A prostitution ring in Costa Rica forced Dominicans to work in the sex trade. A Costa Rica prostitution network has brought in more than 400 women from the Dominican Republic over the past few years to work as Costa Rica escorts in exchange for residency and travel costs, Director of Immigration, Mario Zamora, reported.

Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 7th, 2008 | No Comments »

Costa Ricans and Dutch Collaborate on Trade and Business Ventures. Costa Rican entrepreneurs and their Dutch counterparts met this past week at the hotel Ramada Plaza Herradura in San Antonio de Belén, Heredia Province. The business meetings, organized by the Cámara de Exportadores de Costa Rica (C.R. Chamber of Exports) and the Dutch Embassy, met with [...]

Filed under: Business on April 7th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

When you hear the word "Monteverde," several images likely come time mind: majestic valleys offering breathtaking views, a tropical cloud forest home to resplendent quetzals, a bumpy road well worth the drive, and of course, the delicious Monteverde ice cream that is such a treat on a visit to the cool, shaded Monteverde Cheese Factory.

Filed under: Living on April 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

The Isla del Coco returns to the limelight. Recently, Costa Rica’s famous Isla del Coco (Cocos Island) has been in the news, not only locally but worldwide. It’s reputation even dates back hundreds of years as legends tell it was a favorite hiding place for pirates and their treasures. Isla del Coco has been [...]

Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Energy and food prices are rising in Costa Rica. Though Costa Rica is not the incredibly inexpensive country that many wish and believe it to be, most retirees and area residents find it to be affordable: expats in Costa Rica can easily live with $10/month cell phones, rents below $500 monthly, affordable and fresh food from [...]

Filed under: Travel on April 4th, 2008 | 5 Comments »

Speedy arrivals are met by long line's at Costa Rica's major airport. Most of us have flown in and out of San José's Juan Santamaría International Airport, actually located in Alajuela, San José's northwestern neighbor. If your experiences are anything like the norm, you've noticed that wait times to pass through immigration can vary greatly depending [...]

Filed under: Travel on April 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Fires destroyed hundreds of acres of protected land in Guanacaste Costa Rica. For the past 15 days, the dry forests of el Área de Conservación Guanacase (the Guanacaste Conservation Area) have been burning. Over 600 hectares (approximately 1,483 acres) are affected, and it remains unknown who set the fires.

Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

A hefty price tag awaits efforts to reverse Costa Rica water pollution. On the heels of several national environmental issues and problems -- eight popular Costa Rican beaches losing their blue flag certification, a forced closure of the Hotel Allegro Papagayo, the Palo Verde Biological Station's dangerous ecological situation -- reports claim that Costa Rica will [...]

Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 4th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

The Zephyr Palace sits on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. I was completely taken by surprise over the weekend when I revisited Villa Caletas, one of my favorite hotels that holds a close resemblance to paradise. This time, however, I had the opportunity to visit Zephyr Palace, which I did not know [...]

Filed under: Hotel & Restaurant Reviews on April 3rd, 2008 | No Comments »

Rainy Season in Costa Rica brings verdant landscapes and seasonal promotions. With the Costa Rican dry season coming to an end, and the so called “Green” season looming upon us, we can look forward to lots of rain and bigger traffic jams in the city. The outlook is not all dreary though and there is [...]

Filed under: Travel on April 3rd, 2008 | 4 Comments »