonight, and where it lands matters more than how much falls. Tropical Wave (a stretch of unsettled air that moves...

Scientists Name the Fault Behind Costa Rica’s Coronado Earthquakes

Costa Rica's seismologists now have a name for what shook the Central Valley awake yesterday, and it comes with a history. The National Seismological...

Coronado’s Strongest Quake Since 1952 Produced 60 Aftershocks and One False Alarm

The two quakes that woke the Central Valley before dawn today were the strongest recorded in the Coronado area in more than seven decades,...

Watch as Camera Thieves Impact Wildlife Studies in Costa Rica

Certain things are guaranteed when camera trapping in Costa Rica. Some things are magnificent, for instance, with enough time and even the smallest patch...

Two earthquakes shake Costa Rica’s Central Valley before dawn

If you were jolted awake around 1:40 a.m. this morning you felt one of the strongest quakes to hit the San José area this...
Load more
Tico Times Logo

© 2026 The Tico Times

Services

Support