The National Museum of Denmark has confirmed that two 18th-century shipwrecks in Cahuita National Park, long thought to be pirate ships, are the Danish slave ships Fridericus Quartus and Christianus Quintus, which sank in 1710. The identification was announced on Sunday, resolving decades of speculation about the wrecks off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. The ships …

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It is early afternoon and I am sipping my fourth cup of coffee. This is nothing unusual, as I average over a liter of coffee daily. I drink more coffee than I ever would have up north. In fact, when I go up north for a visit, I drink about half the coffee I consume …

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Thousands of people visited Pope Francis’ tomb this Sunday, after he was laid to rest in Rome the day before following a massive funeral, as one question lingers over the Eternal City: Who will succeed the first Latin American pope? The date for the conclave to elect the next pope could be announced on Monday …

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Panama has reached a major milestone in its ambitious Metro Line 3 project: the construction of the country’s first metro tunnel beneath the Panama Canal is well underway. This unprecedented project will connect Panama City with the western suburbs of Arraiján and eventually La Chorrera, dramatically reducing commute times and easing chronic traffic congestion. The …

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The coral reefs off Tortuga Island in the Gulf of Nicoya are experiencing a remarkable revival, thanks to an innovative coral garden project spearheaded by local institutions and communities. Launched in August 2024, this initiative has made significant strides in restoring ecosystems devastated by both natural and human-induced degradation, offering hope amidst a global coral …

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If you follow the news in Costa Rica with any degree of regularity, you’ll know that crime is in the zeitgeist. As with any nation there are many flavors of crime in Costa Rica. Corruption is usually associated with the government and other people that hold power. Much of the violent crime lately in Costa …

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British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, known for playing Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock, vacationed in Costa Rica with his family. The Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería reported that Cumberbatch was here from April 5 to April 17. Cumberbatch, 48, has earned acclaim for diverse roles …

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Costa Rica is intensifying its defenses against yellow fever as cases surge across Latin America, prompting heightened vigilance from national health authorities. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported 14 confirmed cases in the Americas in early 2025, following 61 cases in 2024, with the disease spreading to urban areas like São Paulo, Brazil, and …

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Archaeologists announced Thursday the discovery of the remains of a woman who lived approximately 5,000 years ago and is believed to have belonged to the elite of the Caral civilization, one of the oldest civilizations in the world, which settled in northern Peru. The discovery is of particular interest to scientists because it suggests that …

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Costa Rica’s subtle seasonal changes offer orientation when spring, summer, autumn and winter aren’t there to structure the passage of time. Spring is here, a season that draws out a grateful sigh for the return of light, heat and the pending harvest. At least, that is the case in northern latitudes where changes in the …

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