Costa Rica Hotels Expect High Occupancy for Easter Week

Costa Rica’s hotel sector is heading into Easter week with strong expectations, projecting average occupancy of 75% nationwide for the March 27 to April 5 holiday period. The forecast comes from a survey by the Costa Rican Chamber of Hotels, which said 66 hotels from across the country took part. At the time of the …

Colombian Military Aircraft Crash in Putumayo Kills 66

A Colombian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo in the southern department of Putumayo on March 23, killing at least 66 people on board. The aircraft carried 128 military personnel and crew members when it went down in a jungle area about 1.5 kilometers from the airport around …

How Costa Rica Cattle Ponds Support Birds Deer and Other Wildlife

Cattle ranching has been interwoven into the fabric of Guanacaste for centuries. Historically, enormous haciendas employed sabaneros, Tico cowboys, to raise cattle on the sparsely populated land. Recent history has seen a shift from agriculture and cattle to tourism and hospitality, but you still can’t drive very far down the road without having to maneuver …

Christina Aguilera explores Costa Rica’s La Paz Waterfall Gardens

The American pop star headlined the second night of the PICNIC Festival in Heredia on Saturday, March 21. She delivered a set of her biggest hits to thousands of fans who had waited years to see her perform live in the country. After the show, Aguilera headed to La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Vara Blanca. …

Humanitarian aid flotilla arrives in crisis-hit Cuba

The first boat in a flotilla carrying medical supplies, food, and solar panels arrived in Cuba on Tuesday to help the island as a U.S.-imposed fuel blockade worsens its energy crisis. The shrimp boat Maguro docked in Havana three days later than expected after battling strong winds, currents, and a troublesome battery during its voyage …

Costa Rica Becomes a Migration Hub for U.S. Deportations Again

Costa Rica has signed a new agreement with the United States that could make the Central American nation a regular stopover for migrants being expelled from U.S. territory, regardless of where those migrants are actually from. Under the memorandum of understanding, Washington may transfer up to 25 non-U.S. nationals per week to Costa Rican soil. …

Miami Open Sees Argentina’s Cerúndolo Shock Medvedev

Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo gave Latin America its biggest moment of the day at the Miami Open yesterday producing one of the tournament’s best wins so far with a 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 upset of former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev to reach the fourth round. The Argentine, seeded 18th, again showed why Miami has become one …

U.S. Adds Nicaragua to Visa Bond List for B1 and B2 Visas

Nicaraguan citizens who apply for U.S. visitor visas will need to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 starting April 2. The U.S. State Department announced the change on March 18. Nicaragua joins 11 other countries in an expansion that now covers 50 nations total whose nationals must meet the requirement if consular officers …

Costa Rica Appeal Warns Puerto Viejo Pier Could Damage Coral Reef

A new environmental appeal is challenging official approval for the proposed Puerto Viejo Neighborhood Pier in Talamanca, arguing that the project could damage coral ecosystems and move forward on the basis of incomplete marine studies. The filing asks Costa Rica’s National Environmental Technical Secretariat, known as SETENA, to annul the project’s environmental viability and suspend …

Costa Rica Expands Traffic Monitoring Ahead of Holy Week

Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport is expanding traffic monitoring and enforcement ahead of Semana Santa 2026, as one of the year’s busiest travel periods approaches from March 29 to April 5. While officials have not announced a brand-new Holy Week live camera platform in recent days, MOPT has continued to push a …