9780679003151

Experienced and first-time travelers alike rely on Fodor's Gold Guides for rich, reliable coverage the world over. Updated each year and containing a full-color, foldout Rand McNally map, a Fodor's Gold Guide is an essential tool for any kind of traveler. Smart travel tips and important contact info make planning your trip a breeze and detailed coverage of sights, accommodations, and restaurants give you the info you need to make your experience enriching and hassle-free. If you only have room for one guide, this is the one for you. The best guide to Costa Rica, updated every year Sensational walking and driving tours to rugged mountains, Indian villages, and ancient ruins A guide to the rain forests, cloud forests, and dry forests Where to shop for handicrafts--from jade and silver jewelry and bright textiles to fine leather goods and pottery All the sports--from windsurfing on Costa Rica's Lake Arenal to diving in Panama's Bocas del Toro Archipelago Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Lavish hotels, sun-drenched beach resorts, and nature lodges Great meals--dine on exotic seafood on a veranda or savory Creole fare in acabantilde Fresh, thorough, practical--from writers you can trust Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by writer-residents 12 pages of maps, vacation itineraries, and more Important Contacts Smart Travel Tips A to Z Fodor's Choice What's Where in the area Pleasures & Pastimes Festivals Fact-filled chapter on national parks and wildlife reserves How to be an eco-savvy traveler Complete index

About Our Writers Each year the Gold Guides are written and updated by more than 500 resident writers
Connections Resources for travelers
How to Use This Book Describes organization, icons, and other key information
Please Write to Us Tells you how to get in touch with our editors
The Gold Guide: Smart Travel Tips A to Z An easy-to-use section divided alphabetically by topic
Under each listing you'll find tips and information that will help you accomplish what you need to in Costa Rica
You'll also find addresses and telephone numbers of organizations and companies that offer destination-related services and detailed information and publications
Destination: Costa Rica Helps get you in the mood for your trip
New and Noteworthy Cues you in on trends and happenings
What's Where Gets you oriented
Pleasures and Pastimes Describes the activities and sights that make Costa Rica unique
Fodor's Choice Showcases our top picks from special restaurants and one-of-a-kind accommodations to out-of-the-ordinary sights and activities..
Let them inspire you!
San José All you need to know about the vibrant capital, including sections on exploring
San José, dining, lodging, nightlife and the arts, outdoor activities and sports, and shopping, and a practicalities section called San Jose A to Z
Central Valley: Around San José
Including the western Central Valley, eastern Central Valley, Orosi Valley, Turrialba and the Guayabo
National Monument, and the Central Valley: Around San José A to Z
Northern Guanacaste and Alajuela With Arenal and the Cordillera de Tilarán, Far Northern Guanacaste
Nicoya Peninsula With the best from Puntarenas to Cabo Blanco
Nicoya and the Tempisque River Delta Region
Central Nicoya beaches, Liberia and Northern Nicoya Beaches, and Nicoya Peninsula A to Z
Central Pacific Costa Rica With the Central Pacific Hinterlands, the coast near San José, and Central Pacific Costa Rica A to Z
Southern Pacific Costa Rica With General Valley, Osa Peninsula, and Southern Pacific Costa Rica A to Z
The Atlantic Lowlands and the Caribbean Coast With Braulio Carrillo
National Park and the Northern Lowlands, Tortuguero and Barra del Colorado, coastal Talamanca, the Atlantic Lowlands, and the Caribbean Coast A to Z
Excursions to Panama With Chiriquí Province, and the Bocas del Toro Archipelago
National Parks and Biological Reserves With the Central Valley
Around San José, Northern Guanacaste and Alajuela, Nicoya Peninsula, Central Pacific Costa Rica, Southern Pacific Costa Rica, the Atlantic Lowlands and the Caribbean Coast, and Panama
Portrait of Costa Rica A wonderful essay about the biodiversity of Costa Rica
Index List of Maps
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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Pleasures and Pastimes

Archaeological Treasures

Though Costa Rica was never part of the Maya empire and has nothing to compare with the ruins of Guatemala and Mexico, it was home to some sophisticated cultures prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. Those people may never have erected temples to rival those of Tikal and Palenque, but they left behind a treasure trove of gold, jade, ceramics, and stonework, which can be admired at several San Jose museums. Pre-Columbian Costa Rica was home to some incredibly talented artisans, and thanks to good laws prohibiting the export of their works, museums such as the Museo de Jade and the Museo de Oro house collections that could be envied by the nations of the former Maya realm. Though the country's most impressive pre-Columbian heritage is found in the museums, there is one noteworthy archaeological site: Monumento Nacional Guayabo, a partially excavated city of 20,000 surrounded by protected rain forest.

