Best Books on Costa Rica

One of the absolute best ways to get excited about an upcoming trip is to research the place.

This could be by reading blogs online (like you’re doing now!), listening to the country’s music, watching documentaries and videos about the place, or reading books. 

This blog aims to guide you in the latter.

Since you’re here, we assume you have an upcoming trip to Costa Rica. First of all – good for you! We just know you’ll fall in love with our incredible home. And secondly, there are several informative, engaging, and even funny books on Costa Rica that we recommend reading before your trip.

Actually, you can read them during your trip too – as they’re all books that we have in our mini-library here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga!

Get a Feel for the Costa Rican Spirit in Pura Gente

Pura Gente is our absolute favorite book on Costa Rica for several reasons.

Firstly, it tells inspiring stories of inspiring people from this beautiful country. And secondly – we’ll leave that as a surprise for the end of this section. It’s worth it, you’ll see!

Pura Gente uses photographs that make you wish you were here in Costa Rica right now, to compliment genuine stories that invite readers to think and feel. This combination is what makes this book so unique.

The idea behind Pura Gente is that Costa Rica is full of landscapes packed with stories. The book contains stories of just over 50 people from all over the country. These stories give readers a glimpse into what makes Costa Rica and its people so special.

A Prime Example of Pura Gente

One of our favorite stories is that of Eladio, which starts on page 11.

He tells of how surfing saved his life. Eladio suffered an extreme accident due to bad decisions he made earlier in his life, causing a turning point for him. In this “second stage” of his life, Eladio lives with a profound gratefulness that he attributes to surfing.

He explains that had he not changed his life, he would have continued to hurt himself and those close to him. He thanks surfing for opening his eyes to gratitude, and he thanks God for the opportunity to turn his life around. “Dios me dio una oportunidad”, he explains (God gave me an opportunity).

Eladio epitomizes the purpose of Pura Gente: “No poses, no filters. Just human beings doing their best at being human.” This is something we couldn’t agree with more here at Bodhi Surf + Yoga.

We’re not perfect, and there’s absolutely no point in pretending that we are. But one thing we certainly are doing is trying our best to be the best we can be, for ourselves and for those around us. This is a realization that many of our guests have during their immersive surf and yoga camps with us!

Recognize Anyone?

And now for the surprise – we have a celebrity in our midst!

Our very own Pilar Salazar – co-owner and lead yoga instructor, is featured in Pura Gente.

Head over to page 130 to read about Pilar’s story, as well as feast your eyes on a few incredible photographs of our home, Uvita.

If you REALLY follow Bodhi Surf + Yoga and have visited us here, you might even recognize two more faces while reading Pilar’s story. These two faces are Maya and Clea, Pilar’s two daughters, who are photographed enjoying a cold plunge at the Uvita Waterfall.

Pura Gente invites us to get to know just a fragment of the mosaic that is Costa Rica. If you’re anything like us, this book will leave you wanting to hear the stories of the other five million Ticos and Ticas that weren’t featured.

You may even be inspired to think about what YOUR story would look and sound like.

“The closer we get to other people, the closer we get to ourselves.” – Pura Gente

Learn more and read Pura Gente here

Get a Birds-Eye-View of Costa Rica in Costa Rica Áerea

Costa Rica Áerea is a highly unique book on Costa Rica. The name Costa Rica Áerea translates to Costa Rica from above and offers readers a spectacular visual insight into Costa Rica.

Interesting fact: Pucci– the family of photographers and editors are a fellow Costa Rican certified B-Corp company! 

While this book is similar to Pura Gente in that its purpose is to tell a story, it does so with less text and more photos. 

Through high-quality photos and very brief anecdotes, Costa Rica Áerea’s purpose is to give readers a profound lesson. 

In its introduction, the book explains that, as humans, we are in an inspiring moment. It explains that we face the challenge of a “radical reexamination of the relationship between society and nature.”

Lessons through Photographs

Costa Rica Áerea is photographic evidence of two facts. The first is that nature and society are inseparable, and the second is that change in both nature and society is constant. 

That probably sounds super abstract and confusing right now. However, upon diving into the book, it becomes clear that the author’s goal is to guide us to think about the challenges we face as individuals and as a society.

Still confused? Don’t worry, we’ll come back to this.

This book on Costa Rica encourages us to understand that we, as humans, contribute in some way to forming these awe-inspiring landscapes that are so beautifully photographed.

These artistically captured landscapes include:

• Crystal-clear coastal waters
• Volcanos
• Valleys
• Jungles
• Rainforests
• Waterfalls
• Cities and towns

Just this alone will have you itching to board that flight to Costa Rica to see it all with your own eyes!
Most of these photos are accompanied by a brief description of the place photographed or an interesting fact. For example, a photo of a surfer paddling near Playa Barrigona on pages 24 and 25 is accompanied by the statistic that “surfing attracts approximately 400,000 tourists to Costa Rica yearly”.

Hundreds of Photographs – Four Stories

Costa Rica Áerea offers us four insightful anecdotes scattered throughout the book.

Each of these four stories acts almost as a chapter, providing insight and reason to those two facts we discussed above.

These four insights can be found on:

• Page 29: Rules of coexistence
• Page 69: An open-air laboratory
• Page 153: Changing Landscapes
• Page 253: Future Beauty

These make those two facts a little less confusing by putting them into context.

For example, Changing Landscapes says, “to return anywhere is impossible.” In a nutshell, this means that change is constant and that we cannot take ‘the same’ photograph of the same place, even if the setting is the same. This means that every photograph ever taken – even those of the same places, tells a unique story about that place.

I Can See My House from Here!

If you’re coming down here to Uvita anytime soon, you may want to flick straight to the pages that exhibit our beautiful home.

We don’t blame you!

On page 195, you can find an aerial view of ocean waves reaching a line of almond trees, separated by a strip of golden sand here in Uvita. 

Speaking of almond trees, we’d like to give you a Bodhi Surf + Yoga pro tip. If you do come across any here, take a close look at their branches. Scarlet Macaws – or lapas here in Costa Rica- enjoy the fruits this tree produces.

You can also head to page 244 for a view of our infamous whale’s tail sandbar formation! Sand deposits formed this from two converging currents and can be walked along as a fun daytime activity.

Learn more and Read Costa Rica Áerea here

Chuckle to Yourself while Reading The Green Season

The Green Season is a collection of humorous stories from the point of view of a foreigner living abroad here in Costa Rica. This is a must-add to your list of books on Costa Rica!

One of the reasons that we love this book so much is that Robert Isenberg tells it as it is. This guy does have a way with words.

You know it will be good when several of his stories have been published in Costa Rica’s Tico Times. If you aren’t aware, this is one of Central America’s most distinguished English-language newspapers.

Isenberg’s The Green Season accounts for his first year in Costa Rica. Based on this, we already know it will be unique. Many books on Costa Rica are accounts of peoples’ trips and travel experiences over a few weeks or months.

But here, we’re treated to a year’s worth of humorous yet accurate stories, experiences, and realizations. Isenberg can view these situations less in the eyes of the average tourist and more so in the eyes and understanding of a local.

It’s the Little Things

One of our favorite things about The Green Season is Isenberg’s ability to pick up on the small details. Things that you might not necessarily pick up on or notice if you were just passing through the country or on a quick vacation.

The Green Season dives deep into its descriptions of the people, culture, and biodiversity that make Costa Rica so unique. It doesn’t take a year to learn how special of a country this is – it’s just a matter of minutes, really!

But by having that entire year of experience here, Isenberg can make references and connections to some of the small things that maybe most tourists don’t even notice.

One thing that personally made me chuckle while reading this book is his talking about dogs. Isenberg makes a hilarious account of his experiences with (friendly) street dogs in Brasilito, Guanacaste.

