●
Jun
15
What happened to the forum?
Posted by Editor | June 15, 2009 | Tags: Site news | 2 Comments
 Don’t all look so glum. There’s still a place online to talk about Puerto Viejo. Photo courtesy Tropical Adventures. |
A number of people have commented that the forum has disappeared from Puerto Viejo Satellite and they missed it. Sorry to all you fans but I had to remove it.
The forum unfortunately kept getting attacked by spammers and the forum software made it very laborious to delete these spammers. I tried making it harder to register and then people had trouble getting registered but the spammers still found their way through. So with all the hassles…that was the end of it.
But you may have noticed I recently added the ability to comment on any place listed on the site, for example here’s the page for Cocles Beach. For other places and businesses: go to the map page, open the listing you’re interested in from the links on the left or below the map and then click view full listing. So that’s a great place to rave (or rant) about a good meal you’ve had for example.
And of course, you’ve always been able to post comments about our news stories here on the Talamanca News as the lively discussions about the marina, Le Cameleon and the jailed rapist has shown.
But what if you need a place to post your car for sale, to look for a good electrician or to find people interested in starting a ukulele trio?
Don’t despair. You can use the discussion threads on our facebook page.
The link to go directly to the discussion area is here and I’ve also added it to the Discuss menu from the main site. Don’t forget to “become a fan” of Puerto Viejo while you’re there if you’re a facebook user and share photos etc.
Jun
4
Late Night Party on Beach Ends in Murder
Posted by Editor | June 4, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 1 Comment
 The crime happened at the beach downtown where the craft vendors setup. Photo by Martin Carvajal, courtesy of La Nación |
A party on the beach in the early hours of Wednesday morning ended in one man dead.
Deciding to get the last word in an argument which had been ongoing, a man identified by last name Mitchel went home for a firearm and shot his rival.
The victim is 20 year old Carlos Navarro, known locally as Rulos. He was shot six times at close range, twice in the head, twice in the chest and twice in the arms. The authorities arrested Mitchell several hours later.
The victim and suspect were seen at about 3 am yesterday along with other men on the beach.
“It is common here in the middle of the night when the bars close, people come to this sector of the beach where they sell crafts,” said Harold Brooks, chief of police for Puerto Viejo.
According to the report of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), the suspect in the crime was inebriated.
The authorities collected shells from a 9-mm gun at the site of the shooting.
Marcela Oviedo, owner of the restaurant Francini, worried about the harm that such acts cause to tourism. “It has lowered the number of tourists who visit us, because there are problems with drugs and assaults. We need more police presence”, said Oviedo.
More: La Nación: Discusión termina con hombre acribillado
May
23
Rapist Jailed
Posted by Editor | May 23, 2009 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | 13 Comments
The much talked about sexual offender in Playa Chiquita area has been arrested and is in jail. He was identified with bite marks and scratch marks after an attempted assault late at night along main road leading south of town. The victim managed to escape her attacker, but did require multiple stitches.
She remained in the area after the attack to identify the suspect. The suspect has been given 6 months preventative prison while awaiting trial. During that time, investigators will also attempt to get evidence linking him to previous assaults.
The recent arrest comes as a result of very active members in the business community who worked relentlessly and would not give up on making sure this person was apprehended. Local community members hope that this latest arrest results in a guilty verdict and this chapter is closed.
May
3
Benefit Concert for The Bridge
Posted by Editor | May 3, 2009 | Tags: Community Calendar, Helping Out | Comments Off
| May 9, 2009 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 10:00 pm |
Jim MacDougall and the funky 6-piece Los Rayos del Sol Band are presenting a Benefit Dance and Concert for
El Puente—The Bridge on Saturday May 9th from 7 – 10pm.
The Bridge provides education, food, and micro loan assistance for the indigenous of Puerto Viejo. You can reach The Bridge at 2750 0524
The night will feature high energy dance music: rhythm & blues, zydeco, and funk. Entrance fee: 3000 Colones or $6—plus CASH BAR at the Goddess Garden in Cahuita, tel. 2755 0055.
Apr
28
Oscar Arias inaugurates new water system for area
Posted by Editor | April 28, 2009 | Tags: Government and Politics, Health | Comments Off
Oscar Arias and Roberto Sancho unveil a plaque for the new water system
Oscar Arias, the president of Costa Rica, was among the dignitaries in Hone Creek (just outside Puerto Viejo) on the weekend to open a new water system. The new system will also service the communities of Puerto Viejo, Carbón Uno, Comadre and Catarata. The executive chairman of Costa Rica’s water company AyA, Ricardo Sancho, said that the new service would benefit approximately 5,000 residents.
Sancho said that the project was to “install chlorination systems, construct new PVC and polyethylene pipes and distribution lines for each of the communities; also pressure valves to homes.”
The project involves pumping water from a well located near the community of Sand Box, to a storage tank located near Hone Creek. From here the water is gravity fed to the communities benefiting.
The old system often ran out of water during dry periods.
The new system was built with the financial help of the Institute for Agriculture (IDA) which contributed 25 million colones (approximately $44,000 US), and the Joint Social Welfare Institute (IMAS) which contributed ¢100 million (approximately $175,000 US).
