There was an Armed Robbery on a Bus from Tortuguero to Cariari at about 1:20 PM local time on Wednesday September 16. I was on a public bus for the hour-long drive from the port at Tortuguero, Costa Rica, to Cariari, another small town that serves as a connection point for buses to San Jose. As we came around a turn in the road, I heard what sounded like a balloon pop from the front area of … [Read more...]
Paving Starting On Costa Rica’s Coastal Highway From Quepos to Dominical
09/13/2009 by Leave a Comment
A picture is worth a thousand words. The photos are taken just a couple of days ago of a very tiny portion of the newly-paved 44 km (27 mile) stretch of the Costa Rica's coastal highway (Costañera Sur) leading south from Quepos to Dominical. It's been a long time coming, but at last this major public works project is not only well underway, but about 75% completed. Some of the major and … [Read more...]
Mild to Moderate Earthquake Hits Near Golfito
09/06/2009 by Leave a Comment
An mild to moderate earthquake estimated at 4.5 magnitude took place at 11:02:46, Saturday on 9.5.09 in Costa Rica. According to the U.S. National Earthquake Center said the epicenter was about 5 miles east and north of Golfito in the southern end of the Puntarenas Region of Costa Rica. This is the second earthquake to hit the southern zone. On March 11 of this year, one registered 6.3 on … [Read more...]
Costa Rica’s Coronado – Wellness, Development, Airport
08/12/2009 by 1 Comment
Not to be confused with the mountainous region north of San Jose, about half way between the Pacific side cities of Uvita (South of the Dominical) and Puerto Cortes, lies the growth-targeted natural wonderland of another, Coronado. While tourist and retirees were flocking to Costa Rica's northern Pacific Coast which has been perceived as the country's first hot spot, further South (about 240 … [Read more...]
Costa Rica’s Santa Ana – Old World Meets New
07/18/2009 by Leave a Comment
Last week I posted a brief history of Quepos of how it is one of the most Americanize cities in Costa Rica, now I thought I'd write about one of the most industrial cities. When one thinks of Santa Ana, think old world culture that is clashing with modernization. Santa Ana is a city in San José Province and located about six miles from San Jose. It is one of the closest cities to the San Jose … [Read more...]
Brief History of Quepos, Costa Rica
07/10/2009 by 1 Comment
Quepos is known for, a place where the rainforest meets the sea, and is on a tropical inlet about halfway down Costa Rica's Pacific coast on the Puntarenas Province. The town gets its name from the Quepo Indian tribe, a subgroup of the Borucas, who inhabited the area at the time of the conquest. As a result of diseases brought by Europeans, warfare and other Indian groups, and … [Read more...]
Costa Rican Blockade in Limon on July 1st
06/26/2009 by 1 Comment
Having recently met with community and labor organizations in the Caribbean region of Costa Rica, we want to alert media about an upcoming standoff that has potential for violence on the one hand, and profound political change on the other. Organizations including ASADA and SITRAP are planning a blockade of access to and from the Caribbean ports on Wednesday, July 1. The pineapple plantations … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Limón – Redevelopment?
06/23/2009 by 1 Comment
Four years ago a few (and only a few) of Limón community leaders sat around a table one evening and talked about the future of their city. They shared dreams of how cool it would be to get their city redeveloped to attract tourist and businesses by restoring buildings, parks and renovated the port. Last week their dreams seemed to come true when Costa Rican President Oscar Arias signed a bill … [Read more...]
Arenal Volcano Smoking Vapor – Level 3 Alert
06/15/2009 by Leave a Comment
Scientists from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) raised the volcanic alert of the Arenal Volcano in the north-central region of La Fortuna from 2b to 3 on a 4-level scale, according to a UCR press release on Friday. Level 3, or “yellow alert,” means a probable eruption or strong changes in the eruption patterns in the next 10 days, upcoming … [Read more...]
Golfito – Costa Rica’s Ecotourism & Sportfishing
04/27/2009 by Leave a Comment
The first time I heard of Golfito, I thought it was some golf resort - not a sport that many (if any at all) Costa Rican's knew about. Golfito, literally meaning, "little bay" in Spanish, is referred to as the last frontier. It is considered a remote and secluded region of the country, Southern Pacific portion of the province of Puntarenas that’s separated from the open Pacific Coast by the … [Read more...]
Costa Rica Lifeguard Service
04/25/2009 by 6 Comments
One of the questions I get asked all the time is, "How safe are Costa Rica's beaches?" And having been a competition swimmer, driver, surfer, and former lifeguard in San Diego, my answer is three questions, "How good of a swimmer are you?" and "Can you spot a rip current and how to get out of one?" Since about the early eighties when US surfers discovered the unreal wave action in Costa Rica, … [Read more...]
Comments