Women’s empowerment is not a date on the calendar. It is a mindset, a decision, and a daily practice. It lives in the moments when a woman chooses to trust her voice, honour her worth, and take one more step toward the life she knows is possible. At its heart,...
Fashion Flash: Animal Magnetism
Fashion Flash: Animal Magnetism. The true story of the animal print was born in the caveman era, when people used animal skins to protect themselves from the wind and cold. Thousands of years later, during medieval times, fur garments were used to mark a symbol of...
Houses That Breathe: How to Design for Nature (and Sanity) in Costa Rica
By Andrés Cañas. Editor James Benson You came to Costa Rica for the peaceful green. But first you have to deal with the humidity, heat, and insects. During 20+ years working in my family’s architectural firm (which has been around for over half a century), I have come...
The 5 Costa Rican Cultural Pieces Worth Bringing Home
Most souvenirs are forgettable within a week. They end up in a drawer, on a shelf, or at the back of a suitcase with a faint smell of sunscreen and airport duty-free perfume. But the best things you bring home from Costa Rica are different. They do not just remind you...
Easy As Pie In Costa Rica
(Adapted from Chapter 4 of Temporary Insanity-Costa Rica: My Way On my first full day in Costa Rica, I emerged from the cafeteria of the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center in San...
Eat Your Vegetables in Spanish: “Comer las verduras” and the Essential Words to Know
Learning food vocabulary is one of the easiest and most useful ways to build confidence in Spanish. Vegetables appear everywhere: in markets, on restaurant menus, in family kitchens, at roadside sodas, and in everyday conversation. When you know the names of common...
Costa Rica’s Elusive King of the Forest, Have Crucial Place in Ecosystem
The jaguar is not just another wild cat in Costa Rica. It is the largest feline in the country, the biggest cat in the Americas, and the third-largest cat species on Earth after the tiger and lion. Built like a living engine of muscle and silence, the jaguar carries...
Be Accountable to Yourself: Building Habits That Lead to Happiness and Success
¡Bienvenido, April! A new month always brings a sense of renewal — a quiet invitation to reset our mindset, refocus our goals, and embrace fresh growth opportunities. April is the perfect time to pause, breathe deeply, and welcome the positive energy that comes with a...
Do Billboards Hurt Costa Rica’s Eco-Tourism Image?
Sign Pollution!! Commercial billboards have become a growing concern in parts of Costa Rica because they can visually disrupt the natural landscapes that the country is famous for. Although the country markets itself globally as an eco-tourism destination,...
How Can I Ensure I Am Shopping Authentic Costa Rican Made Fashions?
Ensuring that the bikini or clothing you buy is genuinely made in Costa Rica can be tricky because many tourist shops sell imported or relabeled items. In fact, some sellers have been known to replace original tags with “Made in Costa Rica” labels,...
Foreign Influence and Sovereignty: Costa Rica, the U.S. Drug War, and the Peace-State Question
Costa Rica has long presented itself to the world as a country defined by civilian democracy, diplomacy and peace. That identity is not just branding. Article 12 of the Constitution outlawed the permanent army, and the country has spent decades building an...
ALZHEIMER’S IN DOGS? IT’S REAL.
Understanding Canine Cognitive Dysfunction By Dr. Sharine Alice, VMD (CMVCR1117) | Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste As dogs grow older, some behavioral changes may begin to appear. A dog that once recognized every corner of the house may suddenly seem confused, sleep at...













