Panama’s government announced fresh details last Friday about its Panama-David-Frontera fast train, a transformative project that will connect Panama City to Paso Canoas on the Costa Rican border. This railway promises to reshape travel, trade, and tourism for Costa Rica’s southern region and beyond. Spanning 475 kilometers with 14 stations—Albrook, Ciudad de la Salud, Panama …

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Costa Rica has solidified its position as the leading hub in the area of life sciences for Latin America. According to recent industry data, the country ranks first in the region for both the volume of square meters developed and under construction for life sciences facilities and the number of jobs created in this field. …

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Expotur 2025, Costa Rica’s premier tourism trade show, recently concluded at the Costa Rica Convention Center, showcasing our country’s latest strategies to remain a leader in global tourism. The event, organized by the Costa Rican Association of Tourism Professionals (ACOPROT), brought together over 120 local businesses and buyers from 27 countries, underscoring Costa Rica’s commitment …

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Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli arrived in Colombia this Saturday under political asylum, after spending 15 months sheltered in the Nicaraguan embassy to avoid serving a nearly 11-year prison sentence for money laundering. Panama’s foreign ministry announced in a statement that it had “granted the safe-conduct” for Martinelli’s “secure departure” to Colombia, after President Gustavo …

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Today we meet the most aquatic member of Costa Rica’s weasel family, the neotropical river otter. The neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) is known as the nutria or perro de agua in Spanish. There’s another species of animal called a nutria in English. It looks like a mix between a rat and a beaver and …

Read more “Costa Rica’s Elusive River Otter: Behavior, Scat Clues, and Rare Video Evidence”

A fishing ban in the Gulf of Nicoya, effective since May 1st and lasting until July 3rd, protects shrimp, corvina, snapper, and white mullet during their breeding season. Enforced by the Costa Rican Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA), the ban promotes sustainable artisanal, sport, and sport fishing, supporting coastal communities like Chomes and Isla …

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In Costa Rica, the iconic “May beetles” (abejones de mayo), known scientifically as the Phyllophaga genus, are vanishing at an alarming rate. These beetles, which have long heralded the arrival of the rainy season each May, are now a rare sight, even in rural areas. Biologists at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) estimate a …

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El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on Saturday shared images of gang members in a mega-prison to discredit statements made by two leaders of the Quarter 18 gang to the digital newspaper The Lighthouse about an alleged deal that helped him rise to power in 2019. “Bukele made a pact with the gangs,” the president wrote …

Read more “El Salvador Denies Gang Pact Amid New Allegations from Barrio 18 Leaders”

Anyone who has lived here more than a few months is well aware of the myriad problems present in 21st century Costa Rica: Violent crime (our murder rate per capita is not far behind that of Chicago); Theft (on all levels, from a crackhead stealing a bicycle off your porch to an elected official pocketing …

Read more “Living in Costa Rica as an Expat Isn’t Perfect—But It’s Better Than You Think”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns that a 41% funding cut is jeopardizing support for refugees in Costa Rica, especially Nicaraguans fleeing repression. With over 222,000 asylum claims pending, the country’s asylum system is buckling. Nicaraguans escape political crackdowns, human rights abuses, and economic collapse, sparked by 2018 protests and worsened by …

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