Category: Blog

The Costa Rican National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared a red alert for Poás Volcano National Park, after reporting a sustained uptick in eruptive activity. Authorities noted that this week’s eruptions produced ash columns surpassing 4,000 m in height, with some plumes reaching up to 4,500 m above the crater rim—the most intense explosions of the …

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The Costa Rican Ministry of Justice and Peace has unveiled sweeping reforms to the nation’s penitentiary system, drawing inspiration from El Salvador’s hardline security model under President Nayib Bukele. The changes, announced following Bukele’s visit to Costa Rica last November and a tour by Justice Minister Gerald Campos of El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), …

Read more “Costa Rica Tightens Prison Rules, Adopts El Salvador’s Bukele Model”

Approximately 200 migrants deported from the United States to Costa Rica’s Southern Zone have been granted a special humanitarian status, offering them temporary legal protection and freedom of movement within the country, according to the General Director of Migration, Omer Badilla. The migrants, coming from countries such as Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, and Pakistan, arrived …

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The first book I ever tried to read in Spanish was Robert Vesco Compra una República. It was 1991 and I was a few months into my life in Costa Rica. Learning Spanish by listening to the radio, overhearing conversations on the street, making verb charts, drinking at the cantina and talking with the locals, …

Read more “Scams in Costa Rica: How Con Artists Prey on Investors”

This morning at approximately 5:15 a.m., Poás Volcano erupted yet again, producing a significant ash plume that soared 3.5 kilometers above the crater, according to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI-UNA). This event, marked by a powerful explosion and a “strong rumble” reported by local residents, underscores the volcano’s ongoing eruptive phase, …

Read more “VIDEO: Poás Volcano Erupts with 3.5 km Ash Plume, OVSICORI Reports”

Costa Rica ranks among Latin America’s most affected countries for plastic bottle pollution on its beaches, according to a new study by Chile’s Universidad Católica del Norte. The report, titled “In Search of the Origin of Plastic Bottles,” reveals that plastic bottles and caps dominate coastal waste, threatening the country’s renowned biodiversity and marine ecosystems. …

Read more “Costa Rica Among Latin America’s Worst Hit by Plastic Bottle Pollution”

A white-winged dove recently decided that the hanging plant, sitting about head high a few steps from my front door, was just the right spot for a nest. At first this led to a frightening explosion of feathered wings every time a member of my family walked out of the door, but after a while …

Read more “VIDEO: How a Bird on my Porch in Costa Rica Relates to Wildlife and a Hole in a Tree”

Costa Rica has recorded seven consecutive months of declining international tourist arrivals, a troubling trend that began in September 2024 and persisted through March 2025, according to the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). The downturn, coinciding with the country’s traditional high season, has raised alarms within the tourism sector, a cornerstone of the national economy. …

Read more “Costa Rica Faces Tourism Slump Despite High Season”

Pope Francis implemented during his pontificate a number of significant measures—from reforming the Roman Curia to combating sexual abuse of minors within the Church. Below is an overview of his most important actions as leader of the Catholic Church: Reforms Pope Francis sought to carry out a deep reform of the Roman Curia—the Church’s central …

Read more “How Pope Francis Transformed Vatican Finances, Discipline & Ecology”

In celebration of our little 51,100‑square‑kilometer stretch of earth, we’re revisiting a selection of photos from Costa Rica’s landscapes. From volcanoes and rivers to cloud forests and coastal wildlife, these images remind us why protecting nature matters. Alberto Font/The Tico Times Lindsay Fendt/The Tico Times Lindsay Fendt/The Tico Times (Courtesy of Centro Cientifico Tropical) (Courtesy …

Read more “Happy Earth Day 2025: Celebrating Costa Rica’s Natural Wonders in Photos”