Costa Rica - Hannah Robinson

More diversity is crammed into its borders per square mile than any other country in the world, and this book takes you to the best places to see it all. Cloudforests roll from Costa Rica's volcanic backbone down to extensive tropical forests and beaches. On this emerald land bridge, wildlife from the northern hemisphere meets wildlife from the south, and novel species emerge. As a result, Costa Rica's forests and hot springs are combed by researchers for new therapeutic medicines and an understanding of tropical nature, while ecotravellers throng to the cloudforests of Monteverde, the beaches of Guanacaste, and other wilderness hot spots. Canopy-top zipline? Turtle-watching? Whitewater kayaking? Outdoor hammock by the sea? - whatever your idea of ecotravel, this guidebook will show the way. Learn fascinating facts about Costa Rica's wildlife, such as vegetarian spiders, bees that collect perfumed oils, plants with their own heaters, the smallest orchids in the world, and the ant dialect that caterpillars understand.