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Panama World Cup Travel Brings Busier Days to Airport

Tocumen International Airport is preparing for one of its busiest travel stretches of the year as the 2026 World Cup sends a wave of Panama fans, connecting passengers and international visitors through the country’s main air hub. Airport officials expect more than 544,000 additional passengers in connection with the tournament travel period, with the heaviest outbound movement projected for June 14, 15 and 16. For travelers using Panama City as a connection point, or flying in and out of Tocumen this week, that means busier terminals, fuller flights and the possibility of longer lines at check-in, migration, baggage and security. The spike is tied to Panama’s return to the World Cup and the country’s group-stage matches in Toronto and the New York area. Panama opens against Ghana in Toronto on June 17, faces Croatia in Toronto on June 23 and closes the group stage against England at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on June 27. Tocumen said it has activated a special coordina...
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Beach Access Dispute Grows After Costa Police Remove Vehicle Plates

Traffic Police removed license plates from several vehicles parked along the access road to Playa Blanca in Punta Leona on Saturday, adding a new flashpoint to one of Costa Rica’s most closely watched beach access disputes . Videos circulating on social media showed officers removing plates from vehicles parked near the route that leads to the popular white-sand beach in Garabito. Municipal staff confirmed the operation, while local reporting said the cars were affecting traffic flow on the road. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Trivisión CR (@trivisioncr) The incident comes just days after the Municipality of Garabito removed the access barriers at Punta Leona and reopened the route to Playa Blanca. The municipal government argues that the road is public and should remain open for free transit. Punta Leona Beach Club & Nature Resort maintains that the road and access structures are part of private property and that the matter should ...
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La Carpio Shows Signs of Change After Years Marked by Poverty

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Years ago the name La Carpio stood for extreme poverty, homes made of corregated metal and recycled wood, and high crime. That’s all changed. The area, to the west of Hospital Mexico and Parque de Diversiones in San Jose, is still considered to be poor but shows signs of an active economic life with little shops offering all kinds of goods; food stands, auto repairs, clothes and restaurants. Cars, motorcycles and buses cross the area. Homes are now made of concrete blocs and cement. About 35,000 people inhabit 23 square kilometers in what was once an empty field owned by the government. La Carpio began with squatters, mostly Nicaraguan, seeking homes away from the violence, the war, the poverty, and the uncertainty of their country. On a recent visit to the Humanitarian Foundation, a non-profit which has been instrumental in helping raise La Carpio from extreme poverty, we saw nicely dressed people, everyone busy with work or errands. Children looked healthy and clean as...
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Costa Rica Prepares for Severe El Niño as Water, Power and Tourism Face Pressure

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...
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Costa Rica’s Humpback Whale Season Begins on the Pacific Coast

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...
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Costa Rica’s Borinquen Geothermal Plant Advances With Major Contract

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...
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El Salvador Airport Introduces WhatsApp Help Line for Travelers

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...
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