Sancho said the residents may apply starting this week to connect to the new project.
However, comments from readers regarding the announcement indicate that the project isn’t really complete yet, but that the inauguration went ahead anyway as Arías was scheduled to attend and so they didn’t want to move the opening ceremony even though the completion of the work is “at least 2 weeks away”.
Source: Costa Rica Hoy: Hone Creek inaugura nuevo acueducto
Apr
21
Le Caméléon Opens – Adding a New Class of Accomodation to Puerto Viejo
Posted by Editor | April 21, 2009 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | 35 Comments
The new Le Caméléon Hotel has opened at Playa Cocles offering something that the laid-back, backpacker-haven of Puerto Viejo has never seen before – 5 star luxury accommodations.
With average $250 a night rates, its also in a price class by itself.
A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World association, they offer a pool, spa, rooms with lighting which can change with your mood, restaurant and bar.
You can make reservations inquiries here.
Pictures, as they say, are worth a thousand words, so here are a few:
Reception and Lobby
Room
Pool
Apr
12
Puerto Viejo Unwired
Posted by Editor | April 12, 2009 | Tags: Local Business News, Site news | Comments Off
There’s a new page on Puerto Viejo Satellite that shows you where you can stay connected in paradise — check out the new WiFi page listing area hotspots with wireless internet connectivity for your laptop.
The page is new so if you know of others in the area, please just email us at info@puertoviejosatellite.com. If the business isn’t listed yet, you can add them on the add listing page.
Apr
3
Interest in Puerto Viejo Continues to Grow
Posted by Editor | April 3, 2009 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters, Crime & Punishment, Site news, Tourism | 2 Comments
In these challenging economic times, many local businesses seen a drop in business. But there is some good news too: interest in Puerto Viejo and the South Caribbean coast of Costa Rica remains very high. You can see this by looking at the growth of visitors to Puerto Viejo Satellite. In the quarter just finished, there were over 40,000 unique visitors to the website!
Traffic has grown at a very fast rate ever since the website has launched and the website is bigger and better than ever with:
• More listings than ever
• More features than ever like the recently added restaurant page or the listing detail pages (see this one for example)
• More complete information than ever – additional transport options for example added to the transport page as we find out about them
The area has also benefited from the marketing savvy of the owner one of the newer hotels in town, Banana Azul. Banana Azul was recently even mentioned on the Today show as a affordable vacation spot in these recessionary times. As more people find Banana Azul, they also discover the whole area as they discover the place that is a good fit for them or visit local restaurants and tour providers.
The growing tour company Gecko Trail Adventures has also contributed. Their Costa Rica tour packages have a strong emphasis on the Caribbean coast and so many people discover this area even if they don’t know Manzanillo from Montezuma.
All in all, we see great things ahead!
Apr
2
Hotel Taxes Down, Airline Taxes Up
Posted by Editor | April 2, 2009 | Tags: Government and Politics, Tourism | Comments Off
Costa Rica has eliminated the 3% ICT tax from hotel stays. ICT is the agency charged with promoting tourism in Costa Rica and the tax funded their operations. The tax has been replaced by a $15 tax on airline tickets into Costa Rica.
With this change, the nightly room tax for a room in Costa Rica will now be 13% instead of 16.39% so for most visitors the savings from the hotel tax should offset the $15 additional paid for their tickets.
The government is also hoping that the new airline tax will be easier to collect and less subject to evasion as well.
The airline ticket tax took effect on April 1st. The hotel tax change was effective as of Friday March 27 but many hotels are just now hearing about the change and making it effective. For those hotels which include taxes in their rates, it will be up to them whether to decrease their rates accordingly or just take a little extra profit.
More: La Nación: Aerolíneas advierten que cobro de $15 más en boletos afectará turismo
Update Apr 4: The new tax rate in this article was initially erroneously reported as 13.39%. It should be 13.00%. The old tax was 16.39% since the 13% sales tax was also applied to the 3% ICT tax.
Mar
28
New Jazz Band Debuts Tonight
Posted by Editor | March 28, 2009 | Tags: Community Calendar, Entertainment | 1 Comment
| March 28, 2009 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
Tonight, a new band makes its mark on Puerto Viejo.
The new configuration of Belladonna and the Shamans debuts this evening at EZ Times from 6:30 till 8:30. The band plays a variety of cool jazz leaning on the Latin side, including samba, basa nova and swing. You will fall in love with Cristiana’s beautiful voice, Marco’s magical sax and Maestro Jim’s inspirational keyboards. Add Martha and John’s experimental rhythm section and EZ Times relaxing atmosphere, and you have the formula for a Jazzy cool, cocktail-sipping evening.
EZ Times is located here.
Mar
9
Turtle Nesting Season in Gandoca
Posted by Editor | March 9, 2009 | Tags: Tourism | 6 Comments
It’s the prime time of year to see turtles come ashore for nesting near Gandoca. There are a few things though to keep in mind if you want to see these incredible wonders of nature, some weighing in at over 600 pounds (the leatherbacks)!
- You will need to go at night and you must be properly equipped – for example flashlights will confuse the turtles and they may abort the nesting.. Only special red lights can be used.
