COSTA RICA c a l l e 2 COSTA RICA EYEWITNESS TRAVEL THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU COSTA RICA EYEWITNESS TRAVEL EYEWITNESS TRAVEL EYEWITNESS TRAVELEYEWITNESS TRAVEL O @ 8 7 ^ $ 0 - = ®  g * _ ( 5 n # ¢ } Y r E P 5  k ~ \ ÷ ∆ :µ¤ h k 5   Ó P (  Y s  J } T R E L ~ ~ g @ h n N a b & ) , ©f z S 7 0 O RAINFOREST • FIESTAS WILDLIFE • CRAFTS EXOTIC FLORA • BIRDS BEACHES • NATIONAL PARKS SPORTS • VOLCANOES • MAPS Systematic information on more than 600 sights, shops, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues KEY TO MAIN SYMBOLS Wildlife preserve or zoo Area of natural beauty Park or garden Botanical interest Museum, gallery Historic building Church Spa International airport Domestic airport Bus station or route Ferry port Population Festival or annual event Market day Church services Tourist information Open Closed Admission charge Guided tours available Wheelchair access (phone to check details) Photography not allowed Email address Restaurant Café Shop Accommodation available Camp site Visit traveldk.com to plan your trip, book online, and receive exclusive offers. SYMBOLS FOR HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS Price category Credit cards not accepted Parking Air-conditioning Swimming pool Gym/fitness facilities Television in most rooms Bar Live music Wheelchair access (phone to check details) Outdoor eating Caters for children Non-smoking section Vegetarian options available Restaurant SYMBOLS FOR MAPS AND FLOOR PLANS International airport Domestic airport Airstrip Ferry port Bus station Parking Tourist information Post office Hospital Police station Church Boating Camp site Viewpoint Area of natural beauty/interest Significant archaeological site Major church, cathedral, chapel Must-see museum, gallery Good beach Good surfing/ water sports Major wildlife preserve/zoo Thermal spa resort Hiking trails Building or area of historical interest Interesting market Good sailing club or center Attractive park, garden Never has a travel guide been so easy to use – just turn to the area of your choice $25.00 USA $29.00 CANADA PACKED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND MAPS • THE FLAVORS OF COSTA RICA, REGION BY REGION • INDEPTH FEATURES ON LANDSCAPE AND WILDLIFE • HUGE SELECTION OF HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS • CANOPY TOURS, HIKING, WATER SPORTS, AND GOLF • SCENIC ROUTES AND THEMATIC TOURS PRINTED IN ChINA AREA COLOR CODES SAN joSÉ pages 52–79 ThE CENTRAL hIghLANDS pages 80–105 ThE CENTRAL PACIfIC AND SoUThERN NICoYA pages 106–119 gUANACASTE AND NoRThERN NICoYA pages 120–143 ThE NoRThERN zoNE pages 144–159 ThE CARIbbEAN pages 160–173 ThE SoUThERN zoNE pages 174–193 travelers’ needs WhERE To STAY pages 196–219 WhERE To EAT pages 220–237 ShoPPINg IN CoSTA RICA pages 238–243 ENTERTAINmENT IN CoSTA RICA pages 244–247 oUTDooR ACTIVITIES AND SPECIALTY VACATIoNS pages 248–253 survival guide PRACTICAL INfoRmATIoN pages 256–263 TRAVEL INfoRmATIoN pages 264–271 gENERAL INDEX pages 272–283 “Eyewitness Travel Guides are marvels of writing, color photography, and illustration” New York Times Syndicate “Lavishly illustrated… gorgeous, entertaining, and enlightening” Chicago Tribune “Like a Michelangelo fresco: deliriously rich in detail” People Magazine Discover more at traveldk.com EYEWITNESS TRAVEL COSTA RICA [...]... (see p172) 30 I N T R O D U C I N G C O S T A R I C A The Story of Costa Rican Coffee Costa Rica is famed for its flavorful coffee Coffea arabica – a bush native to Ethiopia – was introduced to the country in 1779 For more than a A cup of Costa century, beginning in the 1830s, the Rican coffee grano de oro (golden grain) was Costa Rica s foremost export, funding the construction of fine buildings The... C O S T A R I C A Traditional oxcart used for farming in the Costa Rican countryside Chinese population also exists, mainly in the Caribbean province of Limón In recent years, tens of thousands of North Americans and people of other