Travel to Central America

The New Key to Costa Rica

Format: Paperback
Author: Beatrice Blake
ReleaseDate: 26 September, 2006
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Rating:

Excellent
[. . ]The 18th edition of New Key to Costa Rica improves upon a veritable classic.

2006 marks the 30th anniversary of the guidebook which guides travelers toward
tasteful family-run lodgings and communities that are actively protecting the rural environment.

Written in a style that feels like a conversation with a travel guide, the New Key provides countless insights about the culture, the environment and the people of Costa Rica.

First authored by Jane Wallace, the book was then updated by her daughter Beatrice Blake and Anne Becher. Beatrice prepared this edition alone, but it is easy to see that the text has been guided by a number of joyful souls.

In 1992 this book was the first guidebook to use a green-rating system. In this edition, the rating system is downplayed in favor of focusing on community efforts.

Focusing on family farm visits allows Blake to show travelers the connections among organic agriculture, appropriate energy technology and diverse ecosystems. She writes: "By visiting these communities, not only will you meet some lovely people, but you will be inspired by their ability to put innovative principles into practice. "

For travelers wishing to experience tropical nature, there is no better immersion than visiting the communities that are at the forefront of conservation.

Exciting adventure sports are not omitted. One of the highlights of the book is a review of the country's best canopy tours. Additional "adventure reports" showcase innovative efforts throughout the country.

Among the informative sidebars are capsule reviews of the Talamanca Ecotourism Network, the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center and turtle watching at Ostional Wildlife Refuge.

New Key to Costa Rica covers all the bases - from the practical details of deciding when and where to go to tips on learning Spanish and volunteer vacations. For those seeking an eco trip, this book is a must.

This is it, the real thing
Use it to locate the indepth Costa Rica, the one that gets you away from everyone else and makes you feel happy about it. Absolutely the best of the four (you can guess the other three) books we took, because this on focuses on the off-beat and the green.

A MUST HAVE for travel to Costa Rica!
We had very little planned. This book is amazing! I am from San Diego and we flew into San Jose for a two-week vacation. We knew we were going to rent a car and drive the entire west coast. I read parts of this book prior to our travel and I was by far the most prepared. I brought most of what she recommended and was very happy I did. Honestly, this book made my trip memorable. A lot of this information is hard to find once you are there. It has detailed descriptions of every place (big, small, popular, hidden, etc). Costa Rica holds a special place in my heart because of this book. I learned so much from it! I learned about the culture, environment, and people. My travel buddies were a little apprehensive about relying on a book. But soon, they were demanding to know what it said! Blake includes information about restaurants, hotels, cabinas, etc. Most of the time she even includes information about the owners of such places! Furthermore, her information about safety is impeccable. Pay attention to her view of a town and the beaches. If she says it has a lot of crime, you can bet it does. If she says it gets rowdy at night (Pavones), it does. If she says don't miss this, don't miss it. Her information was always right on. It is incredible! Please do yourself a favor and take this book with you to Costa Rica, your trip will be the BEST because of it!.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Central America travel books.

	Waterproof Costa Rica Map
	Costa Rica Map
	Costa Rica (Traveller's Wildlife Guides)
	Costa Rican Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)