- You must go with a guide. Not only is this the law and is needed for safety given that you are out at night on a remote beach but you are much more likely to see the turtles.
- You should work with a guide who is supporting conservation efforts.
Beyond that, this is an unforgetable experience, not to be missed!
We recommend the tours with Gecko Trail Adventures. They hire the guides through ANAI, the local turtle conservation organization, so you are supporting their conservation work. They also hire reliable local drivers and vehicles who can get you to the Gandoca beach without mishap. Because much of the cost of this tour is the transportation to the remote starting point, the more people who do this tour, the cheaper it is per person!
You can get more information on this tour and make a booking here.
Mar
1
Constitutional Court Declares Puerto Viejo and Cahuita Are Not Cities
Posted by Editor | March 1, 2009 | Tags: Economic Development, Government and Politics | 9 Comments
 At stake are the unspoiled beachfront properties of the area and who gets to make the decision to of how to develop them |
In a long awaited decision released on Feb 25, the Sala Constitucional declared that the law making Cahuita and Puerto Viejo cities was unconstitutional.
Law 8464 passed in October 2005 had declared that these communities were municipalities. This would have allowed people who have lived in these areas for many years to obtain title to land as the city designation would have exempted these areas from some of the provisions of the maritime zone law which states that the first 200 meters of property from the high tide line is public property. Under this law, in effect since 1977, the first 50 meters can not be developed at all and the next 150 meters can only be leased from the government as a “concession”.
But law 8464 was challenged from the very beginning and it also did not specify the boundaries of the proposed cities. So local property owners and governments were left in limbo as to who would ultimately be responsible for making rules and determining development planning.
Real estate agent Manuel Pinto told the Talamanca News that this decision is unfortunate for those long time residents who would’ve obtained more valuable legal title to their land. But much of this land had also been bought from those long term residents by speculators in the hopes that title would come through. Those residents and those to whom they have sold will now have to abide by the maritime zone rules.
While giving title to those currently holding such land would’ve been a boon to them financially it would have also opened up that land to development which didn’t necessarily respect the natural environment or character of the area.
Local property developer Christer Ericsson stated that “longtime residents have no reason to fear eviction if they truly have been living on their lands before the law took effect and obtained it in a lawful manner. They will simply get the right to the concession inheriting the rights and obligations that come with it. Concessions will be granted by the local government (Municipality) and ICT only. The arrival of a plan regulator is setting the stage for proper planning and zoning that will protect our community in the future from indiscriminate development.”
Ericsson said his impression is that overall “the community is welcoming this decision and are happy to see all institutions unified working together for the sake of all residents and the future of the community.”
More:
- Nuestro País: Cahuita y Puerto Viejo en Limón no son ciudades (in Spanish) (Google translation to English)
- A.M. Costa Rica: Sala IV strips Cahuita and Puerto Viejo of city status
Mar
1
Bus Fares Going Down 5%
Posted by Editor | March 1, 2009 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
The regulator of public services (Aresep) has declared a 5.13% rollback in fares affecting some 3,600 routes.
The fare from San Jose to Puerto Viejo will be reduced from 4,535 colones to 4,290 colones (about US$ 7.65 at current exchange rates).
The new rates take effect on Friday.
Source: Diario Extra: Pasajes Bajan Entre ¢10 Y ¢360
Feb
25
Limon Chosen as Finish Line for Large Sailing Race
Posted by Editor | February 25, 2009 | Tags: Community Calendar, Sports, Tourism | Comments Off
| November 19, 2009 | to | November 20, 2009 |
The Transat Jacques Vabre, the world’s third largest sailing race will finish up in Puerto Limon in November. The race is expected to draw a large amount of international attention and tourism to the region with 50 vessels participating in the race and 350 journalists expected to cover it.
 |
The race leaves France on Nov 7 and 8 and will arrive in Limon 12 days later after a voyage of some 5,000 km. Costa Rica’s Caribbean development agency JAPDEVA along with the Costa Rican Tourism Institute ICT and the municipality of Limon have plans to build a marina there for the race which will remain afterwards.
This years race theme is the Coffee Route, and Costa Rica was chosen not only because of its status as a producer of coffee but because the country has a good record of producing sustainable coffee and of protecting the environment. The race’s sponsor is a coffee producer.
Read more: La Nación: Puerto Limón será la meta de regata mundial
Feb
15
Money Issues Page Published
Posted by Editor | February 15, 2009 | Tags: Site news, Tourism | Comments Off
If you live in Puerto Viejo or you run a business there, chances are you get the same questions asked over and over again about money issues.
“What’s the currency?” “Are US dollars accepted?” “What kind of money should I bring?” “Is there an ATM?”
Well I’ve gotten many of these questions over the years and have finally compiled them into a Money Matters page on Puerto Viejo Satellite. You can get the full list of questions and answers here or if you’re replying to an email, just send them to www.puertoviejosatellite.com/money.php.
If you’ve got more or better suggestions for people on how to deal with money matters, feel free to comment on the article. Feedback is definitely appreciated.
Costa Rica Colones
|
|
| |