nationalities have settled in Costa Rica, drawn partly by its fabulous climate About eight out of ten Costa Ricans are nominally Catholic, and a significant portion of the... “momentito.” The majority Instituto Costarricense de are descendants of early Turismo (Costa Rica Tourism Spanish settlers Indigenous Institute) under the advertising peoples account for a fraction slogan of Costa Rica – No of the pop ulation, and live Artificial Ingredients.” Another factor aiding tourism is the Resident in Costa tucked away in remote reserves Rican colors Concentrated on the Caribbean... Sunbitterns spread their wings to reveal distinctive patterns that are designed for defense Bare-throated tiger-herons are graceful waterbirds Costa Rica hosts about 20 species of herons 28 I N T R O D U C I N G C O S T A R I C A Beaches of Costa Rica Most of Costa Rica s shoreline, which extends for 800 miles (1,290 km), is lined with beaches in a range of colors, from sugar white to varying shades of... permit fast flight through the forest About 50 species of tanagers live in Costa Rica Vultures are found across Costa Rica; the country has four species of this scavenger, and about 50 types of raptors, including owls, the osprey, the laughing falcon, and the endangered harpy eagle, the world’s largest eagle WETLAND BIRDS Costa Rica is on the migratory path of numerous waterfowl, such as black-bellied... camouflaged green for an arboreal life Males turn orange during the mating season Crocodiles and small caimans live in Costa Rica s freshwater lagoons and lowland rivers The American crocodile can grow to 16 ft (5 m) 22 I N T R O D U C I N G C O S T A The Rainforest Ecosystem The lowlands of Costa Rica are enveloped in tropical rainforest, its canopies forming an uninterrupted sea of greenery Hardwood trees,... These predominantly fruiteating birds are found in all of Costa Rica s rainforests The harpy eagle, the largest member of the eagle family, clings to existence in the rainforests of Corcovado and Gandoca-Manzanillo 23 24 I N T R O D U C I N G C O S T A R I C A Canopy Tours Costa Rica is the world leader in “canopy tours,” which allow active travelers to explore the forest canopy more than 100 ft (30... problem in coastal communities, and you may find that locals exhibit, at times, a surliness not found elsewhere in Costa Rica THE SOUTHERN ZONE Encompassing Costa Rica s premier rainforests and most rugged mountains, this region, with its exceedingly diverse terrain, requires a 4WD for travelers exploring on their own Come prepared for high humidity and heavy rain Inland, the Talamancas offer a challenge... it has not been aloof from Latin American issues: in 1987, President Oscar Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering peace on the isthmus THE ECONOMY Costa Rica s thriving economy is today Papayas being sorted for sale in a town market powered mainly by tourism With its THE PEOPLE stupendous landscape of mountains, beaches, and forests full of exotic flora Costa Ricans are known as Ticos and fauna,... of the world’s identified living species, including more types of butterflies than the whole of Africa This astonishing wealth of wildlife is due to the One of Costa Rica s butterflies country’s great variety in relief and climate, from lowland wetlands to cloud-draped mountaintops As a result, Costa Rica boasts 12 distinct “life zones,” each with a unique combination of climate, terrain, flora, and . Britain. CONTENTS INTRODUCING COSTA RICA DISCOVERING COSTA RICA 8 PUTTING COSTA RICA ON THE MAP 12 A PORTRAIT OF COSTA RICA 14 COSTA RICA THROUGH THE YEAR 34 THE HISTORY OF COSTA RICA 40 A performance. COSTA RICA c a l l e 2 COSTA RICA EYEWITNESS TRAVEL THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU COSTA RICA EYEWITNESS TRAVEL EYEWITNESS. RICA 811 PUTTING COSTA RICA ON THE MAP 1213 A PORTRAIT OF COSTA RICA 1433 COSTA RICA THROUGH THE YEAR 3439 THE HISTORY OF COSTA RICA 4047 INTRODUCING COSTA RICA8 C osta Rica can be divided