COSTA RICA

MATTHEW D FIRESTONECAROLINA A MIRANDA, CÉSAR G SORIANO

discover

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p73CENTRAL VALLEY

p269COAST

CARIBBEAN

p51SAN JOSÉ

p227COSTA RICASOUTHERNp199

PACIFIC COASTCENTRAL

p165DE NICOYAPENÍNSULA

p97COSTA RICANORTHERN

N I C A R A G U A

P A

N A

M A

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DISCOVER COSTA RICA

Caribbean Coast (p269) Mellow vibes ra-diate to the tune of steel drums along this Afro-Caribbean-influenced coast.

Southern Costa Rica (p227) Get off the beaten path and venture into the depths of pure wilderness.

Central Pacific Coast (p199) The most de-veloped stretch of coastline in Costa Rica is also the most cosmopolitan.

Península de Nicoya (p165) This Pacific peninsula is a slice of paradise for surfers and beachcombers alike.

Northern Costa Rica (p97) A tourist-packed region of cloud forests and hot springs, and home to a fiery volcano.

San José (p51) Costa Rica’s frenetic capital serves as an urban complement to more far-flung, rural locales.

Central Valley (p73) The country’s heart-land is home to colonial cities, coffee plan-tations and half the population.

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CONTENTS

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THIS IS COSTA RICA 10

COSTA RICA’S TOP 25 EXPERIENCES 13

COSTA RICA’S TOP ITINERARIES 31

PLANNING YOUR TRIP 39

SAN JOSÉ 51SAN JOSÉ HIGHLIGHTS 54SAN JOSÉ’S BEST… 58THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 59DISCOVER SAN JOSÉ 60Orientation 60Information 60Sights 60San José for Children 62Festivals & Events 62Sleeping 63Eating 63Entertainment 65Shopping 65Getting There & Away 66Getting Around 70AROUND SAN JOSÉ 71Los Yoses & San Pedro 71Escazú 71

CENTRAL VALLEY 73CENTRAL VALLEY HIGHLIGHTS 76THE CENTRAL VALLEY’S BEST… 80THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 81CENTRAL VALLEY ITINERARIES 82DISCOVER THE CENTRAL VALLEY 84Alajuela 84Sarchí 86Palmares 87Heredia 88Barva 89Cartago 90Parque Nacional Volcán Irazú 91

Turrialba 93Monumento Nacional Arqueológico Guayabo 95

NORTHERN COSTA RICA 97NORTHERN COSTA RICA HIGHLIGHTS 100NORTHERN COSTA RICA’S BEST… 108THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 109NORTHERN COSTA RICA ITINERARIES 110DISCOVER NORTHERN COSTA RICA 112La Fortuna & Around 112Parque Nacional Volcán Arenal 118El Castillo 121Dam to Tilarán 123Tilarán 127Monteverde & Santa Elena 128Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso Monteverde 143Reserva Santa Elena 144Liberia 145Volcán Miravalles Area 151Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja 152Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio 153Parque Nacional Santa Rosa 155La Virgen 157La Virgen to Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí 160Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí & Around 162South of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí 164

PENÍNSULA DE NICOYA 165PENÍNSULA DE NICOYA HIGHLIGHTS 168PENINSULA DE NICOYA’S BEST… 172THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 173PENÍNSULA DE NICOYA ITINERARIES 174DISCOVER THE PENÍNSULA DE NICOYA 176Playa del Coco 176Playa Brasilito 178Playa Conchal 179Playa Grande 179Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas de Guanacaste 180Playa Tamarindo 180Playas Avellanas & Negra 183

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Santa Cruz 185Nicoya 185Nosara Area 186Playa Sámara 187Playa Naranjo 190Paquera 190Montezuma 190Reserva Natural Absoluta Cabo Blanco 194Mal País & Santa Teresa 195

CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST 199CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST HIGHLIGHTS 202THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST’S BEST… 206THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 207CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST ITINERARIES 208DISCOVER THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST 210Puntarenas 210Parque Nacional Carara 211Jacó 211Playa Hermosa 215Quepos 216Quepos to Manuel Antonio 219Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio 222Dominical 222Uvita 225Parque Nacional Marino Ballena 226

