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Newcomers to Costa Rica have to adjust to certain cultural and lifestyle habits here. A short list might include rice and beans being a breakfast staple, one-lane bridges on busy two-lane roads, milk sold at room temperature, pedestrians walking three abreast with their backs to traffic, and the difference most mentioned by first-time visitors: used toilet paper goes in the waste can and not the toilet bowl. This is not as gross as it sounds. As long as the waste can has a lid, the odor seepage is minimal. And besides, nobody going into a bathroom to empty their bowels is worried about smells. Spray all the deodorizer you want, the stench of bodily waste never goes away completely. I once bought cinnamon-scented air freshener. I sprayed it after taking a dump. Cinnamon-scented shit is just that. The smell of fresh cinnamon will never be quite the same for me. There is one other thing to know that is even more important than correct TP disposal, especially if you will be using ...

Eighty-two years ago today, roughly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France, launching Operation Overlord to liberate German-occupied Western Europe — the single day that turned the course of World War II and one that still resonates deeply across Costa Rica’s foreign community. For the North American, British and European retirees who make up a large share of life here, June 6 is more than a date in a history book. Many grew up with fathers, grandfathers and uncles who served, and a dwindling few remember the war firsthand. In Normandy on Saturday, world leaders and a small group of surviving veterans gathered to honor the men who stormed the beaches in 1944. More than 4,400 Allied troops were killed on that single day, and more than half of them were Americans. As the largest seaborne military operation in history, D-Day launched with tens of thousands of troops landing simultaneously across five separate beaches in Normandy. Ceremonies stretched along the ...

Mariale Acosta was crowned Miss Universe Costa Rica 2026 on Friday night at the Costa Rica Convention Center, completing a comeback that had made her one of the most closely watched contestants in this year’s national pageant. Acosta, representing Heredia, won the crown after a live final that brought together 14 candidates, national entertainment figures, international pageant guests and a large television and social media audience. Brenda Alfaro and Samaria Montero completed the final three after the last question round and final messages to the jury. The event was broadcast live on OPA and held at the Centro de Convenciones de Costa Rica, where the pageant has grown into one of the country’s biggest entertainment events. The Miss Universe Costa Rica organization says its galas draw more than 1,500 attendees per edition and its content has reached more than 20 million views across television and social platforms. Acosta’s victory closes a notable chapter in her pageant c...

Costa Rica is heading into a rainy, unstable weekend, with the National Meteorological Institute ( IMN ) warning Saturday that a low-pressure system sitting over Pacific waters near Central America could strengthen into a tropical depression in the coming days. The IMN said the Intertropical Convergence Zone parked over our country is pumping in moisture and instability, setting up generalized downpours, high cloud cover and electrical storms. Through this early morning there were no significant rains, but the agency expects thunderstorms to build through the afternoon and persist into the night across much of the country this weekend and into early next week. Forecasters rate the nearby disturbance as having medium-to-high potential to develop, and say they will keep it under constant monitoring. For now it is not a named storm and there is no evacuation order — but travelers should plan for rain, lightning and the possibility of swollen rivers and localized flooding. Exp...

Costa Rica will hold its sixth National Ocean Cleanup this Saturday, June 6, bringing volunteers together at dozens of beaches, rivers and community sites across the country. The cleanup is being organized by Fundación Operation Rich Coast in collaboration with the Costa Rican Tourism Institute as part of activities linked to the June 8 oceans observance and the 30th anniversary of Costa Rica’s Bandera Azul Ecológica program. This year’s campaign has 51 confirmed participation points in the Greater Metropolitan Area, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limón. Organizers are calling on communities, schools, businesses, local groups and residents to take part in a coordinated effort to remove waste from coastal areas, waterways and public spaces before it reaches the sea. Puntarenas will have the largest number of cleanup points, with 33 locations confirmed. Sites include Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Playa Uvita, Playa Pavones, Playa Zancudo, Playa Montezuma, Playa Matapalo in Quepos and severa...

Costa Rica is expanding the use of coral gardening as part of a growing effort to restore damaged marine ecosystems along the country’s coast.The technique works like an underwater nursery. Small coral fragments are collected, placed on submerged structures, allowed to grow in controlled conditions, and later attached to degraded reef areas. The process gives corals a better chance of survival and allows them to grow much faster than they would on the seafloor.The current wave of coral gardening in Costa Rica began with a pilot project in Golfo Dulce in 2013. Thirteen years later, the method has helped cultivate thousands of corals along the Pacific coast, with one of the clearest examples now underway at Isla Tortuga in the Gulf of Nicoya. “We place the coral fragments in a nursery, like a hatchery, which is why we collaborate with agronomists. This gives them time to grow in a more controlled environment. If these fragments remain on the seafloor, they die,” marine biologist...