Lonely Planet Best of Costa Rica

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781786572677
• eBook ISBN: 9781788681629

Lonely Planet: The world's number one travel guide publisher* Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Wander through the pristine Monteverde Cloud Forest, discover Tico culture in San Jose, and sprawl on a white-sand beach in Montezuma - all with your trusted travel companion. Discover the best of Costa Rica and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica: Full-color images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, art, food, wine, sport, landscapes, wildlife Free, convenient pull-out map (included in print version), plus easy-to-use color maps to help you explore Covers San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio, Volcan Arenal, Montezuma, Peninsula de Osa, Tortuguero, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Playa Samara, and more The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Best of Costa Rica, our easy-to-use guide, filled with inspiring and colorful photos, focuses on Costa Rica's most popular attractions for those wanting to experience the best of the best. Looking for a comprehensive guide that recommends both popular and offbeat experiences, and extensively covers all the country has to offer? Check out Lonely Planet's Costa Rica guide. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) *Source: Nielsen BookScan: Australia, UK, USA, 5/2016-4/2017eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip betwe

San José

Plaza de la Cultura

Plaza de la Democracia

Walking Tour

Sights

Tours

Shopping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Where to Stay

San José at a Glance…

It’s no secret that Chepe, as San José is affectionately known, doesn’t make a great first impression, with its unremarkable concrete structures and honking traffic. Dig deeper, though, and you’ll discover countless, untold charms. Poke around historic neighborhoods, where colonial mansions have been converted into contemporary art galleries, restaurants and boutique hotels. Stroll the bountiful farmers market, join the Sunday crowds in Parque La Sabana, dance the night away, or visit the museums of gold, jade, art and natural history. Only then will you begin to recognize the multidimensional appeal of Costa Rica’s largest city and cultural capital.

IMAGES ON MAP clockwise from top LEFT: Matthew Micah Wright/getty images ©; Matthew Micah Wright/getty images ©; Esdelval/Getty Images ©; John Coletti/getty images ©; Megapress/Alamy Stock Photo ©

One Day in San José

Begin with a peek inside the 19th-century Teatro Nacional and an espresso at its atmospheric cafe. Then peruse pre-Columbian treasures at the Museo de Oro Precolombino y Numismática map Google map.

Take lunch at Rávi Gastropub in the city’s culinary hub Barrio Escalante, then wander historic Barrio Amón and sample local microbrews at Stiefel. Do dinner and cocktails at the fabulous Café de los Deseos.

WOLFGANG KAEHLER/GETTY IMAGES ©

Two Days in San José

Start day two with a primer on Costa Rican history at the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica map Google map, then visit the newly expanded Museo de Jade map Google map. Head up to the Mercado Central for cigars and local snacks.

Grab dinner at the city’s top restaurant, Park Café, then venture east for a rooftop drink at Azotea Calle 7, then catch ...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Costa Rica
• Costa Rica’s Top 12
• Need to Know
• Hot Spots for…
• Local Life
• Month by Month
• Get Inspired
• Itineraries
• Family Travel
• San José
• Tortuguero
• Southern Caribbean
• Río Pacuare
• Parque Nacional Chirripó
• Península de Osa
• Costa Ballena
• Manuel Antonio
• Southern Nicoya
• Monteverde
• Volcán Arenal
• Sarapiquí Valley
• In Focus
• Costa Rica Today
• History
• Costa Rica Outdoors
• The Tico Way of Life
• Landscapes & Ecology
• Food & Drink
• Directory A–Z
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers