Starbucks has rolled out its 2026 summer menu at participating stores across Costa Rica, with four featured beverages now available as part of a regional launch across Latin America and the Caribbean. The lineup includes the new Iced Cherry Chai Latte, the Iced Horchata Shaken Espresso, the Horchata Frappuccino and the Tropical Butterfly Refresher. The …
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Avianca will fly stranded Spirit Airlines passengers home at no fare cost, the Colombian flag carrier announced today, becoming the first Latin American airline to extend a formal rescue plan after Spirit abruptly shut down operations earlier in the day. The offer waives the airfare itself but requires passengers to cover taxes, airport fees, and …
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Travelers heading to or from Costa Rica face sudden disruption after Spirit Airlines announced early Saturday it is shutting down all operations and liquidating, ending 34 years of service from the budget carrier known for its bright yellow planes and bare-bones fares. “It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started …
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Corcovado National Park, one of Costa Rica’s most important protected areas, is again at the center of a debate over how much tourism its ecosystems can support. The park, located on the Osa Peninsula, is one of our country’s best-known nature destinations. Costa Rica’s tourism board describes Corcovado as a protected area of forests, mangroves, …
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Costa Rica is moving to expand its payment-based conservation model into open-water marine protection, with a new program being designed to reward the protection and release of hammerhead sharks. The Ministry of Environment and Energy, through SINAC and in partnership with FUNBAM, is developing a Marine Payment for Ecosystem Services program, known as PSEM, aimed …
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Costa Rica moved up one spot to 18th place in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index released Thursday by Reporters Without Borders, reaffirming its standing as the freest country for journalists in Latin America even as press freedom hits a 25-year low globally. The country posted a score of 12.08 in the new ranking, edging …
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Is it just me, or does it seem like too many people are looking too hard for something– anything– to get upset about? The internet is overloaded with whiners and nitpickers, broadcasting the latest outrage to their delicate sensibilities. While it can be tiresome, it can also be contagious. The more I watch, the more …
Read more “A Costa Rica Expat’s Funny List of Everyday Pet Peeves”
Costa Rica is undergoing a demographic transformation that will leave a lasting mark on the country. Families are smaller, parents are starting later in life, and a growing share of households no longer include children at all. The shifts, captured in recent data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), are reshaping the …
Read more “Costa Rica Fertility Rate Hits 1.2 as Families Get Smaller and Older”
Costa Rica drivers will soon face a major increase at the pump after the Public Services Regulatory Authority, ARESEP, approved a new fuel price adjustment that will hit diesel and regular gasoline the hardest. Under the approved rates, diesel will rise by ₡152 per liter, moving from ₡564 to ₡716. Regular gasoline will increase by …
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Costa Rica’s Route 27 will operate with a reversible lane this Sunday, May 3, as authorities prepare for heavy return traffic from the Pacific coast to the Central Valley after the long International Workers’ Day weekend. The measure will apply on the highway between Caldera and San José, with traffic directed toward the capital between …
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