St Regis Papagayo Resort Breaks Ground in Costa Rica Guanacaste

Developers broke ground this week on the St. Regis Papagayo Resort, the luxury brand’s first spot in Costa Rica. Solana leads the project on the Gulf of Papagayo in Guanacaste, with an opening set for early 2027. The site covers 55 acres and stretches along 1,900 feet of beachfront, just 25 minutes from Liberia’s Guanacaste …

British Man Arrested in Guatemala for Axe Attack on Hotel Worker

Police in Guatemala arrested a 68-year-old British man on Monday after he attacked a hotel manager with a tactical axe in the tourist town of Antigua. The suspect, identified as Robertson N, claimed a religious order drove the assault. The incident happened at a hotel on 7th Avenue North in Antigua, about 45 kilometers west …

Activists Take to San Salvador Streets on Independence Day

As El Salvador celebrated 204 years of Central American independence with military parades, about 1,500 activists filled the downtown streets of San Salvador. They marched to demand the release of political prisoners and people they describe as innocent detainees caught in President Nayib Bukele’s ongoing gang crackdown. The event highlighted tensions between the government’s tough …

First Woman to Deliver Mexico’s Grito de Dolores Marks a Historic Moment

Claudia Sheinbaum will make history today by becoming the first woman to lead Mexico’s traditional Independence Day “Grito de Dolores” from the presidential balcony — a ritual monopolized by men for more than a century. Sheinbaum, who won a landslide victory in 2024 to become Mexico’s first female president, will ring the historic bell and …

Looking Back at Life in Costa Rica Before Independence

Costa Rica marks 204 years of independence today, September 15, with parades and lanterns lighting up the night. For expats and visitors settling into the pura vida lifestyle, it’s a good time to glance at the past. What did daily life look like in this corner of Central America before the break from Spain? The …

UN Pressures Honduras for Justice in Juan López Case

One year after environmental activist Juan López was gunned down, the United Nations office in Honduras pressed authorities to track down and charge those who ordered the killing. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) made the demand in a statement released Sunday, marking the anniversary of López’s death on September …

Costa Rica Electric Car Market Booms Despite Gradual Tax Increases

Costa Rica has experienced a boom in the purchase of electric vehicles. This comes as no surprise, given that the prices of electric cars in Costa Rica are practically the same as, or in some cases lower than, those of equivalent gas models. This is mainly due to the tax exemptions established under the Electric …

Costa Rica’s Independence Day Visitors Guide

For those few who are visiting our country and for whatever reason, may not know yet, Costa Rica celebrates its 204th Independence Day tomorrow – September 15. It’s a national holiday that honors the 1821 break from Spain. Parades, music, and flag displays fill the streets, while the day shifts some daily operations. Travelers will …

El Salvador Mobilized to Remove Invasive Plants from Lake Suchitlán

With mechanical shovels, barges, and by hand, hundreds of soldiers and artisanal fishers are working tirelessly this Friday to remove a floating plant that covers El Salvador’s Lake Suchitlán, in hopes of restoring prosperity to this tourist area. The so-called “water lettuce” (Pistia stratiotes), about 30 centimeters in diameter, has spread across the surface of …

Celebrating Costa Rica Independence Day Through the Eyes of an Expat

Independence Day is almost here! If you live near a school, a soccer field, a parking lot, or a barrio with a lot of school-age kids, you’ve probably heard the familiar signs that September 15 is just around the corner: the pounding of drums, a repetitive, seemingly non-stop martial beat echoing through the neighborhood, before …