Cardinals from around the world will meet under Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church after Pope Francis’s death. Dating back to the Middle Ages — when the idea of sovereigns being elected was somewhat revolutionary — the gathering, known as conclave, has an air …
Read more “What to Know About the Conclave to Elect the Next Pope”
Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Hot List recognizes top new hotels worldwide, and Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is among them. The only Central American property on the list and one of few in Latin America, this hotel has gained attention for its location and offerings. Located within the 1,400-acre Peninsula Papagayo, a …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Nekajui Hotel on Condé Nast Traveler 2025 Hot List”
The National Museum of Denmark has confirmed that two 18th-century shipwrecks in Cahuita National Park, long thought to be pirate ships, are the Danish slave ships Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, which sank in 1710. The identification was announced on Sunday, resolving decades of speculation about the wrecks off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. The ships …
Read more “Shipwrecks in Costa Rica Confirmed as Danish Slave Ships from 1710”
It is early afternoon and I am sipping my fourth cup of coffee. This is nothing unusual, as I average over a liter of coffee daily. I drink more coffee than I ever would have up north. In fact, when I go up north for a visit, I drink about half the coffee I consume …
Read more “Life as an Expat in Costa Rica: How Coffee, Food, and Health Habits Change”
Thousands of people visited Pope Francis’ tomb this Sunday, after he was laid to rest in Rome the day before following a massive funeral, as one question lingers over the Eternal City: Who will succeed the first Latin American pope? The date for the conclave to elect the next pope could be announced on Monday …
Read more “Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome: Who Will Be the Next Pope?”
Panama has reached a major milestone in its ambitious Metro Line 3 project: the construction of the country’s first metro tunnel beneath the Panama Canal is well underway. This unprecedented project will connect Panama City with the western suburbs of Arraiján and eventually La Chorrera, dramatically reducing commute times and easing chronic traffic congestion. The …
Read more “New Panama Metro Tunnel Under the Canal Aims to Cut Commute Times”
The coral reefs off Tortuga Island in the Gulf of Nicoya are experiencing a remarkable revival, thanks to an innovative coral garden project spearheaded by local institutions and communities. Launched in August 2024, this initiative has made significant strides in restoring ecosystems devastated by both natural and human-induced degradation, offering hope amidst a global coral …
Read more “Costa Rica’s Tortuga Island Coral Garden Revives Reefs”
If you follow the news in Costa Rica with any degree of regularity, you’ll know that crime is in the zeitgeist. As with any nation there are many flavors of crime in Costa Rica. Corruption is usually associated with the government and other people that hold power. Much of the violent crime lately in Costa …
Read more “Theft in Costa Rica: A Local Expat’s Personal Experience”
British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, known for playing Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock, vacationed in Costa Rica with his family. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería reported that Cumberbatch was here from April 5 to April 17. Cumberbatch, 48, has earned acclaim for diverse roles …
Read more “Actor Benedict Cumberbatch Enjoys Family Getaway in Costa Rica”
Costa Rica is intensifying its defenses against yellow fever as cases surge across Latin America, prompting heightened vigilance from national health authorities. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported 14 confirmed cases in the Americas in early 2025, following 61 cases in 2024, with the disease spreading to urban areas like São Paulo, Brazil, and …
Read more “Costa Rica Bolsters Yellow Fever Defenses Amid Regional Surge”