He explains that he “really envied the dogs. They wandered the roads with abandon. They slept wherever they wanted” (page 31). I’m not sure what Robert Isenberg is trying to tell us here, but it’s so true!

Anyone who has spent an extended period anywhere in Costa Rica can surely attest to this. Even here in Uvita, our friendly street dogs roam happily in the middle of the streets without caring about oncoming traffic. And this oncoming traffic, of course, stops while the dogs stroll past.

“Most dogs had no collars or licenses and went by several names” (page 31). If you know, you know. Every Costa Rican town has neighborhood dogs that no one knows the names of, so they all make up their own!

It’s so funny – you’ll hear the same dog being called to (and answering back) by three or four different names.

It’s the Green Season, not the Rainy Season

As well as giving readers tips on ‘how to survive the green season,’ Isenberg explains why we don’t like to call it the rainy season here in Costa Rica.

Calling this beautiful time of year ‘the rainy season’ doesn’t do it justice – and we couldn’t agree more.

Yes, it rains a lot during this season. But that’s just the half of it. The country and its landscapes indeed come alive and breathe during this time.

It is incredible – Costa Rica displays the most shades of green you’ve probably ever seen! Our luscious jungles and rainforests become so vibrant during this time. As Isenberg explains, “When the rain falls the hardest, the country is most alive.”

And don’t get us wrong, Costa Rica is beautiful all year round. But there’s something special about coming during this time of year – something unique only to the green season.

Isenber’s stories shared in The Green Season are very well-rounded. It’s not just about relaxing in a beach town in Guanacaste or island hopping in the Caribbean. 

They tell the stories of hard-working locals, what it’s like getting around the country, important history, and impeccable nature. The Green Season has to be added to your list of books on Costa Rica!

Learn more and read The Green Season here

Who Would’ve Thought that Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate?

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: what on earth does that title mean?

This is a great question that’s answered throughout the entire book, but most directly in the first chapter. Keep reading, and we’ll explain what author Jack Ewing means by that.

Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate combines Costa Rica Áerea and The Green Season elements. It explores the fascinating ways humans, animals, and plants interact with one another, very much like in the former. Like the latter, it is written by a foreigner living for an extended period in Costa Rica.

Jack Ewing spent more than three decades living in the southwest of Costa Rica – very near us! This book accounts for his observations and experiences during his time here.

Change is Constant, Remember?

Jack Ewing arrived in Costa Rica in the early 70s.

At the time of writing the book, he had no idea how much change would be noticeable from then to today’s readers like us. But that’s the beauty of books! Through Ewing’s storytelling, we can imagine what the area looked like over 30 years ago and compare it to today.

Having spent 30 years here, Ewing himself did see some change as well. He explains that it was nearly impossible to get to the southern Pacific zone when first arriving in the area in the early 70s. Some areas were only accessible by boat!

We are now connected to the rest of the south and San Jose by the Costanera – a two-lane highway, allowing for relatively easy travel.

Ewing encourages critical thinking by inviting us to consider these changes’ positive and negative sides over time. Improved transport links can lead to increased tourism and give people job opportunities to provide for their families by making a living. But what about natural corridors that are disturbed by this construction?

These conflicts are the very essence of the book. Understanding that these dilemmas exist and their impacts (both positive and negative) is what creates responsible travelers. We believe we owe it to the destination we’re visiting to travel responsibly while there.

Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate encourages us, as responsible travelers, to think about the traceability of what we consume. Weigh out the pros and cons.

Are Monkeys Really Made of Chocolate?

Ewing has a better way with words than us, so we’ll try not to mess this up. But technically, yes, monkeys are made of chocolate.

Have you ever heard the saying “You are what you eat”? Keep that in mind while we try to help you understand how monkeys are made of chocolate.

Ewing criticizes our reliance on fossil fuels in our diets. We utilize fossil fuels in almost every aspect of our food production. We rely on burning coal and using gas to power factories and plants for efficient food production.

