13 best costa rica travel guides
Costa Rica travel guides are essential resources for anyone planning a trip to this beautiful Central American country. These guides are typically books or digital publications that provide a wealth of information about Costa Rica's attractions, culture, accommodations, dining options, and more. Here's what you can expect to find in a Costa Rica travel guide:
Destination Information: Travel guides offer detailed information about various destinations within Costa Rica.This includes popular cities like San Jose, Manuel Antonio, Monteverde, Arenal, and beach towns along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
Attractions and Activities: Guides provide insights into the country's top tourist attractions and outdoor activities. This may include national parks, wildlife reserves, hiking trails, beaches, water sports, and cultural experiences.
Accommodation Options: Travelers can find recommendations for hotels, resorts, hostels, and vacation rentals in different price ranges. Guides often provide reviews, ratings, and booking information.
Dining and Cuisine: Costa Rica's culinary scene is diverse and guides typically list recommended restaurants, local dishes to try, and tips on dining etiquette.
Transportation: Guides include information on how to get around Costa Rica, whether by bus, car rental, domestic flights, or local transportation options like taxis and shuttles.
Cultural Insights: Travel guides may offer insights into Costa Rica's culture, history, and customs, helping travelers better understand and appreciate the local way of life.
Safety and Health: These guides often provide safety tips, information on required vaccinations, and advice on staying healthy while traveling in Costa Rica.
Budgeting and Costs: Travelers can get an idea of the cost of living and budgeting for their trip, including typical prices for various goods and services.
Maps and Itineraries: Many guides include maps of popular destinations and suggested itineraries to help travelers plan their trips efficiently.
Language and Communication: Guides may offer basic Spanish phrases and language tips to help travelers communicate with locals.
Wildlife and Nature: Costa Rica is famous for its rich biodiversity, and travel guides often highlight the best places to spot wildlife and provide insights into the country's ecosystems.
Insider Tips: Guides often include insider tips and recommendations from experienced travelers to help visitors make the most of their trip.
Costa Rica travel guides can be found in various formats, including traditional print books, e-books, and mobile apps. They are valuable resources for both first-time and repeat visitors, helping travelers make informed decisions and create memorable experiences in this stunning country.
Below you can find our editor's choice of the best costa rica travel guides on the market
Lonely Planet Costa Rica (Country Guide)
Lonely Planet
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Welcome to Costa Rica!
Centering yourself on a surfboard or yoga mat, descending into bat filled caves or ascending misty volcanic peaks, hiking, biking, or zip-lining - your only limit is your return date.
Includes:
Fodor's Essential Costa Rica (Full-color Travel Guide)
Fodor's Essential Costa Rica 2020 (Full-color Travel Guide)
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HELPFUL PLANNING ADVICE
Find what you need faster with color-coded category icons and easier-to-read two-column text.
GORGEOUS COLOR PHOTOS
Beautiful photos packed throughout will fuel your wanderlust.
ITINERARIES AND MAPS
Itineraries, maps, travel tips, and neighborhood guides will acquaint you with Costa Rica and help you maximize your time.
IN-DEPTH FEATURES AND EXPLANATIONS
Learn about history, culture, and more with in-depth spotlight features
Moon Costa Rica (Travel Guide)
Moon Travel
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Get Inspired
Moon’s local authors share the best things to do, see, and eat for a variety of travelers, so you’ll find your bliss whether you’re a beach bum, a history buff, a foodie, or still figuring it out
Plan Your Adventure
Travel your way with customizable itineraries and strategic lists that highlight all of your must-sees, as well as hidden gems you’ll love
Travel with Confidence
Moon provides everything you need, including helpful background, insider tips, and detailed maps, to experience your perfect trip
Costa Rica: The Complete Guide: Ecotourism in Costa Rica (Color Travel Guide)
Destination Press
DK Eyewitness Costa Rica (Travel Guide)
DK Eyewitness Travel
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Welcome to Costa Rica
Explore Costa Rica’s wealth of wildlife, misty rainforests, awe-inspiring volcanoes, white sand beaches, and so much more with the help of your DK Eyewitness guide. Whether you’re here for a quick visit or a grand tour, we’ll help you navigate the very best Costa Rica has to offer.
In-depth area-by-area guides
Our in-depth area guides make traveling around Costa Rica easy, whether you want to visit beachy yoga retreats, catch perfect point and beach breaks off Playa Negra, savor the full bean-to-cup coffee experience in the Central Highlands or spy an elusive jaguar on a guided jungle tour. And our selection of itineraries suggest several realistic ways to make the most of your time—whether you’re staying for two weeks or just a few days.
Be inspired
With so much to see, we’ve created expert-led special features that show how to experience Costa Rica your way. Across detailed page spreads, we take a look at how to discover fascinating wildlife, take the perfect photo, adventure outdoors, taste world-class coffee, shop indigenous crafts, spot some of the country’s 900 bird species, traverse inspiring landscapes, sample mouth-watering cuisine, get involved in local sustainability projects and hit the best beaches.
Costa Rica: Costa Rica Immigration, Housing and Living Options, Work & Business, Family & Education, Retirement, Relocation Tips, Taxes & Banking, Essential Expat Guide and Much More! An Expat’s Guide
Pack & Post Plus, LLC
Frommer's Costa Rica (Complete Guides)
Frommermedia
National Geographic Traveler Costa Rica 5th Edition
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Costa Rica - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture (40)
Kuperard
Waterproof Travel Map Of Costa Rica
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Best Beaches
Symbols show the best beaches for turtle nesting, whale watching, snorkeling, where the biggest surf rolls in, where the waves are smaller if you're just learning and much more for each Costa Rican playa.
National Parks & Refuges
Wildlife enthusiasts, birdwatchers and hikers love the clear indication of boundaries and ranger stations for wildlife refuges, national parks, forest reserves and other natural areas.
Road Classifications
Do you need a 4x4? Is there a bridge or do you have to drive through the river? Different types of roads are clearly indicated by color and line width with river fords and 4WD alerts.
Lonely Planet Costa Rican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary
Lonely Planet
Product features
Learn to speak Costa Rican Spanish!
Costa Rican Spanish lounges under the beach umbrella of Latin American Spanish – the term given to the many varieties of Spanish that have evolved in the Americas after the Spanish conquests in the 16th century. The language that originally emerged as one of the branches of vulgar Latin successfully took root and spread in the New World and now has official status in 20 countries of Latin America.
This guide includes information on:
The Costa Rica Escape Manual 2021
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