Description:
If you can browse through the pictures of the white-faced capuchin monkeys in Manuel Antonio National Park, the iridescent green quetzal in Monteverde Cloud Forest, and the scarlet macaw in Carara Biological Reserve without booking your tickets to Costa Rica in a hot second, you have saintly restraint. But even that sort of discipline can't withstand images of the newly hatched green turtle in Tortuguero National Park and the exhausted leatherback turtle who's just laid eggs on Playa Grande. Other pictures contained in Frommer's 2000 Costa Rica depict brilliantly hued poison frogs and verdant rain forests, pristine beaches and remote hot springs, waterfalls and volcano geysers. It's a Catch-22 of the best sort: if you thumb through Eliot Greenspan's book, you'll need to go, and if you're already headed to Costa Rica, you'll want this book. Greenspan, a poet, journalist, and travel writer who's lived in Costa Rica since 1992, knows his adopted country well; he also knows the tastes and needs of his travel audience. In his "Best of Costa Rica" section, he provides the lowdown on beaches, nature hikes, scenic villages, nightlife, and ecolodges. His legwork helps considerably in choosing an itinerary that fits your budget and time constraints. Along with in-depth chapters on Costa Rica's cities and regions and a large fold-out map, there are appendices on Costa Rica's history, economy, food, and natural environment, as well as information about organized adventure trips, national parks and bioreserves, and scads of activities from biking and bungee jumping to horseback riding. Greenspan's guide is a great incentive and an equally fine travel aid. --Stephanie Gold
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