Discover the Fusion of Culture, Art, and Entertainment in Costa Rica

Costa Rica offers a captivating blend of culture, art, and entertainment that promises an enriching experience. Immerse yourself in the enchanting rhythm of traditional music, where the echoes of the past harmonize with modern innovation. The visual landscape is equally mesmerizing, as artists bring to life a vivid tapestry of colors and shapes, showcased in both galleries and open-air exhibitions.

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What Circle Of Hell Is This?

What Circle Of Hell Is This?

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text The circle of life so lovingly narrated on nature documentaries plays out daily in Costa Rica. Toucans raid nests like feathered burglars. Iguanas—those smug, sunbathing “vegetarians”—will absolutely nibble the wrong...

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Shrimp Farming in Costa Rica

Shrimp Farming in Costa Rica

[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Ecos Shrimp Group is an organic shrimp farming company based in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. With six farms and 180 collaborators, the business faithfully believes that innovation in the food industry can go hand in hand with...

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Soccer in Costa Rica Debut in 1899

Soccer in Costa Rica Debut in 1899

Soccer in Costa Rica: The game of soccer was apparently introduced to Costa Rica in 1899, judging from this news item on July 4 of that year in the newspaper La Opinión: "On Sunday, we were witnessing [the game of football in la Sabana, played by members of our...

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Hell Hotel: San Lucas Prison

Hell Hotel: San Lucas Prison

[vc_row full_width="full_width"][vc_column][vc_column_text]For the most incorrigible misbehavior, like killing another prisoner, inmates at the San Lucas prison island were lowered into “the hole” — literally a hole in the middle of a big concrete disc on top of what...

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Chavela Vargas

Chavela Vargas

        Indomitable Non-Conformist Ahead of Her Time María Isabel Anita Carmen de Jesús Vargas Lizano, better known as Chavela Vargas, Mexican ranchera singer and rebellious free spirit, knew from a very young age what it meant to be different. With an indomitable...

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Tamales at Your Table

Tamales at Your Table

Costa Rica is a country that loves a good gathering: sunrise surf and volcano treks, marimba in the plaza, gallery nights that spill into dinner, wildlife that steals the show, real estate chats over coffee, and businesses built on relationships. At the centre of so...

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The Characteristics of Costa Rican Music

The Characteristics of Costa Rican Music

Authentic Costa Rican music is characterized by a blend of indigenous, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean influences that have evolved over centuries. Traditional music often features instruments such as the marimba (a wooden xylophone with a bright sound), guitars, drums,...

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Santa Cruz: A Brief History

Santa Cruz: A Brief History

Santa Cruz, Costa Rica: from Chorotega heartland to living cultural capital Set between the Diría and Enmedio rivers, Santa Cruz is a story-rich corner of Guanacaste where Costa Rica’s adventures, culture, entertainment, wildlife, real estate, business and food all...

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The Real Taste of Costa Rica “Chiliguaro”

The Real Taste of Costa Rica “Chiliguaro”

Chiliguaro: Costa Rica’s Spicy National Shot (with roots, rituals and real-world examples) Costa Rica folds Adventures, Culture, Entertainment, wildlife, Real Estate, Business and Food into everyday life — and you can taste that mix in a tiny glass of chiliguaro. This...

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Why Nicoya, Costa Rica Is a Blue Zone of Thriving Elders

Why Nicoya, Costa Rica Is a Blue Zone of Thriving Elders

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Live longer in Costa Rica Blue Zone: Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula is one of five regions in the world referred to as a “blue zone,” home to some of the oldest and healthiest people on the planet. Most blue zone...

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The Indigenous Tribes of Costa Rica

The Indigenous Tribes of Costa Rica

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Despite the fact that Costa Rica is an incredibly diverse nation, like in many parts of the world, indigenous communities are at risk of losing their cultural identities due to colonization, urbanization, and...

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Sounds of the Soul: Traditional Marimba in the Modern Era

Sounds of the Soul: Traditional Marimba in the Modern Era

There’s a sound in Costa Rica that can stop you mid-step. It’s warm, earthy, and somehow both simple and complex—like sunshine poured into music. That sound belongs to the marimba, the country’s national instrument, whose wooden keys have echoed through village...

