The decorated
wooden carretas
 (oxcarts), are
an internationally
recognized symbol
of Costa Rica.
These carts once
dominated the rural
landscape of the
central highlands.





Costa Rica has
created some of the
finest handcrafted
items inspired by
the stunning woods of
Central America and
the infinite variety
of nature that
surrounds them





The Manzana de
Agua, also known as
"apple of water", is a
dark red, pear-shaped
fruit that is full of
juice and quite
refreshing





The main focus of
Costa Rican dancers
is to interpret the
traditional folkloric
dance and music.
They mix theater,
music and traditions,
showing the typical
dance and music of
the rural lifestyles of
different regions





Coffee came to
Costa Rica in the
last decade of the
eighteenth century.
Its growth expanded
over the high lands of
the Central Valley.
Costa Rica became
the first Central
American country to
establish coffee as
an industry





Anteaters are
common throughout
Costa Rica. The
most commonly
seen of Costa Rica's
three anteater
species is the
tree-dwelling
Tamandua, a
beautiful creature
with a prehensile
tail and the
gold-and-black
coloration of a
panda bear. It can
grow to 5 ft and
weigh up to 18 lbs





The Red Powder
Puff flower are
attractive to
butterflies and
hummingbirds.
It is a fast growing
shrub that can grow
tall but also spreads
wide. Interesting
enough the leaves
close at night. The
buds before the
flowers open look
like raspberries





The Owl Butterflies
are very large with
a wingspan of over
half a foot. The large
eyespots on the
wings serve either to
scare a potential
predator or to
misdirect an attack
away from the body,
since predators will
often first attack
the eyes of
prospective prey

Reading List


Here is a brief selection of favorite, new and hard-to-find books, prepared for your journey. For your convenience, you may call (800) 342-2164 to order these books directly from Longitude, a specialty mail-order book service.  You can also find them at local bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

Essential

The New Key to Costa Rica
by  Beatrice Blake & Anne Becher, 2006
A comprehensive, frequently revised guide to Costa Rica. Attention is paid to regard for the environment and local community

Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth & Ken Miyata, 1987
A lively, lucid portrait of the rainforest as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rain forest. With practical advice for the tropical traveler.

Costa Rica:  A Traveler’s Literary Companion
by Barbara Ras, 1994
This well-chosen anthology brings together 26 mostly modern stories by Costa Rican writers, a wonderful introduction to the character of the people, culture and land.

A Neotropical Companion
by J.C. Kricher & Mark Plotkin, 1999
A tropical primer aimed at the motivated general reader.  A systematic overview of the ecology, habitats, animals, plants and ecosystems of Central and South America; with latin names; a great introduction to the region.

Costa Rica Adventure Map
by National Geographic, 2001
MAP
A double-sided full-color map of Costa Rica at a scale of 1:350,000 with good shaded relief, topographic detail, roads and waterways, basic travel information, and an inset of San Jose. Built for the road (or raft or trail), it’s printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper.

Also Recommended...

Costa Rica in Focus
by Tjabel Daling, 2002
A concise guide to the people, politics, economy and culture of Costa Rica. The author explores the history of democracy since the abolition of the army in 1948, economic doldrums of the 1980s and impact of tourism.

Costa Rica Spanish Phrasebook
by Lonely Planet, 2000
A pocket guide to understanding idioms, slang and Spanish as it is spoken in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica’s National Parks and Reserves
by Joseph Franks, 1999
A practical guide to flora and fauna of Costa Rica focusing on its parks and preserves. It profiles 40 protected areas, including sketch maps, practical directions and trail information.

Travel & Site Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica
by Aaron Sekerak, 1997
This is a handbook for where to see birds in Costa Rica. It includes good site descriptions, maps, a few line drawings and – most helpfully – bird lists by locale.

Central America:  A Natural and Cultural History
by Anthony G. Coates (Editor), 1999
A concise overview of the region with contributions by diverse authors on the geology, natural history and culture of the Central American isthmus. A publication of the “Paseo Pantera Project.” With charts, graphs and maps.

The Ticos:  Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica
by Richard Biesanz, 1999
An insightful, fact-filled portrait of Costa Rican culture, history and society. This revised edition, by the same team that researched and wrote The Costa Ricans, brings the story up through the economic crisis of the 1980s. It’s an excellent survey for the interested traveler.

A Naturalist in Costa Rica
by Alexander Skutch, 1992
Originally published in 1971, this book recounts Skutch’s 35 years of living and studying ornithology in the Pacific hills of Costa Rica. Warm, nostalgic and extremely knowledgeable, Skutch is one of the greats in tropical ornithology.

Costa Rica:   The Forests of Eden
by Kevin Schafe, 1996
A veteran naturalist and photographer, Schafer presents the habitats, wildlife and people of Costa Rica in this handsomely produced collection of color photographs.

Costa Rican Natural History
by Daniel Janzen, 1983
A thorough, prize-winning source reader on all aspects of the natural history of Costa Rica. Contains review articles by 174 contributors on birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, geology, climate, ecology and vegetation. It’s illustrated, remarkably well written and rewarding for the serious general reader.

