This Week’s Top Costa Rica News Story
This week in Costa Rica, a fast-spreading phone scam put residents on alert, the government opened a new legal path for thousands of migrants, and nature dominated the rest of the headlines — wildfire, an earthquake, the start of hurricane season, and a major bee die-off. Here's a quick rundown of what actually matters if you live in, invest in, or travel to Costa Rica.
18 Million Dead Bees and a Warning Costa Rica Cannot Afford to Ignore
Costa Rica’s beekeeping sector is raising alarm after APIPAC, the Association of Beekeepers United of the Central Pacific, estimated that pesticide exposure has killed about 18 million bees in the region so far this year.
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Costa Rica's OIJ warns of a 625% surge in "virtual kidnapping" scams
Investigation Police (OIJ) are warning of a steep rise in "virtual kidnapping" extortion, with reported cases climbing from eight in the first five months of 2025 to 58 over the same window this year. Investigators say the scam increasingly targets people who run businesses or advertise services — a group that includes many expats
Hurricane season starts as Costa Rica watches both coasts
The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season opened June 1 with a below-normal NOAA forecast of 8 to 14 named storms, but Costa Rica still faces flooding, landslide and coastal risks from both the Caribbean and Pacific through November.
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Wildfire scorches 20% of Palo Verde National Park
A lightning-sparked fire burned roughly 4,000 hectares — about a fifth of Guanacaste's Palo Verde National Park — and remained uncontained, threatening the park's internationally important wetlands and wildlife
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Costa Rica’s Beach Access Fight Ends in Police Confrontation
Garabito’s long-running fight with Punta Leona over public access to Playa Blanca turned into a physical confrontation Thursday, when municipal crews removed an access barrier at the resort entrance and police clashed with people linked to Punta Leona Beach Club & Nature Resort.
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That Shell on a Costa Rica Beach Could Cost You Thousands
It looks innocent enough. A beautiful spiral shell sitting on the sand, worn smooth by the waves, glinting in the afternoon light. The instinct to pick it up and slip it into a beach bag is almost automatic for many visitors. In Costa Rica, that instinct can end your vacation very differently than you planned
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Spotlight
Costa Rica lands the cover of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
Costa Rica is the cover star and lead feature of the June 2026 UK edition of National Geographic Traveller, one of the world's most influential travel titles. The feature, "Costa Rica: Coast to Coast," spotlights Manuel Antonio's Punta Catedral, Arenal, Corcovado and the Caribbean coast — a marketing win as the UK becomes the country's third-largest European source market.
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