SOUTHERN COSTA RICA 227SOUTHERN COSTA RICA HIGHLIGHTS 230SOUTHERN COSTA RICA’S BEST… 236THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 237SOUTHERN COSTA RICA ITINERARIES 238DISCOVER SOUTHERN COSTA RICA 240Palmar 240Sierpe 241Bahía Drake 241Bahía Drake to Corcovado 244Puerto Jiménez 246Cabo Matapalo 249Carate 251Parque Nacional Corcovado 251

Golfito 254Zancudo 255Pavones 257Parque Nacional Isla del Cocos 258San Isidro de El General 259San Gerardo de Rivas 261Parque Nacional Chirripó 262Reserva Indígena Boruca 265San Vito 267Parque Internacional La Amistad 267

CARIBBEAN COAST 269CARIBBEAN COAST HIGHLIGHTS 272THE CARIBBEAN COAST’S BEST… 276THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 277CARIBBEAN COAST ITINERARIES 278DISCOVER THE CARIBBEAN COAST 280Puerto Limón 280Moín 282Cariari 284Tortuguero Village 284Parque Nacional Tortuguero 287Cahuita 289Parque Nacional Cahuita 291Puerto Viejo de Talamanca 292Manzanillo 296Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca-Manzanillo 298

COSTA RICA IN FOCUS 301ACTIVITIES 302CULTURE 308ENVIRONMENT 313FAMILY TRAVEL 319FOOD & DRINK 321HISTORY 325SHOPPING 334SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL 336

DIRECTORY & TRANSPORTATION 339

DIRECTORY 340Accommodations 340

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Climate Charts 341Customs Regulations 341Dangers & Annoyances 342Discount Cards 343Embassies & Consulates 343Festivals & Events 344Gay & Lesbian Travelers 344Health 345Holidays 350Insurance 350Internet Access 350Legal Matters 350Money 351Photography 352Telephone 353Time 353

Toilets 353Tourist Information 353Travelers with Disabilities 353Visas 354Women Travelers 354TRANSPORTATION 355Getting There & Away 355Getting Around 356

GLOSSARY 364

BEHIND THE SCENES 366

INDEX 372

GREENDEX 382

MAP LEGEND 384

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CENTRAL VALLEYp73

p269COAST

CARIBBEAN

p51SAN JOSÉ

p227COSTA RICASOUTHERN

p199PACIFIC COAST

CENTRAL

p165DE NICOYAPENÍNSULA

p97COSTA RICANORTHERN

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Costa Rica is sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of Central America because of its comfortable lifestyle, peaceful democracy and overwhelming natural beauty.

Indeed, this tiny mountainous country gave birth to one of the world’s most progres-sive environmental movements. The Green Revolution kicked off in the 1970s when the unpredictable nature of the global coffee market created a rather unusual alliance between economic developers and environmental conservationists.

If wealth could not be sustained through exports, what about imports – of tourists? By 1985 tourism was contributing US$100 million annually to the Costa Rican economy, and today almost one-third of the entire country is under some form of environmental protection.

With economic empowerment came tremendous social change. As recently as 1980, Ticos (Costa Ricans) lived on family farms, listened to state radio and shopped at the neighborhood pulpería (corner grocery store). Today, shopping at supermarkets is a matter of course, satellite TV and wireless internet are the norm, and North American–style malls are all the rage.

THIS IS COSTA RICA

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Given the rise in quality of life throughout the country, Ticos are generally self-content and passive about politics, but underneath the easygoing veneer is discernible pride and support for their unarmed democracy. As stated by former President Oscar Arias Sánchez in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, ‘we seek peace and democracy together, indivisible, an end to the shedding of human blood, which is inseparable from an end to the suppression of human rights.’ This is a unique point of view – not only in Central America, but in the whole world.

On top of its lifestyle and democracy, Costa Rica is also mind-bendingly beautiful. Although there are certainly other countries in the world that enjoy divinely inspired natural landscapes, Costa Rica boasts a higher biodiversity than Europe and the USA combined. Its small size also means that traveling from cloud forest to coastline and from summit to savanna is quick, easy and enjoyable.

‘Costa Rica boasts a higher biodiversity than Europe and the USA combined.’

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