Costa Rica: Waterproof Travel Map of Costa Rica [Map]

Toucan Maps (Author), Ray Krueger Koplin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Waterproof, rugged and current roadmap of Costa Rica, San Jose and more than a dozen of the most visited regions.

2 sided, 39 in. x 26.25 in. (4.875 in. x 9 in. folded)

Roads are clearly differentiated by color and line width for classes from limited access divided highways down to 4WD seasonal tracks. Highway on and off-ramps are shown for the entire central valley. Popular hiking and horseback trails and trail-heads are also shown.

Locations are clearly marked and easy to read indexes are included for cities and towns, National Parks and other natural areas, beaches, rivers (white water rafting locations are indicated as well), peaks, volcanoes, waterfalls and the best hotels restaurants and activities.

The current, accurate, detailed, and readable large scale map of Costa Rica is complimented by a set of innovative exclusive features not available anywhere else.

Exclusives
o Street level details for San Jose, Alajuela, Arenal Volcano/Fortuna, Escazu, Heredia, Manuel Antonio/Quepos, Monteverde/Santa Elena, Playa Jaco, Playa Tamarindo, Puerto Jimenez, Puerto Viejo de o Talamanca, & the entire Central Valley.
o Recommendations based on 15 years experience for over two hundred hotels, resorts, lodges and even campgrounds in every price range, and over a hundred and fifty of the best restaurants.
o Proprietary symbols for distinctively Costa Rican attractions like zip-line and hanging bridge canopy exploration, butterfly gardens, rappelling down canyons, and surf camps, as well as the more typical activities like horseback riding, SCUBA, deep sea fishing, golf, rafting and many more. You can see at a glance what there is to do around Arenal volcano and Monteverde cloud forest, as well as along the road between them.
o Driving distance table and mini map for calculating trip distances and estimating drive times.
o A few dozen useful English to Spanish phrase and word translations are provided in an inset. You will appreciate having What is the best way to get there? and Can you please show me on the map? at your fingertips if you need to ask directions.

This edition replaces the 4 1/2 star first edition ISBN 0-9763733-0-0 addressing the helpful comments provided in the Amazon and other reviews, updating the surfacing indications for hundreds of km of newly paved roads, correcting known errors and adding highly requested regional detail maps.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Nicely organized...with detailed maps and travel information on each region. --Recommending the online version of the Waterproof Travel Map of Costa Rica at Costa-Rica-Guide.com --Lonely Planet Costa Rica, 7th edition page 26

The best map Costa Rica has ever seen. --Jack Ewing, Founder Hacienda Baru Wildlife Refuge

From the Publisher

The current, accurate, detailed, and readable large scale maps of Costa Rica, San Jose, and the Central Valley are complimented by innovative features not available on any other map.

Exclusives include a proprietary true type font with instantly recognizable symbols for distinctively Costa Rican attractions like zip-line and hanging bridge canopy exploration, butterfly gardens, rappelling down canyons, and surf camps, as well as the more typical activities like horseback riding, SCUBA, deep sea fishing, golf, rafting and many more. You can see at a glance what there is to around Arenal volcano and Monteverde cloud forest, as well as along the road between them. The activity symbols on the maps are supported by unique indexes that not only provide grid coordinates (like K7), but thumbnail maps showing the location, phone numbers, and informative descriptions. Beaches, National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, Wetlands, and more are also clearly marked on the map and indexed with grid coordinates, map thumbnails, and symbols indicating the activities and amenities you’ll find at each.

Thousands of hours of independent research, and thousands of km of travel in Costa Rica went into choosing the 100 plus canopy adventures, hot springs, surf schools, white water outfitters, and other travel resources shown on the map. No promotional fees or remuneration of any kind was accepted in exchange for inclusion.

A few dozen useful English to Spanish phrase and word translations are provided in an inset. You’ll appreciate having "What’s the best way to get there?" and "Can you please show me on the map?" at your fingertips if you need to ask directions.

Attention to detail and unique easy to use solutions are the hallmark of this map. Roads are categorized and color coded according to their surfacing and drivability, grid coordinates (A-T, 1-21) are correlated with the actual latitude and longitude grid to facilitate use with GPS instruments, point to point distances are indicated for all the paved roadways, and the minimum size of type used is about twice as large as most other commercial maps of Costa Rica so you don’t have to carry a microscope. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Map: 1 pages
• Publisher: Toucan Maps, Inc.; 2nd edition (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976373327
• ISBN-13: 978-0976373322
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Central America > Costa Rica

More About the Author

Toucan Maps was born in 1993 when we spent five weeks bicycling around Costa Rica. It is rough enough when a bad map leads you down a wrong turn in a vehicle, but on a bicycle it can be downright brutal. We could not find a really good map so dozens of GIS files, hundreds of satellite images, and over ten thousand km of travel collecting GPS data, road conditions and hotel, restaurant, activity and other recommendations later we published the first Toucan Map of Costa Rica. We sincerely hope you agree with the founder of one of the nations leading wildlife refuges that it is the best map Costa Rica has ever seen. And enjoy your travels following the new edition--Ray & Sue-Toucan Maps Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this map and go!, April 6, 2005

By 

Rick Price "Rick Price, Ph.D" (Fort Collins, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Costa Rica Map (Map)

Ok, so you might need a guide book and a bird book as well but this map goes a long way to provide a Costa Rica map and guide book wrapped into one. I would have paid $100 for this map twelve years ago just for the information about paved roads, something that most map makers are reluctant to include since those roads change so quickly in a place like Costa Rica. Indeed, I headed off to San Jose in March of 1993 with my bike in a box and only a vague idea of road quality around the country. My trip went fine and I discovered some pretty interesting unpaved roads as well. But you are always at an advantage when you have current information. And this map has it as of January 2005 (and should be good for 3-4 years). Besides current road quality and surface status Krueger-Koplin has included detailed listings and locations of beaches, parks, reserves and refuges, butterfly gardens, canopy tours, fresh water fishing locales, surfing and scuba schools and more. How many times have you found yourself trying to plot all these locations on a map from your guidebook? This already has it done for you. As far as I know no other Costa Rica map goes this far.
Headed out on your bike or bird watching in the cloud forest? Not to worry. The "polyart" (plastic) this map is printed on will withstand afternoon downpours, morning drizzles and bike grease as well. This map isn't perfect but I've not seen anything comparable for the active traveler to Costa Rica. Just wish I'd had it twelve years ago. . .

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practicality and Utility, April 27, 2005

By 

cyrusco "cyrusco" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Costa Rica Map (Map)

I went to Costa Rica with two maps in hand and hopes of backbacking around the Pacific Coast. Like Vermont, Costa Rica can be rather wet. Within two days of hiking, the first map was torn and soggy. The second map was like it was out of the box. I can't stress the importance and practicality of a waterproof map enough. I found this one to be accurate, detailed and above all, higher quality than I've ever experienced. It was a pleasure to order from Toucan guides as well and I've purchased an additional map for my brother.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST map of Costa Rica, October 15, 2005

By 

James A. Alfaro "Tico Jim" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Costa Rica Map (Map)

Once in a while one comes across a product that really stands out. Something that tells you "someone really gave some thought to this." This map is one of them. It is a comprehensive and well designed map with more information than just highways of Costa Rica. Every time you unfold it, it shows you a complete section of information. Because of the material used, it always folds back correctly unlike paper maps. The map can even be used as a momentary rain shield during one of the many unpredictable rain showers that can come at any time in Costa Rica. Having seen many Costa Rica maps, this one in my opinion is the best one. Great use of detail, color and icons. A MUST if you are going to drive in Costa Rica. The maps from the rental companies lack detail or are non existent. I have been using mine for over a year and I would not go to Costa Rica without. It's the first thing I pack....