The New Key to Costa Rica
Author: Beatrice Blake18th edition
ISBN 156975561-1
US $19.95
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New Key Website
Eco Adventure Guide
Travelers expect more from Costa Rica.
Dozens of guidebooks offer listings of hotels and restaurants, but the New Key has been the insider's guide to the secrets of Costa Rica for over a quarter century.
If you expect beautiful beaches and exotic rainforests, Costa Rica itself guarantees delivery, but if want to explore off the beaten path, discover Costa Rica's natural wonders and experience the culture we don't think any other guidebook comes close.
Choose Green—The New Key was the first (1990) to grade hotels and adventures on their environmental and community friendliness. The Costa Rican government has since instituted a similar scale (Certification of Sustainable Tourism).
Adventure—Beatrice emphasizes special locations where conservation efforts not only protect fragile environments but sustain the surrounding communities. Birders and naturalists will delight in destinations that might inadvertently lead to a "true Costa Rican moment, where there is nothing else to do but be where you are..." and wait for the river to go down (these potential adventures are clearly stated beforehand for less intrepid travelers who prefer more predictability).
Unique Experiences—In-depth personal recommendations and commentaries on smaller reserves and community projects make this guide an excellent choice for anyone who’d prefer a more distinctive trip than they’d find on the well worn tourist trail.
Lasting Positive Impact—Beatrice is the North American representative of ACTUAR the Costa Rica based travel consortium specializing in community-based ecotourism where members destinations strive to provide adventurous, enjoyable and educational trips to sustainable, safe and friendly destinations emphasizing
- conservation
- community development
- warm, family-style hospitality
- authentic interchanges with local people
- experienced local bilingual naturalist guides and drivers
- contact with nature in pristine places and the opportunity to contribute to conservation efforts
- vacations designed to benefit rural communities, protect their natural resources and generate income to compliment their traditional agriculture and fisheries
As cartographers we've explored literally thousands of kilometers of back roads in Costa Rica and the New Key still surprises us with each edition. We guarantee that whether you've visited Costa Rica twenty times or are considering your first trip, there is something unique and "New" for you to discover in the pages of this guide.
Order Now! Free Waterproof Map ($11.95 value) when you buy the book!
Praise for the New Key
After poring over guidebooks for the last few days, we found that your book had a refreshingly clear voice and sound advice. We would like to utilize your travel planning services.
—José Guzmán
In February my husband and I spent a month traveling in Costa Rica. This was our first trip to Costa Rica and I prepared for it by reading a number of guidebooks. My favorite guide book soon became Beatrice Blake’s The New Key to Costa Rica (15th edition). I soon purchased the new (18th) edition.
The voice of the author was one I could trust. I liked her encouragement of environmentally thoughtful travel. We stayed, almost exclusively, at places recommended in The New Key…and loved them all.
—Joan and George Packard
Imagine if all the guidebook writers would do what Beatrice does to promote community-based rural tourism...there would be a completely different picture of the impacts of tourism in local communities. Local people would not be selling their land to tourism corporations and real estate companies...and more communities would be proud of keeping the land, the forest and the local traditions as a unique value to share with visitors.
—Kyra Cruz, director, ACTUAR
Beatrice Blake has been a shining light in field of sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. She was inspriational in in my "true" discovery of Costa Rica, and I must thank her because I have since returned to graduate school to focus on ecotourism. Had I never bought a copy of "New Key", who knows where I would be…
—Bobby Chappell
I was one of the first ecotourists visiting Costa Rica in 1989 with my own copy of 'New Key,' the classic eco guidebook. It is great to see how the current edition highlights agrotourism and conservation efforts in Costa Rica's rural communities. —Ron Mader, editor, Planeta.com
My wife and had a great time traveling through Costa Rica 2 winters ago, on a trip arranged through ACTUAR. We can't wait to get back. We found "The New Key to Costa Rica" invaluable in planning the trip.
—Jon Falk, director, PICA
My wife and I had the good fortune to participate in an ACTUAR CONSERVacation in the fall of 2006, having discovered Ms. Blake's book, The New Key to Costa Rica, at a bookstore in our home in Tacoma, WA. We were intrigued by her description of community-based ecotourism as a way to have in-depth exposure to the people and culture of Costa Rica as well as its natural wonders, while encouraging the conservation of its resources and support of local communities...
...It was a fabulous experience, very intimate, illuminating, and beautiful. The lodges were rustic but comfortable, and the jungles, cloud-forests, and beaches just gorgeous. We had close contact with our several hosts, their families, and their friends. It could not have been a better combination of rewarding travel, support of local communities, and protecting the environment.
—Dr. Hank Tanz
