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COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

Air France Boosts Costa Rica Flight

Air France has significantly expanded its flight service to Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport, comprising daily flights for much of 2024. This caters to surging demand from French tourists, attracted by the country’s breathtaking natural landscapes and biodiversity. With Costa Rica proving ever-more popular with Air France’s customer base, the airline is committed to the market, having increased flight frequencies over the past two years. The country welcomed over 67,000 French visitors by air in 2023 alone….

Tamarindo Faces Water Shortage

Residents of Playa Tamarindo are facing severe water supply shortages, with some reporting 10-day service outages. Despite the scarcity, authorities continue issuing construction permits and water availability letters for large real estate projects further straining infrastructure. Locals must pay for costly water deliveries amid constant shortages. Representatives criticized the Aqueduct and Sewerage Institute’s incompetence, with some reporting the agency removed water meters, leaving them without service. Businesses and residents say their shortage reports go unheeded. The situation underscores inadequate infrastructure and planning, heightening tensions over continued tourism and construction approval without assessing impact….

Airbnb in Costa Rica Faces Calls for Regulation

Costa Rica’s hotel industry is calling for greater regulation of non-traditional accommodations like Airbnb, citing unfair competition. Hotels face more taxes, permits, and staffing requirements while platforms evade some fees and capture local tourism with flexible, budget stays. A proposed 6-night minimum stay law for alternative lodging aims to level the playing field but risks limiting consumer choice. Stakeholders urge an equitable solution benefiting hotels and platforms to sustainably grow tourism….

Costa Rica Traffic

Traffic congestion in Costa Rica has worsened due to ongoing construction, lack of planning by authorities, and limited public transportation options. Adding to the problem are the 100-150 minor traffic accidents that happen daily, often rear-end collisions caused by impatient drivers trying to force their way through stand-still traffic. Authorities are working to more quickly clear these accidents to keep traffic moving. Traffic police presence is also being increased in problem areas to enforce laws and reduce congestion caused by drivers disobeying traffic islands and lane markings.

Today's Top News

Woman Rescued From Forbidden Zone of Costa Rica Volcano

A dramatic rescue operation ended in relief Thursday when authorities found a woman who had ventured into a restricted zone of Costa Rica's treacherous...

Tamales in Costa Rica – A Christmas Tradition

Tamales go deep in Costa Rican culture and they are one of the most accessible ways to tap into your inner Tico, especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

From Michigan to Honduras: A Peace Corps Journey in Central America

The Peace Corps recruiter visited our advanced entomology course at Michigan State University in the Fall of 1983. He was young, nervous, but gave...

No Army in Costa Rica: How a 1948 Decision Changed Central America

On December 1, 1948, José Figueres Ferrer, President of the Founding Junta of the Second Republic, officially abolished the Costa Rican army by symbolically...

Salvadoran Church Rejects Lifting Mining Ban Suggested by Bukele

The Archdiocese of El Salvador on Sunday rejected the possibility of President Nayib Bukele's government lifting the total ban on mining in the Central...

Meet the Anhinga: A Unique Wetland Bird Found in Costa Rica

Today we meet the anhinga, a long-necked bird who’s adept at swimming and spearing fish and is sometimes confused with being a snake. The...

The U.S. Dollar Decline in Costa Rica: What Does It Mean?

The U.S. dollar has been steadily losing value in Costa Rica. On Thursday, November 28, the buying rate was ₡506.55, and the selling rate...

Literary Festival in Guatemala Highlights Democracy and Human Rights

The Central America Cuenta literary festival, scheduled to take place next May in Guatemala with the presence of Spanish singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat, will...

Costa Rica Reports Terror Links in Growing Migration Crisis

Costa Rica has intercepted five individuals with suspected terrorism links among the estimated 350,000 migrants passing through the country this year en route to...

Engineer Lives Underwater in Panama to Break World Record

At a depth of 11 meters off the coast of Panama, German aerospace engineer Rüdiger Koch has been living for two months in a...