Category: Blog

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), through its Specialized Section Against Environmental Crimes, carried out an operation at a store in Vázquez de Coronado, San José, where several wild animal species allegedly offered for sale were discovered. During the raid, agents recovered two specimens of the Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum), a critically endangered amphibian according to …

Read more “Costa Rica Rescues Endangered Amphibians and Turtles in Store Bust”

Starbucks continues to strengthen its presence in Costa Rica with the opening of its second store in the province of Guanacaste, specifically in Tamarindo. This is the second of three planned openings in the Guanacaste region. On June 10, the brand opened its first store in the Solarium business park in Liberia. This expansion plan …

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The original Pan-American Highway heading south from San José once took a dramatic and daunting route. It passed through the old capital of Cartago and climbed the mountains before topping out at over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) on the Cerro de la Muerte. From there, it plunged down toward San Isidro de El General and …

Read more “Dominical to Quepos: The Costa Rican Road That Took 30 Years to Finish”

Salvadorans deserve “something better” than living between “gangs or dictatorship,” said Noah Bullock, director of the influential NGO Cristosal, in an interview. On Thursday, the organization closed its office in El Salvador, denouncing “repression” from the government of Nayib Bukele. The team in the country went into exile amid an escalation of “persecution,” following the …

Read more “Exiled NGO Slams Bukele’s Rule as Repeat of Authoritarian Past”

Costa Rica is home to around 220 species of non-marine mammals. Roughly half of those species, 117 is the current number, are the type of mammal that many folks are worried will fly into their hair – bats. 117 is a lot of different kinds of bats and probably more than you would have guessed, …

Read more “Meet the Bats of Costa Rica from Tent Makers to Fish Hunters”

A noticeable change in watercolor has been reported across several zones of the Gulf of Nicoya and coastal areas adjacent to the Nicoya Peninsula. This alteration is the result of an algal bloom. Satellite imagery from July 5, provided by the Marine Phytoplankton Laboratory at the Marine Biology Station of the National University (UNA), shows …

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Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the General Management Plan for the Gandoca-Manzanillo Mixed Wildlife Refuge is unconstitutional. The decision annuls both the plan and a 2023 directive from the Environment Ministry that allowed permits in protected areas, citing violations of the country’s constitution and international wetland protections. The court found that the plan …

Read more “Costa Rica Overturns Management Plan for Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge”

As climate change intensifies, rural communities across Costa Rica are taking concrete steps to reduce risks and adapt to increasing climate pressures. With support from the international program “Scaling Up Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Measures in Rural Latin America” (EbA LAC), Costa Rica is integrating ecosystem-based adaptation into local and national planning frameworks. Between 1980 and 2017, …

Read more “Rural Costa Rica Adopts Ecosystem-Based Approach to Climate Resilience”

The prestigious NGO Cristosal, which investigates corruption cases and denounces human rights violations in El Salvador, announced Thursday that it has been forced into exile due to what it called the government’s growing repression against humanitarian activists under President Nayib Bukele. Cristosal, a strong critic of Bukele’s security policies, reported being subjected to harassment, surveillance, …

Read more “El Salvador NGO Flees to Guatemala as Bukele Intensifies Crackdown on Critics”

The airline recently added two new aircraft to its fleet, bringing their total to twelve. That increase allows SANSA to boost service to smaller airstrips in places like Drake Bay, Golfito, Cobano, and Tortuguero, making regional travel more efficient and consistent. From San José’s Juan Santamaria airport, SANSA offers daily flights to many of Costa …

Read more “Flying Around Costa Rica is Easier Than Ever Thanks to Sansa Airlines”