The private Hospital of Clinica Biblica in San Jose, Costa Rica is one of the top hospitals in all of Latin America
General Medical and Police Services
Medical care in San Jose is adequate at the public hospitals, but super at the private hospital. Areas outside of San Jose have more limited medical services, and road conditions increase driving times to hospitals for routine or critical medical care. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash or credit card payment for medical services. Local Cruz Roja (Red Cross) ambulances, usually the first responders to accidents, are minimally-equipped to handle emergencies.
U.S. medical insurance is not always valid in Costa Rica and many insurance companies are now covering Costa Rica, so check with your insurance broker. Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage, including a provision for medical evacuation, has been useful in many emergencies.
Costa Rica does employ a 911 emergency assistance system and it is the best in all of Latin America. However, response time varies widely in the remote areas; it can take up to several hours. But in the major cities, it is surprisingly fast. Read more...(1060 words, 2 images, estimated 4:14 mins reading time)
Central Market (Mercado Central) Flea and Street market. Bordered by Avdas. Central and 1 and Cs. 6 and 8 Barrió La Merced San José, Costa Rica San Jose,
Costa Rica’s Mercado Central, or Central Market, is the largest marketplace in San Jose.
The Central Market is more than a common sale place. It is a congregation place, which city life passes day by day. It is a maze of shops and eateries and not for the claustrophobic.
Here one literally rubs elbows with locals. Everyone has a smile and there is no carnie hacking. Every time I’m in San Jose, I look forward of going here, it is usually the day before I leave because I get gifts and stock up on about twenty kilos of fresh ground coffee from various regions.
If you had to see one item in San Jose, Costa Rica, no doubt the Mercado Central would be it. Located almost in the heart of downtown pedestrian only street, Av Central and 6th street it is one of the best displays of Costa Rica culture and society. Read more...(602 words, 1 image, estimated 2:24 mins reading time)
The law prohibiting driving in downtown San Jose on certain days of the week, depending on the last digit of their license plate, will be enforced more.
It has been a hell of month with the new traffic laws that took place March 1st to local drivers and the Costa Rican newspapers have been filled with it. The changes were to lighten penalties and lower fines, but in reality due to the numerous loopholes, the Transit Police are applying their own version of the law that has amounted to higher fines in some cases and/or, as one ‘chatter in a forum’ reported, a increase in bribes when she did an illegal passing, got pulled over by the Transit Police and was told the fine was $450, or pay it now with a C-note. She paid it with a C-note.
The laws have been messed up since the beginning when lawmakers begin to submit and debate those that have amounted to over 200 changes since 2008.
This week a review committee found so many errors and constitutional violations in the text they do not expect any type of restructure or modifications until after Semana Santa, or Easter week, leaving the laws an open-range in interpretations and/or some quick bucks for a few as the “chatter” found out very quickly Read more...(799 words, 1 image, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)
During the last several years, a new generation of vacationers has been demanding more from hotels than ever before, and a new type of travel is rising in popularity.
This new group of travelers desires more than before from their vacation, and so the tourism sector is providing many options, such as hotels and resorts with Yoga and focus on health at their core.
Yoga, Wellness Centers and Medical Tourism are becoming a great alternative throughout tropical climates like Costa Rica and Hawaii.
Costa Rica’s popular tourist towns, such as Santa Teresa or Montezuma usually have many places to practice yoga, with more added yearly, and these yoga retreat centers compete for which can have the most calming and relaxing place to practice.
Boutique Hotels such as Anamaya in Montezuma, Latitude-10 in Santa Teresa, or La Cusinga Eco Lodge in Dominical, now usually have a yoga deck with an ocean view. This type of tropical space for practicing yoga is very photogenic, which helps a hotel attract new customers, since so many travelers primarily use photos from internet sites to pick their accommodations. Read more...(511 words, 1 image, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)
Santa Teresa beach was voted one of the top ten beaches in the world by Forbes Magazine.
Welcome to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: Malpais and Santa Teresa, known for their rugged jungle beauty, unforgettable sunsets, and especially the epic surf in Santa Teresa. The area has also become known as a hot spot for amazing cuisine in Costa Rica, since many amazing chefs have moved here from different parts of the world.
The instant you arrive in Santa Teresa and Malpais, you’ll find a very special place, quite unlike most other beach towns in Costa Rica. This town has been compared with Hawaii 40 years go, or the beach towns of California, but with monkeys, warm water, and friendly locals.
Despite the fact that word has discovered Santa Teresa and Malpais in recent years, the area still has gorgeous beaches that are uncrowded, as well as secret waterfalls with warm water pools surrounded by jungle canopy, and surf spots with no one there.
Santa Teresa and Malpais are two small beach towns that are run together and create one incredible spot for surfing. Malpais is more rocky, but Santa Teresa is primarily sandy surfing beaches with warm, clean water and year round epic waves. The area has many surf schools, camps, and instructors who make their living here. Read more...(619 words, 1 image, estimated 2:29 mins reading time)
