Frommer's 99 Costa Rica

by Greenspan, Eliot

• ISBN13: 9780028622743
• ISBN10: 002862274X
• Edition: Map
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-09-01
• Publisher: Frommer

Summary

Costa Rica is one of the world's top adventure/eco-tourism destinations. Because of its size and diversity, you can spend one day at the beach and the next deep in the rain forest. A complete environmental guide covers tips and pointers on the country's 850 species of birds, turtle nestlings, monkeys, plants, fantastic diving and isolated waterfalls.
Previous Edition ISBN: 0028616448

Table of Contents

List of Maps	viii
1 The Best of Costa Rica	1	(16)
1 The Best of Natural Costa Rica	2	(1)
2 The Best Beaches	3	(1)
3 The Best Active Vacations	4	(1)
4 The Best Day Hikes & Nature Walks	5	(2)
5 The Best Bird Watching	7	(1)
6 The Best Family Vacation Experiences	8	(1)
7 The Best Views	8	(1)
8 The Best Drives	9	(1)
9 The Most Scenic Towns & Villages	10	(1)
10 The Best Places to Shop	11	(1)
11 The Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts	11	(1)
12 The Best Moderately Priced Hotels	12	(1)
13 The Best Ecolodges & Wilderness Resorts	13	(1)
14 The Best Bed-and-Breakfasts & Small Inns	14	(1)
15 The Best Restaurants	15	(1)
16 The Best After-Dark Fun	16	(1)
2 Getting to Know Costa Rica	17	(14)
1 The Natural Environment	18	(2)
2 The Regions in Brief	20	(2)
3 Costa Rica Today	22	(2)
4 History 101	24	(3)
* Dateline	24	(3)
5 Gallo Pinto, Ceviche & Frescos: Costa Rican Food & Drink	27	(2)
6 Recommended Books	29	(2)
3 Planning a Trip to Costa Rica	31	(26)
1 Preparing for Your Trip	31	(7)
* The Colon, the U.S. Dollar & the British Pound	33	(1)
* What Things Cost in San Jose	34	(4)
2 When to Go	38	(3)
* Costa Rica Calendar of Events	40	(1)
3 Tips for Travelers with Special Needs	41	(2)
4 Getting There	43	(3)
5 Getting Around	46	(3)
* Suggested Itineraries	49	(1)
6 Tips on Accommodations	49	(2)
7 Tips on Dining	51	(1)
8 Tips on Shopping	52	(5)
* Fast Facts: Costa Rica	53	(4)
4 The Active Vacation Planner	57	(21)
1 Organized Adventure Trips	58	(2)
2 Activities A to Z	60	(9)
* Where to See the Resplendent Quetzal	61	(6)
* T'ai Chi in Paradise	67	(2)
3 Costa Rica's National Parks & Bioreserves	69	(7)
* Monkey Business	74	(2)
4 Tips on Health, Safety & Etiquette in the Wilderness	76	(1)
5 Ecologically Oriented Volunteer & Study Programs	76	(2)
5 San Jose	78	(62)
1 Orientation	79	(5)
* "I Know there's got to be a number here somewhere...": The Arcane Art of Finding an Address in San Jose	83	(1)
* Neighborhoods in Brief	83	(1)
2 Getting Around	84	(5)
* Fast Facts: San Jose	86	(3)
3 Accommodations	89	(16)
* Family-Friendly Hotels	96	(9)
4 Dining	105	(8)
* Only in the Central Valley: Dining Under the Stars on a Mountain's Edge	109	(4)
5 Seeing the Sights	113	(7)
* Suggested Itineraries	113	(5)
* Walking Tour-Downtown San Jose	118	(2)
6 Outdoor Activities	120	(1)
7 Spectator Sports	121	(1)
8 Shopping	122	(4)
9 San Jose After Dark	126	(5)
10 Side Trips from San Jose	131	(9)
6 Guanacaste & the Nicoya Peninsula	140	(56)
1 Liberia	142	(6)
2 La Cruz	148	(2)
3 Playa Hermosa & Playa Panama	150	(4)
4 Playa del Coco & Playa Ocotal	154	(4)
5 Playas Flamingo, Potrero, Brasilito & Conchal	158	(6)
6 Playa Tamarindo & Playa Grande	164	(10)
7 Playa Junquillal	174	(3)
8 Playa Samara	177	(4)
9 Playa Nosara	181	(3)
10 Playa Tambor	184	(4)
11 Playa Montezuma	188	(6)
12 Malpais & Santa Teresa	194	(2)
7 The Northern Zone	196	(31)
1 Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui	196	(6)
2 Arenal Volcano & La Fortuna	202	(9)
* Taking a Soothing Soak in Tabacon Hot Springs	204	(7)
3 Tilaran & Lake Arenal	211	(4)
4 Monteverde	215	(12)
8 The Central Pacific Coast	227	(46)
1 Puntarenas	227	(6)
2 Playa de Jaco	233	(11)
3 Manuel Antonio National Park	244	(17)
4 Dominical	261	(6)
5 San Isidro de El General: A Base for Exploring Chirripo National Park	267	(6)
9 The Southern Zone	273	(25)
1 Drake Bay	273	(8)
* Those Mysterious Stone Spheres	277	(4)
2 Puerto Jimenez: Gateway to Corcovado National Park	281	(7)
* Trail Distances in Corcovado National Park	283	(5)
3 Golfito: A Place for Sportfishing & Touring Botanical Gardens	288	(5)
4 Playa Zancudo	293	(3)
5 Playa Pavones: A Surfer's Mecca	296	(2)
10 The Caribbean Coast	298	(31)
1 Barra del Colorado	300	(3)
2 Tortuguero National Park	303	(5)
3 Limon: Gateway to Tortuguero National Park & Southern Coastal Beaches	308	(3)
4 Cahuita	311	(7)
5 Puerto Viejo	318	(11)
Appendix	329	(4)
A Basic Spanish Phrases & Vocabulary	329	(1)
B Some Typically Tico Words & Phrases	330	(1)
C Menu Terms	330	(3)
Index	333