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Costa Rica is preparing for a difficult El Niño cycle that could put pressure on water supplies, electricity costs and tourism services in some of the country’s most visited regions through the second half of 2026 and into early 2027. The climate event is already being treated as a national planning issue, not a distant forecast. The latest projections point to hotter temperatures, lower rainfall across the Pacific slope, tighter water conditions in vulnerable communities and added pressure on a power system that still depends heavily on hydroelectric generation. The government has launched a national strategy with 247 actions and an investment of about $180 million to reduce the impact. The plan includes water and electricity savings campaigns, temporary thermal power generation, monitoring of water treatment plants, support for livestock producers, irrigation improvements, water reservoirs, agricultural calendar adjustments and the use of tanker trucks in areas that may need...

Few wildlife encounters rival the sight of a humpback whale breaching from warm tropical waters, and Costa Rica has quietly become one of the best places on the planet to witness exactly that. Thanks to a rare geographical advantage, the country hosts not one but two distinct humpback migrations each year, giving it one of the longest humpback-watching seasons in the world. The secret lies in Costa Rica’s position along the Pacific coast, which acts as a magnet for whale populations from opposite ends of the earth. Humpbacks from the Southern Hemisphere, feeding in the cold waters off Antarctica and southern Chile, begin making their way north in July and linger through mid-November. Their counterparts from the Northern Hemisphere, after feeding off the northwest coast of the United States, arrive mainly from December through March, with sightings possible into April. The quietest period usually falls between May and late June, when both populations are back in their respecti...

Costa Rica’s state electricity company has moved Borinquen I one step closer to completion, awarding a contract worth nearly $100 million for the main electromechanical equipment needed to bring the long-delayed geothermal plant into operation. The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad ( ICE ) approved the contract for the design, supply, supervision, testing and commissioning of the generation equipment for the Borinquen I Geothermal Project in Liberia, Guanacaste. The plant is expected to add 55 megawatts of firm power to Costa Rica’s electrical system and become the country’s eighth geothermal plant. ICE says the project is now more than 55% complete and currently employs more than 500 people. The latest award covers the equipment that forms the core of the plant’s generation system. That includes the generating unit powered by volcanic steam, related systems and equipment, and the cooling tower. ICE expects to sign the contract during the second half of 2026, with constructi...

El Salvador International Airport has launched an official WhatsApp help channel for passengers who need quick information before, during or after their trip through the country’s main air terminal. The new contact number is +503 7070 8312. According to CEPA , the government port and airport authority, passengers can use the channel to ask about airport services, the location of areas inside the terminal, lost items, flight itineraries and general travel support related to the airport. The new WhatsApp contact gives travelers one more direct way to get basic airport guidance without having to search through different offices or wait until they arrive at the terminal. That can be useful for visitors arriving for the first time, families coordinating pickups, travelers with tight connections, or anyone trying to find a specific airport area. The airport, officially named Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador San Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez, is located in San Luis Talpa...

Costa Rica will reduce visitor capacity at the Sirena Biological Station in Corcovado National Park after technical inspections found serious problems with the station’s wastewater treatment system. The Osa Conservation Area, known as ACOSA, announced the reduction as a preventive measure aimed at lowering the wastewater load entering the system and preventing further environmental damage inside one of Costa Rica’s most important protected areas. Sirena is one of the main access points for visitors to Corcovado, a park known for its wildlife, remote trails, and high concentration of biodiversity. The station receives both day visitors and overnight guests, making it one of the most heavily used areas inside the park. The wastewater treatment plant at Sirena began operating in 2016 as part of the BID Tourism Project. The system was designed to serve about 100 people per day. Since 2022, however, the plant has regularly handled wastewater loads linked to more than 200 daily user...

A Canadian man wanted in connection with a major drug and firearms case in British Columbia has been extradited from Costa Rica after several months in custody. Jesse Michael Valentino Bou-Saleh, 35, was sent back to Canada on Tuesday, June 9, following a request from Canada’s Department of Justice. The extradition was coordinated by the Interpol office of Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency, known as the OIJ. Bou-Saleh was wanted by Canadian authorities in connection with drug trafficking, drug distribution, drug storage and illegal firearms offenses. The case is tied to Lake Country, British Columbia, where investigators linked him to a criminal organization accused of supplying fentanyl and other illicit drugs in Vernon and nearby communities. Costa Rican authorities located Bou-Saleh in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, where he had been living with his partner and children. OIJ officials said he was arrested in January, setting off the extradition process that ended this week...