Top 10 Costa Rica

Sunbathing tree frogs may hold the key to understanding how a deadly fungus is wiping out amphibians around the world. The chytrid fungus has been implicated in many amphibian extinctions.

Now scientists are using non-invasive imaging technology to find out how some frogs from Central America may be able to beat this deadly disease.

They believe that the frogs’ unusual skin is allowing the animals to bask in hot sunlight, possibly boosting their temperatures to kill off the fungus.

Most frogs avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight; the light and heat dry out their skin. However, some tree frogs from Costa Rica thrive in these conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

The protection of dolphins and whales in Costa Rican waters is becoming a profitable business for the country. On the one hand, it confirms the commitment of the nation with the environment and, on the other, it means bread on the table for many people particularly fishermen turned tour guides who make a living from whale watching. According to the environmentalist organization PROMAR, that particular type of tourism generated $5.32 million, 42 times the amount recorded in 1990, when the activity began in Costa Rica. Scientists say that this should not come as a surprise, since Costa Rican waters are home to 29 –or 34 percent– of the 85 species of cetaceans known around the world.

The arrival of tourists in Costa Rica continues increasing, in spite of the hardships of U.S. economy and the more expensive plane tickets resulting from the upward trend of fuels. During the first five months this year, the number of visitors increased by 133,000 (16 percent) as compared to the same period in 2007. The U.S. remains the leading source of tourists (54 percent), followed by Europe with 17 percent.

One of America’s most popular and often controversial comedians, George Carlin, died in Santa Monica, California. He was 71.

From the early 1960’s, through the beatnik, folk and hippie eras, to today’s cutting edge humor, George Carlin has entertained generations of Americans. He starred in several movies, wrote a popular book, “Brain Droppings,” appeared in several television series and was a guest 135 times on legendary talk show host Johnny Carson’s Tonight show. But George Carlin will be best remembered as a wise and witty stand-up comedian. Read the rest of this entry »

Banco Nacional launched a new product that caters to the euro-toting crowd, combining the functions of a savings account with that of an interest-bearing investment tool.

Dubbed Inversión a la vista en euros, the product will join similar ones the state-run bank already provides in dollars and colones.

“The objective is to offer interested clients a greater diversification in currency for their investments and an additional alternative for the management of their funds,” according to Violeta Fernández, Banco Nacional’s corporate relations director.

Those interested would have to maintain a €2,000 limit. All withdrawals must be for at least €500. Interest rates range from 1.15 to 1.40 percent.

Oscar Arias is the current president of the country of Costa Rica. He first assumed office on May 8, 2006 and is currently serving his second term. He had first been elected president on May 8, 1986 and served until May 8, 1990. For more information on Costa Rica, check out ToucanEstate.

President Arias is best known as one of the driving figures behind the end of the Central American civil wars during the 1980s. For his efforts, Oscar Arias Sanchez received the Nobel Peace Price in 1987.

Aside from that, President Arias was also awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. The Economists for Peace and Security also accepted him as a trustee. President Arias is a member of the Board of Directors of International Criminal Court ’s Trust Fund for Victims. Read the rest of this entry »

The Costa Rican banana industry is intending to go carbon neutral in a joint effort to make the small Central American nation the first to offset all its carbon dioxide emissions by 2021.

President Oscar Arias recently announced that Costa Rica aims to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2021, in time to celebrate the country 200 years of independence. A plan of action has already been approved and many projects are now underway to reach this target.

Costa Rica is an international leader on green issues, with protected areas like national parks and biological reserves covering more than a quarter of its territory. It is the first tropical nation to reverse deforestation. Thanks to conservation and replanting, its forest cover has increased from 21 percent in 1987 to 52 percent today. The banana industry’s contribution to conservation and reforestation is 6,305 hectares of replanted forests, 14.4% of the land used for banana plantations. The country also generates 78 percent of its energy with hydroelectric power and another 18 percent by wind or geothermal power. The next step is to cut emissions from transport, farming, and industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Three more teams booked their places to the third round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying as regional powers Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica all posted victories. Here is a rundown of their victories.

Mexico trounces Belize

So much for that huge upset in CONCACAF qualifying.

When Mexico only defeated Belize 2-0 in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying series there was at least a little speculation about whether the tiny Central American country could shock the world and knock off mighty Mexico.

Not so much.

The Mexicans scored seven unanswered goals to smash Belize, 7-0, to win the series and book their expected place in the third round of World Cup qualifying. Now Mexico joins a qualifying group that includes Honduras, Canada and Jamaica, with only two of the four teams advancing to the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Costa Rica tops Grenada, Guatamala rolls

Costa Rica booked its place to next round of qualifying with a 3-0 win against Grenada to record a 5-2 series victory. Alvaro Saborio, Bryan Ruiz and Randall Azofeifa all scored for ‘Los Ticos’ to book a place in a third round group that will include the winners of the Guyana-Suriname, Panama-El Salvador and Haiti-Netherland Antilles match-ups, which are all slated for completion today.

