Police Halt Illegal Wetland Filling in Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast

Wetlands on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica play a fundamental role in the conservation of biodiversity and the ecological balance in the region. Therefore, residents of Playa Negra, in the southern Caribbean of Costa Rica, raised the alarm about the filling of a wetland on a farm that already had a previous environmental …

Costa Rica’s Paradise Lost: From Tourist Haven to Drug Hub

Media outlet Le Monde published an article indicating that Costa Rica has transformed from a tourist paradise to an epicenter of drug trafficking and violence. The piece, entitled “Costa Rica, Latin America’s Switzerland in the Grip of the Drug Storm,” notes that Costa Rica has become engulfed in cocaine trafficking, changing it from a transit …

Panama-Costa Rica Join Forces on Migration Control

In a joint effort to strengthen migration management in the region, the ministers of Public Security of Panama and Costa Rica, Frank Alexis Abrego and Mario Zamora, held a meeting in Costa Rica to analyze and optimize migratory flows. During the meeting, which aimed to establish effective mechanisms to allow the safe, orderly, and humanitarian …

Surfing in Costa Rica is Booming as Tourism and Economy Grow

The global economic market trend analysis firm STATISTA estimates that between 2025 and 2032, surf tourism will grow at an average annual rate of 6%. In 2022, the global surf tourism market was valued at $9.5 billion, and forecasts predict that by 2032, it will grow to $17.1 billion. “This is consistent with the growth …

Costa Rica Shows Progress in 2024 Global Anti Corruption Index

Costa Rica ranks 52nd in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), published by Transparency International. The country moved up three positions compared to last year’s ranking and obtained a score of 58/100. The CPI is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world. It measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived …

Thinking of Moving to Costa Rica? The Good, Bad & ‘Experts’ You’ll Meet

Newcomers to Costa Rica have it much easier today. When my then wife and I made the decision to come here in 1989, there was no internet, no Facebook or message boards where all of the questions we had could be thrown out to be answered by those who had already made the move. I …

Netflix Launches Survival Show With Bear Grylls in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s world-famous landscapes are taking center stage once again in Netflix’s latest reality series, “Celebrity Bear Hunt,” which premiered on February 5, 2025. The show, hosted by Holly Willoughby, challenges 12 celebrities to survive in the Costa Rican jungle while evading capture by legendary survival expert Bear Grylls. The competition, filmed in 2024, splits …

Migrants Trapped in Limbo at Costa Rica-Panama Border

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding at the Costa Rica-Panama border as migrants, many of whom sold everything to journey north, find themselves stranded due to new U.S. immigration policies. The once-bustling streets of Paso Canoas are now eerily quiet. Migrants, fearing detention, hide in hotel rooms instead of wandering the streets. This stark change comes …

Guatemala Bus Tragedy Claims 52 Lives in Devastating Ravine Plunge

At least 52 people died on Monday when a bus carrying more than 70 passengers plunged into a ravine at the northern entrance to Guatemala City, according to the latest toll from authorities, a tragedy for which the government declared “national mourning.” The bus fell, for reasons under investigation, from a road next to the …

Costa Rica’s Tourism Sector Faces Challenges Amid Stronger Colón

The National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) has expressed growing concerns about the challenges facing Costa Rica’s tourism sector, with the strengthening of the colón emerging as a significant factor. Despite positive tourism numbers in 2024, CANATUR’s executive director, Shirley Calvo, describes the situation as increasingly complex. One of the primary concerns is the exchange rate, …