How Costa Rica Observes Good Friday During Semana Santa

Good Friday in Costa Rica brings processions, family traditions, quieter streets, and widespread closures as Semana Santa reaches its most solemn day. Good Friday in Costa Rica arrives with a different rhythm. Today much of our country slows down as Semana Santa reaches its most solemn point, with church bells, processions, family meals, and long-held …

Costa Rica Leatherback Turtles Arrive Early on Caribbean Beaches

Costa Rica’s Caribbean leatherback season is getting underway, with conservation groups and park-linked patrols on the coast already reporting the first turtles of the 2026 nesting cycle. Rangers at Tortuguero and Cahuita confirm first major arrivals 10 days ahead of schedule, opening up an unexpected early window for one of our country’s most awe-inspiring wildlife …

Missing Ecuadorian Fishing Boat with 20 Crew Found in El Salvador Waters

Relatives of 20 Ecuadorian fishermen said Thursday that their vessel had been found in Salvadoran waters after going missing for more than a week. The boat lost contact on March 26 after leaving Manta, Ecuador’s main fishing port. Families received word of the rescue and an audio message from one of the crew members that …

Costa Rica Farmers Donate Harvest in San José Holy Week Tradition

During Holy Week, farmers, the Catholic Church and the Municipality of San José come together for the blessing of the harvest, an event that provides food to San José’s most vulnerable communities in a gesture filled with faith, hope, and collective support. The event has been organized jointly by market vendors, the Archdiocese of San …

FBI Sends Team to Cuba to Investigate Deadly Boat Incident Linked to Florida

An FBI delegation is in Cuba to take part in the investigation into the incident involving an armed boat from Florida and Cuban coast guard forces, which left five dead and six injured, a source at the U.S. Embassy in Havana said. A U.S. embassy official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that “a technical team from the …

Is El Salvador Winning the Central America Tourism Race?

The numbers tell a story that Costa Rica’s tourism industry cannot afford to ignore. In 2019, before the pandemic reshaped global travel, Costa Rica stood as the most visited nation in the Central American region with 3.14 million foreign visitors, while El Salvador ranked second with 1.77 million. That gap, over 1.3 million visitors, looked …

Brazil Congress Approves Shared Pet Custody for Separating Couples

No more arguments over who gets the dog. The Brazilian Congress has passed a bill that will let separating couples share custody of their pets. Lawmakers approved the measure on March 31. It reflects how Brazilians view their animals as family members rather than property. The bill, known as PL 941/2024, states that if a …

Costa Rica Oversight Body Warns U.S. Deportation Deal Could Trigger Rights Violations

A Costa Rican oversight body is warning that the country risks repeating human rights violations if it moves ahead with a new agreement to accept migrants deported from the United States. The alert comes after President Rodrigo Chaves’ government signed a nonbinding migration deal with Washington that would allow up to 25 third-country deportees per …

Astronauts begin NASA’s historic Artemis II lunar mission

Four Artemis II mission astronauts blasted off Wednesday aboard a massive NASA rocket on a journey that will take them around the Moon, the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years. With a thunderous roar heard far beyond the launch pad, the orange-and-white rocket lifted off carrying three Americans and one Canadian from …