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Fireflies, Fairytales, and the Nights That Glow

Fireflies, Fairytales, and the Nights That Glow

From May to September, when the air in Costa Rica feels as soft as silk and the earth exhales the scent of rain-soaked leaves, a quiet magic takes hold. At first, it’s subtle—a single flicker near the hedgerow, another glint by the riverbank. Then, as twilight...

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Steins by the Sea: Costa Rica’s Tropical Oktoberfest

Steins by the Sea: Costa Rica’s Tropical Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest originated as a royal wedding celebration on October 12, 1810. It marked the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxon-Hildburghausen. The festivities were held in an open field outside Munich, which was later named...

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Trivia Questions About Costa Rica’s independence

Trivia Questions About Costa Rica’s independence

On what date did Costa Rica declare its independence from Spain? Which city hosted the Declaration of Independence in Costa Rica? Costa Rica shares its Independence Day with four other Central American countries. Name two of them. What was the political entity that...

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Tico Karaoke: The National Sport You Didn’t Know Existed

Tico Karaoke: The National Sport You Didn’t Know Existed

Where emotions go full throttle, and off-key is part of the charm. When night falls in Costa Rica, and the last spoonful of gallo pinto has long been digested, something magical happens in corner bars, beach joints, and neon-lit cantinas. No, it’s not fútbol. It’s...

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Voices of the Volcano: Spoken Word from the Slopes

Voices of the Volcano: Spoken Word from the Slopes

What is “Voices of the Volcano”? “Voices of the Volcano” is a raw, underground poetry movement erupting near Costa Rica’s mighty volcanoes, where poets trade stages for steam vents and microphones for mist. In these intimate gatherings around Arenal and Poás, locals...

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July’s Festival of Maíz: Corn Gets Its Crown

July’s Festival of Maíz: Corn Gets Its Crown

What is the Festival of Maíz in Costa Rica? The Festival of Maíz is Costa Rica’s annual celebration of corn, the sacred grain that has fed generations and shaped culture across the country. Every July, rural towns come alive with the smells of masa, the rhythms of...

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Monkey Myths and Jungle Legends from Costa Rica’s Wild Side

Monkey Myths and Jungle Legends from Costa Rica’s Wild Side

There’s something off-kilter about the Nicoya Peninsula. Not bad, just… different. The air feels thicker, like it’s carrying more than just heat and humidity. The trees lean in a little too close. The howler monkeys don’t just call—they sound like they’re screaming in...

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What’s with the weird names in Costa Rica?

What’s with the weird names in Costa Rica?

“What’s in a Name?” – The Origins of Costa Rica’s Funniest and Most Unusual Town Names If you’ve ever looked at a map of Costa Rica and done a double take at town names like Zapote, Palo Seco, or Veinticinco de Abril, you’re not alone. While many countries have their...

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The Beginners Costa Rican Survival Guide

The Beginners Costa Rican Survival Guide

Essential local hacks for navigating everything from currency exchange to ordering a beer You’ve landed in Costa Rica, stepped off the plane with “pura vida” echoing in your head, only to realise you’ve no clue how to ask for the loo, your pockets are jingling with...

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Costa Rican Culture: A Rich Blend of Tradition, Family, and ‘Pura Vida’

Costa Rica, though small in size, boasts a culture that’s vibrant, warm, and deeply rooted in both indigenous heritage and Spanish colonial influence. Whether you’re strolling through a lively town during a festival or enjoying a home-cooked casado meal, Costa Rican...

American Crocodile

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] American Costa Rica Crocodile: Visitors in Costa Rica can view the American crocodile at one of several prime spots, about 50 miles (85 km) west of San José, on the Tarcoles River. Here, they can be seen in abundance from the...

What Circle Of Hell Is This?

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text The circle of life so lovingly narrated on nature documentaries plays out daily in Costa Rica. Toucans raid nests like feathered burglars. Iguanas—those smug, sunbathing “vegetarians”—will absolutely nibble the wrong...