Even in ‘organic food production’ such as farms, we rely on cattle for production, emitting high amounts of greenhouse gases in the form of methane gas.

Because of this, Ewing claims that “humans are made of fossil fuels.” This is technically true, bearing in mind that we are what we eat, and what we eat is nearly all produced by fossil fuels.

It’s in this very same way, but much more straightforward, that monkeys are made of chocolate. During his many years working at Hacienda Baru, Ewing noticed that many monkeys’ diets are cacao seeds (the primary ingredient in chocolate).

He observed the Monkeys’ consumption of cacao seeds for many years, noticing several things. They don’t take more than they need from the tree; they ensure enough to go around, and their consumption of its seeds doesn’t harm the cacao tree.

This is entirely different from what has become of human consumption, and we could do with learning a thing or two from the monkeys. Ewing reminds us that we are running the planet dry of its resources for our consumption and that nothing will soon be left.

What will we do then? What will we eat, and how will we sustain ourselves? However, the monkeys will be fine because “There will probably still be cacao trees on this planet when the fossil fuels are all gone.”

Learn more and read Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate

Costa Rica: Eco-travel in Costa Rica

Here we are, at the last of our favorite books on Costa Rica!

If you’ve made it this far into the blog, you must be coming to Costa Rica soon. Costa Rica: Eco-travel in Costa Rica will be the perfect guide to take with you.

This complete guide to Costa Rica is made to appear to the more eco-conscious traveler.

Many books on Costa Rica will tell you, “hey, come check out this beautiful place!”. But we love that this guide focuses on sharing important information about these beautiful places.

Yeah, it’s great to show you a beautiful photo of the beach we surfed at. But it’s even more valuable to share with you that it’s a marine national park that serves to protect our area’s wildlife.

Leave No Stone Unturned

One of our favorite things about this particular book on Costa Rica is that it’s incredibly detailed.

If you’re one of those people who like to research every aspect of your trip beforehand – this book is for you!

Even if you rather go easy on the research and figure it all out once you’ve landed, Costa Rica: Eco-travel in Costa Rica is ideal to whip out at any point of your journey for advice and ideas.

Author James Kaiser covers topics such as:

• Adventures and activities
• Culture
• Food and drinks
• Natural and human history
• Wildlife

The book also covers practical matters, such as preparing for your trip, dining etiquette, and avoiding cultural misunderstandings. See, we told you it’ll prepare you for anything!

Something that we appreciate from Costa Rica: Eco-travel in Costa Rica is that as well as focusing on travelers’ enjoyment, it prioritizes safety. Again, it’s all good to encourage you to come and swim in Costa Rica’s warm, clear coastal waters. However, visitors must be aware of potential threats such as rip currents.

This guide provides safety information on what to do and what not to do if you swim in a rip current.

Skip to the Best Part

Maybe you’ve already visited Costa Rica and are comfortable with your understanding of the general advice for visiting the country.

Well then, we advise you to flick through to page 386 of the book.

Any guesses as to why?

That’s right – it’ll take you on a quick trip to Uvita, our home and favorite part of the country!

Here, you’ll find information on getting to Uvita, the surrounding area, things to do, and more. You’ll also see a few pics of our famous Marino Ballena National Park, sure to excite you for your visit here.

We’d also like to share that 1% of this book’s profits are donated to environmental organizations working to preserve Costa Rica’s biodiversity for future generations!

Learn more and read Costa Rica: Eco-Travel in Costa Rica here

We Wish You Pleasant Reading

We hope you enjoy these books on Costa Rica as much as we did.

If you’re looking for shorter reads, we invite you to surf to Bodhi Surf + Yoga’s Travel Hub. There, you can access our library of expert blogs and videos describing why Uvita-Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica, is the ideal place to visit.

We’d also be stoked to welcome you to our lodge to enjoy a week (or two) of surfing, yoga, nature immersion, community engagement, and delicious food.

If this sounds like an experience you’d enjoy, please visit our website to learn more!