National Geographic Traveler: Costa Rica, 4th Edition [Idioma Inglés] - Softcover

Award-winning author and Costa Rica expert Christopher Baker guides you through this incredibly varied and alluring country, one of Central America's premier ecotourist destinations. Illustrated with 120 vivid photographs and 20 full-color maps, the book starts with a detailed introduction to the country's history and culture--including a section on its unique flora and fauna. You are then guided through each of the country's regions: the capital city of San Jose; the lush Central Highlands; Guanacaste and its volcanoes; sea-fringed Nicoya; the Central Pacific; Zona Sur; the South Central and its cloud forests; the Northern Lowlands; and the Caribbean. Special features give comprehensive information on topics ranging from snakes and butterflies to volcanoes and rafting, while ten guided drives and walks take you into some of the country's most fascinating areas, including a stroll through San Jose's Otoya and Amon barrios and a drive along the Inter-American Highway. Sidebars on experiential travel abound, revealing how to save macaws, learn Spanish, and best enjoy the coffee culture.

CHRISTOPHER P. BAKER has established a career as a travel writer, photographer, and lecturer. He has written several guidebooks about Cuba and Havana, as well as ones on Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, and California. He is author of National Geographic Traveler: Costa Rica (2000), National Geographic Traveler: Cuba (2007), National Geographic Traveler: Dominican Republic (2008), and National Geographic Adventure Press's Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling through Castro's Cuba (2000). Photographer GILLES MINGASSON grew up in Grenoble, France before moving to Paris to pursue photojournalism. After being sent to the United States on assignment, he made Los Angeles his base. In 1990 Mingasson spent six months bicycling 7,500 miles across the Soviet Union with two cameras (and a serious saddle rash). On the eve of profound changes that few had yet to grasp, he photographed ordinary people who had lived their entire lives under the Soviet state. Today, Mingasson works on feature and travel stories for many clients including Fortune, Reader's Digest, Sky, Elle, and Le Figaro.