Costa Rica (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE)
Language: English
Pages: 288
ISBN: 075666201X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Get the most out of Costa Rica with this comprehensive guide, featuring 3D aerial views, cutaways and floor plans of all the major sites and dedicated pages to the country s abundance of flora and fauna, national parks and volcanoes. Sample the flavor of the country region by region, with full-color detailed maps of towns and comprehensive expert listings of the best bars, restaurants and hotels. Find out all you need to know about sights, beaches, markets and festivals; from the exotic nightlife of San Jose to the mysterious cloud forests of Monteverde. Add to this essentials on the many sports and outdoor activities on offer, and introductions to some of the most interesting canopy tours in the Costa Rican Rainforest, and you can't go wrong.
status LC: Least Concern; NT: Near Threatened; VU: Vulnerable The green iguana is a scaly, dragon-like lizard that can grow up to 6.6 ft (2 m), with its tail taking up half its length. Mature green iguanas can range in color from gray-olive to dark brown, although all juveniles are lime green. During the mating season (Nov–Dec), males turn bright orange and advertise their prowess as potential lovers from the treetops. The green iguana inhabits various low- and midelevation ecosystems throughout
reclusive and mostly nocturnal. Most of the country’s 135 recorded snake species are fairly harmless; 17 are venomous; and nine are classed as highly venomous. Pit vipers, for example, named for the heat-sensitive organs (pits) between their eye and nostril, can inflict lethal bites. It is wise to keep a safe distance regardless of the species. Costa Rica’s snakes belong to the Squamata order, like their close relatives, the lizards, from which they descended. Costa Rica has nine families of
7–8 oz (200–225 g). The Aztecs and the Mayas worshiped the Resplendent quetzal as a living depiction of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent god. The male’s tail feathers, used in ceremonies, were considered more precious than gold, and only nobles and priests were allowed to wear them. The bird’s name derives from the Aztec word quetzalli, meaning “long plume.” Communication and Voice The male quetzal is a true showman that attempts to impress a potential mate by flaunting its extraordinary tail
Visitors admiring tropical flowers at Ark Herb Farm, near Heredia For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp252–61 and pp266–77 y Barva Road Map D3. 2 miles (3 km) N of Heredia. * 4,900. @ from Heredia. _ Festival de San Bartolomé (Aug 24). One of the country’s oldest settlements, this quaint town was founded in 1613, with the official name San Bartolomé de Barva. Located at the base of Volcán Barva, the town contains many simple 18th-century adobe houses with traditional red-tile
the Río o Islita guidelines, to harvest Nosara estuary. Over eggs during the first 36 250 bird species nest Road Map B3. 9 miles (14 km) S of hours of an arribada. here, including wood Sámara. * 1,000. ~ @ to Sámara, Ostional is accessed by storks, white-fronted then by jeep-taxi. dirt roads that require parrots, and frigate Vultures, 4WD during the wet birds. Crocodiles can be Set in the lee of the soaring Nosara season. The remote setting seen in the estuary. Punta Islita, this charming and the