Written by Claire Saylor

The set of Rob Schneider’s new movie filmed in Costa Rica.
Actor Rob Schneider, of Deuce Bigalow, The Hot Chick and Big Daddy, recently finished filming scenes of his new movie The Chosen One near the Los Chorros waterfall in Grecia and the Parque Ecológico Tropical Arenal Mundo Aventuras, an ecological park in La Fortuna near the Arenal Volcano. Plans to go on to Guapiles were changed to avoid the transportation.

Loading ...
Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 21st, 2008 | No Comments »
Written by Erin Raub

Disputes over a marina in Puerto Viejo continue.
At the end of a dusty Caribbean coast road lies Puerto Viejo, arguably the favorite tourist destination in Limón province. Swaddled in Caribbean culture and offering a laid-back lifestyle, Puerto Viejo is truly a step into a different kind of Costa Rica. However, for the last several months, plans for a new marina in Puerto Viejo have been underway, a move that has some welcoming development and others worried about the environmental and other repercussions of the marina’s construction.

Loading ...
Filed under: Business on April 18th, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Written by Erin Raub

Chinchilla is Arias’s top pick for PLN Presidential Candidate.
Costa Rica’s Vice-President and Minister of Justice, Laura Chinchilla, is being groomed to take Arias’s place in 2010, when his presidential term ends. Though his endorsement is not [yet] official, Arias’s numerous flattering comments, and Chinchilla’s presence at many public activities has the political circle abuzz about the possibility of her running to become Costa Rica’s first female president.

Loading ...
Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 18th, 2008 | 2 Comments »
Written by JohnK

Costa Rica Takes Steps to Cut Down on Fuel Usage.
The Costa Rican government plans to reduce the taxes paid by energy-efficient and low-emission cars. This tax break will cover hybrids, electrics, and those that are powered by biofuels such as ethanol. Automobiles in Costa Rica currently pay between 35% to 53% worth of consumption tax. The tax rate varies based on the car type, engine size and model.

Loading ...
Filed under: Costa Rica News on April 18th, 2008 | No Comments »
Written by Richard Bexon

Lapa Rios provides luxury accommodations in the jungle.
Lapa Rios is well known throughout Costa Rica as being one of the front runners in sustainable tourism but also as being in one of the most bio-diverse areas in Costa Rica, as well as on the planet. When the hotel was first designed many asked the owners ‘why would you build a hotel in the Osa? Nobody goes there?’.

Loading ...
Filed under: Hotel Reviews on April 17th, 2008 | No Comments »
Written by Erin Raub

Costa Rica celebrates its 15th anniversary of Internet access.
Today, fifteen years after the internet took it’s first baby steps into Costa Rica, about 35% of the Costa Rican population has access to a computer with internet. Academia is conducted through email and over the internet, and more Costa Rican businesses, organizations and companies are realizing the importance of having a web presence. Though not yet completely integrated into many Costa Ricans’ everyday lives, the internet is growing in both popularity and importance.

Loading ...
Filed under: Business on April 17th, 2008 | No Comments »
Written by Erin Raub

Don’t get left behind! New Costa Rica bus schedules effective tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Friday, April 18, Costa Rican residents and visitors will see bus prices rise once again. Each one of the 3,642 different fares on Costa Rica’s 732 bus routes will go up between ¢5 and ¢250, mostly depending on the length of trip.

Loading ...
Filed under: Travel on April 17th, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Written by Erin Raub

Countdown to the Festival Imperial 2008 in Costa Rica.
This weekend’s Festival Imperial, which will take place at La Guácima’s racetrack in Alajuela, is expected to welcome a total of 50,000 people - 25,000 on Saturday and another 25,000 on Sunday. The much-awaited international music festival is just two days away, and plans are in full-swing. And if you have your tickets and are anxiously awaiting this weekend, the following informational tidbits should help you get organized:

Loading ...
Filed under: Costa Rican Music on April 16th, 2008 | No Comments »
Written by Mireille Darras

Retouramont performs tonight at the Costa Rica International Arts Festival.
This group of French ballerinas captured a Costa Rican audience last night in the Plaza de la Cultura, with their presentation of “Réflexion de façade”, a ballet taking place in another dimension. The artists seemed to be dancing vertically on the parade of the Grand Hotel Costa Rica, then, in the air, they could have disappeared in the sky, but came back in a twirl like twisting, dancing flames.

Loading ...
Filed under: Living on April 16th, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Written by JohnK

President Arias Meets with Regional Leaders to Discuss Economics.
More than 500 business, academic and political leaders from 46 countries and 7 Latin American presidents are meeting today, April 15, and tomorrow, April 16, 2008, at an economic forum in Cancún, Mexico. The III World Economic Forum in Latin America (a regional version of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland) aims to establish strategies that will counteract the impact of the U.S. recession on regional economies and maintain regional growth. This year the forum is looking at the Chinese and European markets as potential allies for Latin America.

Loading ...
Filed under: Business on April 15th, 2008 | 2 Comments »