It was a busy week in Costa Rica, from fresh recognition as one of the world’s best retirement destinations to serious questions about organized crime and police corruption. The country also received new flight connections, approved stronger wildlife protections and pushed ahead with a major infrastructure project.

Costa Rica has again landed on Forbes’ list of the world’s best places for Americans to retire, joining 23 other countries in the publication’s 2026 rankings.

Forbes highlighted Costa Rica’s lower living costs, healthcare, political stability, residency options and natural beauty. San José, Atenas, the Central Valley and Santa Cruz were among the locations singled out, while flooding during the green season was cited as a drawback..

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A confidential intelligence report has raised serious concerns about possible organized-crime infiltration inside Costa Rica’s police forces along the southern border.

Investigators reviewed 122 officers assigned to the region and recorded observations involving 116, including alleged links to drug trafficking, liquor smuggling and migrant smuggling networks. The report itself does not constitute judicial evidence, and the officers named have not been charged based on the review.

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Costa Rica’s Attorney General’s Office has opened a criminal investigation involving President Laura Fernández and Finance Minister Rodrigo Chaves over the appointment of the director of the Fiscal Control Police.

Prosecutors are examining whether the government legally changed the requirements for the position shortly before Katherine Tenorio Ruiz was appointed. The opening of an investigation does not mean Fernández, Chaves or anyone else involved committed a crime.

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Costa Rica’s Central Bank has lowered its economic growth forecast for 2026 as a strengthening El Niño begins affecting the country.

The bank now expects the economy to grow 3.4% this year. Below-normal rainfall and higher temperatures could affect agriculture and hydroelectric power production, potentially putting additional pressure on food and electricity prices later in the year.

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Getting to Costa Rica is becoming easier from several cities ahead of the 2026-27 high season.

Fourteen new or expanded nonstop services are scheduled to begin between October and March, including routes that will connect Costa Rica directly with cities that previously had no nonstop service. One much-publicized route, Southwest’s planned Las Vegas-San José flight, has already been canceled.

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The case against the criminal organization headed by Alejandro Arias Monge, known as “Diablo,” is now raising questions about corruption inside Costa Rica’s security forces.

Wiretaps cited by investigators allege that police officers warned the organization about upcoming raids and checkpoints and shared confidential information. Five officers face formal charges, although none has been convicted and the allegations remain to be tested in court.

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Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency opened a homicide investigation after a 75-year-old U.S. citizen was found dead at her home in Cabo Velas, Santa Cruz.

Investigators found signs that the house may have been robbed, while the woman’s missing vehicle had previously been impounded after another person was stopped while driving it. At the time of publication, no one had been detained in connection with her death.

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Costa Rica has dominated Central American tourism for decades, but its neighbors are becoming more competitive.

In his latest column, Don Mateo looks at the changing regional tourism race as El Salvador and Panama report strong visitor numbers, Guatemala develops a new tourism strategy and travelers increasingly compare Costa Rica’s prices and value with alternatives elsewhere in Central America.

Is Costa Rica still ahead? Read Don Mateo’s take →

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