The Hidden Danger of Bee Stings in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s beaches, forests, farms and mountain trails draw millions of visitors each year. Most arrive prepared for sunburn, mosquitoes, rough surf and the occasional stomach bug. Far fewer think about bees. That is a mistake. For most people, a bee sting causes short-term pain, redness and swelling. For a small number of people, it …

Costa Rica Mushroom Tourism Returns With Ruta Micológica 2026

Costa Rica’s rainy season is bringing back one of our country’s more unusual nature tourism offerings, as Ruta Micológica Costa Rica 2026 prepares to take visitors into forests, reserves and rural communities to learn about fungi in the wild. The fifth edition of the Ruta Micológica will run from May through November, with activities planned …

Latin America’s Cerúndolo Falls to Musetti at Italian Open

Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo saw his Italian Open run end Sunday, falling to home favorite Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(7), 6-4 in the third round at the Foro Italico. The match was a sharp test for Cerúndolo, the No. 25 seed, who came into the day after a dominant second-round victory over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo. Against Musetti, however, …

Costa Rica’s New Environment Minister Draws Mixed Reaction

Costa Rica’s new Minister of Environment and Energy, Mónica Navarro del Valle, is taking office with a familiar challenge: defending the country’s green reputation while trying to repair strained ties between MINAE and environmental organizations. Navarro was named to lead the Ministry of Environment and Energy under President Laura Fernández’s new administration, replacing Franz Tattenbach, …

Costa Rica Confirms Sixth Chikungunya Case of 2026

Costa Rica has confirmed its sixth chikungunya case of the year, this time involving a 53-year-old woman from Alajuelita who recently traveled to Nicaragua. The case was first detected at a Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social health facility and later confirmed by the Instituto Costarricense de Investigación y Enseñanza en Nutrición y Salud, known as …

Costa Rica Infrastructure Push Focuses on Roads, Train and Traffic Relief

Costa Rica’s new Public Works and Transport Minister, Efraím Zeledón, is setting a clear test for his time in office: move forward five long-delayed infrastructure projects that affect daily traffic, regional travel, tourism and public transportation. Zeledón, who remains at the head of MOPT under President Laura Fernández after serving during the final stretch of …

Costa Rica Art City Tour Returns to San José With Chepe Bajo la Lluvia

The Art City Tour (ACT) will continue its 2026 season with the event “Chepe bajo la lluvia” (“San José in the Rain”), an initiative aimed at bringing the public closer to San José’s art and urban culture during the rainy season. The event will take place on May 14 starting at 5:00 p.m. and will …

Costa Rica Enters Fernandez Era With Chaves Still in the Room

As I write this, Costa Rica is celebrating the changing of the guard. Laura Fernandez has been sworn in as our new President. Three days earlier, on Tuesday, she introduced her cabinet in a setting that was part reality TV show, part sporting event. Fernandez stood center stage, backed by two large screens so those …

Costa Rica Beach Labor Dispute Grows After Tamarindo Massage Raids

A long-running dispute over informal beach work in Playa Tamarindo has flared again, after residents and massage workers reported new police action against women offering massages to tourists along one of Costa Rica’s busiest beach destinations. The conflict centers on a group of women who provide massage services on the beach, many of them working …

Costa Rica Loses 56,000 Jobs as Workforce Participation Hits Multi-Year Low

Costa Rica shed more than 56,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, while an additional 118,000 people dropped out of the labor force entirely, according to the latest Continuous Employment Survey released by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC). The figures, covering the January–March 2026 …