Costa Rica For Dummies

Eliot Greenspan is a poet, journalist, musician, and travel writer who took his backpack, mandolin, and typewriter the length of Mesoamerica before settling in Costa Rica in 1992. Since then, he has worked steadily as a travel writer, freelance journalist, and translator, and continued his travels in the region. He is also the author of Costa Rica Day By Day, Frommer s Costa Rica, Frommer s Belize, Frommer s Guatemala, and Frommer s Ecuador, as well as the chapter on Venezuela in Frommer s South America.

Introduction 1
Part I: Introducing Costa Rica 7
Chapter 1: Discovering the Best of Costa Rica 9
Chapter 2: Digging Deeper into Costa Rica 19
Chapter 3: Deciding Where and When to Go 27
Chapter 4: Following an Itinerary: Five Great Options 36
Part II: Planning Your Trip to Costa Rica 47
Chapter 5: Managing Your Money 49
Chapter 6: Getting to Costa Rica 60
Chapter 7: Getting Around Costa Rica 66
Chapter 8: Booking Your Accommodations 71
Chapter 9: Catering to Special Travel Needs or Interests 77
Chapter 10: Taking Care of the Remaining Details 83
Part III: San José and the Central Valley 93
Chapter 11: Settling into San José 95
Chapter 12: Exploring San José 124
Part IV: Guanacaste and Environs 149
Chapter 13: Going for Gold in Guanacaste 151
Chapter 14: Exploring Guanacaste 173
Part V: Manuel Antonio and Environs 185
Chapter 15: Enjoying Magnificent Manuel Antonio 187
Chapter 16: Living the Lush Life on the Central Pacific Coast 208
Part VI: Monteverde and Environs 237
Chapter 17: Visiting the Cloud Forests of Monteverde 239
Chapter 18: La Fortuna and the Arenal Area 259
Part VII: Touring the Rest of Costa Rica 281
Chapter 19: Seeking Solitude in Southern Nicoya 283
Chapter 20: Exploring Southern Costa Rica 301
Chapter 21: Chilling on Costa Rica s Caribbean Coast 326
Part VIII: The Part of Tens 355
Chapter 22: Ten Myths about Costa Rica 357
Chapter 23: Ten Costa Rican Moments 360
Appendix: Quick Concierge 363
Index 371