Guatemala also cruised in its second-leg match against St. Lucia, rolling to a 3-1 win to take a 9-1 series victory. Gonzalo Romero scored twice while Carlos Ruiz started and played 90 minutes for ‘Los Chapines’. Guatemala became the first team to qualify for a group expected to include the United States and the winners of the Trinidad & Tobago/Bermuda and Cuba/Antigua and Barbuda series.

In what now seems to be a pattern that threatens Costa Rica, three airlines announced that they will suspend flights to Central America at the beginning of the second semester this year due to increases in jet fuel and operating costs.

Where Costa Rica learned that Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the minister of tourism, announced that there are no official reports about flight cancellations or reductions.

United Airlines reported the suspension of flights to Guatemala beginning September 2.  Jesus Rodriguez, the sales manager for Central America and the Caribbean said that the increase in crude oil prices provoked an increase in operating costs, which in turn made it impossible to continue flights to Guatemala.  United Airlines has been operating in Guatemala for the past 17 years and offered a daily flight from Los Angeles and vice versa. Read the rest of this entry »

It was announced yesterday that beginning Monday, June 23, a new Pico y Placa program would restrict vehicle usage during rush hour, depending on license plate. Today, we learn that more changes are in store for the Costa Rica Travel scene, beginning with a double tax on diesel-fueled vehicles, as well as an increased yearly tax for the country’s luxury cars.

There are currently about 66,000 registered personal-use vehicles that use diesel in Costa Rica, and the Minister of the Treasury, Guillermo Zúñiga, said that the government hopes to double the marchamo (yearly tax and registration) on all personal-use diesel vehicles. However, in an effort to lighten the financial load on these owners, they will eliminate the tax on diesel fuels, while raising the tax on all three types of gasoline. Vehicles used for public transit, cargo, and work vehicles will be excluded from the double marchamo. Read the rest of this entry »

The annual Fiesta de la Música will be held in places all over the Central Valley Saturday, including Parque Francia in Barrio Escalante. The musicians will play from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m and sometimes even later, according to event planners.

This is the annual festival sponsored by the French Embassy, Alianza Francesa, Hotel 1492 and the Banco de Costa Rica among others, according to an embassy release.

The festival will feature a wide array of music, including pop, Latin rock, live bands and experimental performers according to Sabrina Vargas, a Barrio Escalante hotel manager who is participating in the event. Read the rest of this entry »

Three of Spain’s biggest hotel chains have announced plans to expand in Costa Rica promising to bring more than $1 billion dollars in development. The news comes as no surprise to the ever so popular tourist destination as the number of European tourists is increasing each year as they flock to the country’s gorgeous beaches and biologically diverse rain forests. Spanish tourists, in particular, are even more common and the inclusion of these well-known Spanish brands is expected to coax more to make the cross-Atlantic voyage.

This year Costa Rica could receive around 45,000 additional Spanish tourists due to a dramatic increase in direct flights from Madrid, Spain to San Jose, Costa Rica. The Spanish based airline, Air Comet, has been around for 10 years and flies direct from Madrid to other Latin American cities such as Lima, Buenos Aries, and even Havana, Cuba. The airline has announced plans to purchase 12 new airplanes within the year in order to increase Costa Rica travel and tourism from Spain. Read the rest of this entry »

The entire country of Costa Rica has been enjoying a huge amount of real estate business and transaction in the last few years, but there are some distinct towns and regions that enjoy particular interest and popularity. While there are varying opinions of the regions’ redeeming value, each one discussed below has proven itself to be a sound investment thanks to the current high demand for rentals, land and housing in each area. But the benefits don’t stop there, read on to find out what else they have to offer.

One of the most popular beach areas for Costa Rica real estate is in the northern pacific coastal town of Tamarindo, in the Province of Guanacaste. Here eco-tourists can find travel bliss along the pristine beaches of Playa Avellanas, Playa Marbella and Playa Negra. This is also a hot spot for surfers, divers, snorkeling, body surfers, horseback riders and fishermen. Tamarindo is also very close to leatherback turtle nesting areas where you can travel to and witness turtles lay their eggs, or later when the young turtles make their way to the waves and open sea. Read the rest of this entry »

Airlines are really getting slammed these days with oil prices. Like, the other day I was on a trip on a budget airline. The flight attendant asked, “Would you like dinner?” I asked, “What are my choices?” And she said, “YES or NO.”

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