The Tigrillo (oncilla) of Costa Rica: A Secretive Wild Cat You’ll Rarely See

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Costa Rica creature feature oncilla: Oncilla, often referred to as the little spotted cat, or in Costa Rica as the tigrillo. This Costa Rica cat is the smallest species of wildcat in this country. Living in the mountain forests at...

Costa Rica Whitewater Rafting Guide: Which River Should You Choose (and When)?

“During high water, the ‘Aye, mami!’ rapids become ‘Oh, crap!’ rapids,” my guide informed me — and honestly, that’s the most accurate river forecast you’ll ever get in Costa Rica. Whitewater rafting here is a beautiful contradiction. One minute you’re folded into the...

Protecting One Species at a Time

Protecting One Species at a Time.  The theme of Earth Day 2019 is “Protect our Species.” With over 500,000 wildlife species in Costa Rica, it is vital to keep the biodiversity alive and thriving in this Central American isthmus.  Thanks to the preservation efforts of...

What Brings People to Live In Costa Rica

Costa Rica living – what draws people to this country? Let’s look at just a few of the many things that make people decide Costa Rica is where they want to call home. 1. Sand and sea Because the country is so small, you’re never too terribly far from one of its...

Chasing Costa Rica’s Green Flash: The One-Second Sunset Secret

[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]   What is the green flash? The green flash is a brief burst of green light that can appear on the very top edge of the sun for roughly one to three seconds as it meets the horizon. It’s most often spotted at sunset over...

Costa Rica Cacao and Dark Chocolate: A Local Story With Global Flavour (and Real Health Perks)

Cacao in Costa Rica isn’t just “the ingredient before chocolate” — it’s a living thread that runs through rainforest ecology, Indigenous heritage, smallholder livelihoods, and the modern obsession with seriously good dark chocolate. If you’ve ever snapped a square of...

Stand-Up Paddle Surfing: From Ancient Watercraft to Modern Wave-Riding

...historically, humans have regarded paddling small watercraft while standing up as an efficient and ergonomic way to fish and travel in the ocean... Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) looks modern, but the idea is ancient: humans have been standing to paddle small craft...

Diamante Eco Adventure Park: Ziplining, Wildlife and 10% Off With Code HOWLER

Planning a trip to Guanacaste or staying near Liberia, Coco, Hermosa or the Riu hotels? Diamante Eco Adventure Park is the one place where you can tick off Costa Rica adrenaline, wildlife, beach time and proper food in a single day – and when you book directly or pay...

Torunes: Founded by Fatigue, Fueled by Coffee, Haunted by Excellence

(and Now Buzzing with Bees, Beans, and Global Bragging Rights) Let’s rewind to 1897, when a man named Jacinto Avila Araya decided to climb a hill in Palmares so steep even the local goats looked up and said, “Hard pass.” After dragging himself up from the...

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February’s Howler Real Escapes is Costa Rica as it’s actually lived: a “quick drive” that turns into a roadside saga near Liberia—smoke, standstills, single-lane bridges, and the choice to honk…or help. We walk Rohrmoser’s layered story from coffee fields to 1960s planning to today’s high-rise rhythm, then head to Palmares for Torunes Farms—volcanic Arabica, stubborn founders, and Melipona bees turning blossoms into liquid gold. Cacao takes the spotlight too, linking sacred traditions and Caribbean resilience to modern fine-flavour chocolate and smarter bar choices.

Adventure runs through every page: SUP history and beginner-proof tips, ziplining and wildlife at Diamante Eco Adventure Park (code HOWLER saves 10%), and rafting picks from Río Pacuare to Río Tenorio by region, season, and nerve. Surfers get plain-English swell angle, the Galápagos energy effect, and Papagayo winds that can polish waves—or steal your towel. Practical life guides cover ATM mishaps, verdurería shopping, packing kids, fiesta-season style, epiphanies, decluttering, and self-respect that doesn’t feel cheesy. Business and real estate get clarity on RTBF filing changes, who powers the economy, beachfront rules, and financing paths. Food and wildlife round it out: micheladas, mamón chino ceviche, special-diet travel, the elusive oncilla, American crocodiles, and conservation inside private reserves. Plus: brass coffee fichas, telenovelas, Lake Arenal Condos, organic shrimp, and the green flash

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