Volcanoes:   Fire From the Earth
by Maurice Kraff, 1993
This lavishly illustrated pocket-size encyclopedia of knowledge is an overview of volcanoes and volcanology by the great French scientist.

Nature & Field Guides

Costa Rica:  The Ecotravellers’ Wildlife Guide
by Les Beletsky, 1998
This outstanding book is a field guide to the natural history of Costa Rica featuring 350 color illustrations of birds, mammals and reptiles.

Field Guide to the Wildlife of Costa Rica
by Carrol Henderson & Alexander Skutch, 2002
A comprehensive photographic guide to 300species of birds, mammals, reptiles, mphibians, butterflies and moths and other nvertebrates. An excellent resource for the traveler.

A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica
by F. Gary Stiles & Alexander Skutch, 1990
A masterfully researched field guide to the birds of Costa Rica, including an overview of geography, habitats and avifauna. The 52 color plates are good but the value of this book is in the description of the habits and behavior of more than 850 species.

Neotropical Rainforest Mammals:   
A Field Guide
by L.H. Emmons, 1997
An illustrated guide to the mammals of the New World tropics; compact and with 29 color plates illustrating more than 200 species.

Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life
by Paul Humann, 1995
This excellent underwater field guide illustrates all the fishes, corals, invertebrates and plants you are likely to encounter in less than 15 feet of water in the Caribbean.

A Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama by Robert L. Dressler, 1993                                
Written in a friendly and accessible style, this guide contains keys to all the orchid genera in the region and most of the orchid species.

The Butterflies of Costa Rica and Their Natural History by Philip J. DeVries, 1987                              
Comprehensive coverage of Costa Rican butterflies in the families Papilionidae, Pieridae, and Nymphalidae. 560 butterflies described and illustrated in color.

In the Rainforest:  Report from a Strange, Beautiful and Imperiled World                            
by Catherine Caufield, 1991                                
The most comprehensive study of the world's rainforests available. This beautifully written work looks at these threatened resources from historical, political, economical, and biological viewpoints. Her new afterward includes addresses of organizations working to save rainforests. 

History & Travelogues

Monkey’s Bridge:  Mysteries of Evolution in
Central America                                         
by David R. Wallace, 1999                            
Award-winning nature writer David Wallace brings his unique sense of wonder and lyrical talents to an exploration of the incredibly rich heritage of biodiversity in Costa Rica. 

Green Dreams: Travels in Central America
by Stephen Benz, 1998                                            
On the Amazon, in Costa Rica, Honduras and on the Mayan trail from Guatemala to Mexico, Stephen describes his encounters with water, mud, insects and other wildlife - and not least with the ecotourists themselves.

Green Republic: A Conservation History of Costa Rica by Sterling Evans, 1999                                      
This scholarly discussion is appealing for environmental historians and activists and those interested in the work that went into protecting Costa Rica’s natural heritage.

The Penguin History of Latin America            
by Edwin Williamson, 1993                               
Williamson traces 500 years of history from the time of Columbus and the Spanish Conquest to the present day. An excellent and very readable history in a compact size.

Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories   
by Roberto G. Echevarria, 1999                            
Offers in a single, unprecedented volume a view of one of the most diverse and fertile literary landscapes in the world.

Guide Books 

There are thousands of guidebooks available to travelers. We recommend the following as the leaders in quality, content, and presentation, or for their specialized travel advice.

INSIGHT GUIDES 

LONELY PLANET GUIDES

ROUGH GUIDES

MOON HANDBOOKS

Costa Rica Handbook:  Footprint Guide         
by Peter Hutchison, 2001                                 
Written by an author who has lived in Costa Rica, this guide covers the whole of Costa Rica, and provides up-to-date information and maps, including color maps with cross-references within the text

Traveler’s Companion: Costa Rica                   
by Maribeth Mellin, 2007                                   
 This friendly and informed guidebook is as indispensable as a pair of comfortable walking shoes. Its portfolio of brilliant photographs provides the reader a true sense of the country and a colorful souvenir of memorable sights and experiences.

Adventuring in Central America:  Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama by David Rains Wallace, 1995                             
An informative outdoors guide from the Sierra Club that brings the abundant natural world of Central America to travelers. Covers private parks, reserves, and lesser known wildlife areas.

Costa Rica: Adventures in Nature                 
by Ree Strange Sheck, 2001                                
This guide emphasizes environmentally friendly adventures.

Pura Vida:  The Waterfalls and Hot Springs of
Costa Rica                                                   
by Sam Mitchell, 1995                                         
Find and enjoy the waterfalls and hot springs in Costa Rica with this special guide that shows you where they are and how to get to them.

Diving and Snorkeling Guide: Cocos Islands        
by Lucy Agace, 1997                                         
Informative guide from the Lonely Planet Pisces Series - contains full color photos, detailed site and travel information and general information about the area.