Dining

Costa Rica and Panama are veritable gardens of fresh vegetables and fruit, which means that most cooking is tasty regardless of the recipe. Just don't expect anything spicy, since the local fare tends to be mild. Typical Costa Rican food is available from the ubiquitous and inexpensive sodas (small cafes). In San Jose, a string of higher-priced restaurants serve an international smorgasbord of recipes -- Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Peruvian, you name it. Panamanian food is similar, though a bit greasy, and that country boasts an even greater selection of international cuisine than Costa Rica. The typical Costa Rican main course is called a casado, which consists of rice, black beans, a shredded raw cabbage and tomato salad, meat or fish, and sometimes fresh cheese, a fried egg, and platanos (fried plantains); this is standard fare at most sodas and small restaurants. The national breakfast dish is gallo pinto (fried rice and beans), usually served with a fried or scrambled egg, sour cream, and tortillas.

Horseback Riding

Because horses remain one of the most common forms of transportation in Costa Rica, you can ride just about everywhere in that country. Experienced equestrians should be pleased with the spirit of the horses in Costa Rica, but even if you can't remember when you were last in the saddle, exploring a bit of the countryside on horseback is recommended.

Flora and Fauna

Costa Rica and Panama possess an almost unfathomable wealth of natural treasures, with more species of plants and animals than scientists have been able to count, and a variety of scenery that ranges from barren mountain peaks to luxuriant lowland forests. Because Costa Rica is such a small country, it is easy to visit many different ecosystems, and see some of the plants and animals that are contained in them, in a short period of time. Costa Rica has made a concerted effort to preserve its natural heritage, and it has paid off: more than 13% of Costa Rica's national territory is under the aegis of the parks system, which contains nearly all the country's ecosystems.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

The options for observing the marine life off the coasts of Costa Rica and Panama range from simple snorkeling sessions off the beach near your hotel to a full-fledged scuba diving safari. Coastal reefs submerged off Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast are home to colorful coral gardens and hundreds of species of fish and invertebrates. The country's most extensive reef is protected within Parque Nacional Cahuita, but there are several other good diving spots spread between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. The Pacific coast has less coral diversity, but more big animals, such as manta rays, sea turtles, and even whale sharks.

Sportfishing

Anglers have long flocked to Costa Rica, drawn by phenomenal offshore fishing all along its Pacific coast and the abundance of snook and tarpon in the rivers and coastal canals of the northern Caribbean. The Pacific charter fleet is scattered along the ports and beach towns from Playa del Coco, in the northwest, to Zancudo, deep within the Golfo Dulce, making sportfishing possible from almost every resort on the west coast. Those fully equipped boats usually head a few miles out to troll for marlin and sailfish, but they also catch plenty of tuna, dolphin, wahoo, and roosterfish. The balmy Caribbean offers a more languid type of angling -- casting into the murky waters of canals and rivers, where silvery snook and tarpon lurk, waiting to burst into the air when hooked.

Surfing

Both Costa Rica's east and west coasts are dotted with innumerable surfing spots, from the radical, experts-only reef break at Puerto Viejo, on the Atlantic Coast, to the mellower waves off the town of Tamarindo in northern Guanacaste. Together with Jaco, Tamarindo is one of the country's most popular surfer hangouts, and thanks to boards for rent and manageable waves, they are good spots for people who have been away from the sport for a while. More consistent and less populated breaks are found nearby those two towns, such as Hermosa, a short drive south of Jaco.

White-Water Rafting

Costa Rica and western Panama together constitute a rafter's paradise. It is no coincidence that several Olympic kayaking teams include Costa Rican rivers as part of their winter training schedule. Nevertheless, the warm weather (water temperatures average about 70degF), spectacular river scenery, and the wide variety of runs make these countries worthy destinations for neophytes and experts. Costa Rica's most popular rafting river is the Reventazon, on the country's Atlantic side, which has an excellent first-time run and intense class IV and V sections that are fit for experts only.

Excerpted from Costa Rica 2000: Expert Advice and Smart Choices, Completely Updated Every Year, Plus a Full-Size Color Map by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Fodor's Costa Rica 2000

Fodor's Costa Rica 2000

0679003150

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