OHMCR:Costa Rica Travel Guide

The Day Star Properties Enterprise has become well known in Costa Rica for its numerous developments of condo-hotels in the Central Pacific Region.

Day Star will develop four new condo-hotel in Jaco Beach at a short distance away from the downtown area.  These four new developments closely follow the recently completed buildings in Bahia Azul, la Paloma Blanca and Bahia Encantada.

The properties delivered by this company are traditionally beach front buildings built in a low density fashion in order to give it a residential feel.  The surrounding areas offer spacious patios and resting areas as well as a swimming pool.  Each unit consists of two or three bedrooms and comes equipped with a kitchen and laundry room.  The properties are characterized for its tranquility at the same time it is located at just a few minutes from all the action.

The total available units this future investment will have are approximately 400.  Each project will have from 45 to 180 condos.  The residential names have also been assigned and each compound will be known as The Pacific, Diamante del Sol, The Palms and Breakwater Point.

The Day Star Properties company has also stated that it is working closely with the Jaco Chamber of Commerce in order to restore the area’s environment as well as public image.  Both entities have developed a social responsibility program which focuses on all means of improvement for the conservation and preservation of the environment.

written by fernando \\ tags: Day Star Properties, Hotels in Jaco Beach, Jaco Chamber of Commerce

The Costa Rican National Museum will hold a temporary exhibit starting August 26th at which visitors will be able to learn about the history behind the museum’s building.

The building which today houses the National Museum used to be a military fort in the early 1900’s until the Costa Rican army was abolished in 1948.  One of the museum’s representatives mentioned that the exhibit will be quite simple as for the building itself is the main exhibition.

However, the museum will open what used to be the dungeons to the public.  The dungeons have been kept off limits to visitors until now.  The recent announcement made by the museum stated that visitors will be able to see were prisoners of war were once imprisoned as well as were misbehaved soldiers were disciplined.

The statement mentioned that half century old graffiti remains intact on the dungeon walls which will allow for a closer encounter and feel to the early 1900’s military and prisoner environment.

The exhibition has been dubbed “From Fort to Museum” and will also include a chronological set of photographs of the military Bellavista Fort as well as its transition to museum as we know it today.

The “From Fort to Museum” exhibition will open on August 26th and will be open from Tuesday through Sunday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.  The National Museum is located in downtown San Jose on 17th Street between Central and Second Avenue.

written by fernando \\ tags: Costa Rica Army Abolished, Costa Rican National Museum

Representatives of the Nicaraguan private and public tourism industry approached Costa Rican equals in order to discuss the possibility of joining forces to attract tourism towards the border region of both countries.

Nicaraguan congress members as well as several business owners from the area recently invited the Mayors of Liberia and La Cruz from Guanacaste as well as local Tourism Chamber members to a meeting in order to strengthen ties between nations.  The Nicaraguan representatives seek to unite with the Costa Rican tourism industry and offer the tourists a bi-nation tour offer in which tourists will have a more unrestricted option to visit Costa Rican and Nicaraguan attractions.

Members from the Nicaraguan Parliament pointed out that this action would benefit the tourist as they would avoid the legal paperwork required when crossing the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua and vice versa.

Although the first approach has taken place, several aspects need to be carefully planned as for Costa Rica has invested a considerable amount of money in marketing which has clearly turned into a positive income.

Nicaragua’s income generated from tourism in 2007 was of $280 million while Costa Rica’s income for 2007 was of $1.9 billion.  This major difference has made it clear for Costa Rican authorities to set clear and just limitations to the collaboration.

The Costa Rican Minister of Tourism, Carlos Ricardo Benavidez, successfully met with Panama’s Minister of Tourism, Ruben Blades, to discuss a joint marketing of both countries to the European market.

Currently, at least 54% of tourists to Costa Rica are from the United States alone which is why Panama and Costa Rica want to strongly promote both nations to the European market.

written by fernando \\ tags: Carlos Ricardo Benavidez, Costa Rican Minister of Tourism