The best books about Costa Rica explain what you’ll see on a trip and why the country works the way it does. Start with these five: The Quetzal and the Macaw (the story of the national parks), Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate (essays on rainforest life), Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion (short stories by Costa Rican writers), The Ticos (culture and society) and Walking with Wolf (a life protecting the Monteverde cloud forest). Read one or two before you go and you’ll get more out of every park, town and conversation.
This list is for travelers, expats and armchair travelers who want more than a guidebook. Each pick says what the book covers, who it suits and how it connects to a trip. Pair it with a cup of Costa Rican coffee.
TicoTravel may earn a commission if you book through some links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
| Book | Best for |
|---|---|
| The Quetzal and the Macaw | Understanding how the national parks came to be |
| Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate | Nature lovers headed to the South Pacific coast |
| A Traveler’s Literary Companion | Fiction readers who want Costa Rican voices |
| The Ticos | Expats and long-stay visitors |
| Walking with Wolf | Anyone visiting Monteverde |
The list
5 Books About Costa Rica to Read Before You Go
1. The Quetzal and the Macaw: The Story of Costa Rica’s National Parks, by David Rains Wallace
American nature writer David Rains Wallace tells how Costa Rica built one of the best-known national park systems in the tropics, and the people who pushed to protect its forests, volcanoes and coasts. The Sierra Club published it in 1992, so it doesn’t cover recent decades, but it’s still the clearest account of how the park system began.
Read it if: you plan to visit several national parks and want to know why they exist. See our guides to Corcovado National Park and buying national park tickets.
You can find it on Amazon.
2. Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica, by Jack Ewing
Jack Ewing, a former cattle rancher from Colorado, moved to Costa Rica in the 1970s and lives at Hacienda Barú, now a national wildlife refuge near Dominical. This book collects his essays about decades of life in the rainforest: the animals, the plants and the people of the South Pacific coast. It’s easy to read in short sittings and good company on a beach trip.
Read it if: you love wildlife or you’re headed to Dominical, Uvita or the Osa Peninsula. See our Dominical guide and our Costa Rica wildlife guide.
You can find it on Amazon.
3. Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, edited by Barbara Ras
This anthology gathers 26 short stories by 20th-century Costa Rican writers, translated into English and arranged by region from north to south. Former President Óscar Arias wrote the foreword. It’s the easiest way for English readers to hear Costa Ricans tell their own stories about farms, small towns, the city and the coasts.
Read it if: you prefer fiction to history, or you want to read your way around the country region by region. For more on local traditions, see our guide to Costa Rican folklore.
You can find it on Amazon.
4. The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica, by Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz, Richard Biesanz and Karen Zubris Biesanz
A readable social and cultural study of Costa Rica covering family life, religion, education, health care, government and the economy, and how they shape everyday values. The authors focus on how the country changed after the economic crisis of the early 1980s. Published in 1999, it’s dated on recent politics and the economy, but strong on the cultural habits that still puzzle newcomers.
Read it if: you’re moving to Costa Rica or staying for months. See our guides to what pura vida really means and learning Spanish in Costa Rica.
You can find it on Amazon.
5. Walking with Wolf: Reflections on a Life Spent Protecting the Costa Rican Wilderness, by Kay Chornook and Wolf Guindon
Wolf Guindon came to Costa Rica from Fairhope, Alabama, with the group of Quakers who founded Monteverde in 1951. He went on to co-found the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and the Monteverde Conservation League and worked as a forest guard for nearly four decades, refusing to carry a gun. Kay Chornook wrote the book with him, and it follows the cloud forest’s protection through his stories.
Read it if: Monteverde is on your route. You’ll walk the reserve’s trails with a better sense of who saved them. See our Monteverde guide.
You can find it on Amazon.
More
More Books About Costa Rica
- The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics, edited by Steven Palmer and Iván Molina: a broad collection of short historical documents and essays, from the colonial era to recent decades.
- The Birds of Costa Rica, by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean: the compact field guide many birders carry. See our bird-watching guide.
- Mamita Yunai, by Carlos Luis Fallas: a 1941 Spanish-language novel about life on the banana plantations of the Caribbean lowlands. See our guide to Costa Rica’s banana plantations.
- Cuentos de mi tía Panchita, by Carmen Lyra: a classic 1920 collection of Costa Rican folk tales, a good pick for Spanish learners.
Tips
How to Choose a Book About Costa Rica
- Short trip: pick one book tied to where you’re going, such as Walking with Wolf for Monteverde or Monkeys Are Made of Chocolate for the South Pacific.
- Nature-focused trip: The Quetzal and the Macaw plus a field guide.
- Moving or staying long: The Ticos and The Costa Rica Reader.
- Learning Spanish: read Carmen Lyra or a story from the Literary Companion alongside the Spanish original if you can find it.
Several of these are older titles, so the easiest route is to buy or download them before you go.
FAQ
Books About Costa Rica: FAQ
What’s the best book to read before visiting Costa Rica?
For most travelers, The Quetzal and the Macaw, which explains the national parks you’ll visit. If you’re going to Monteverde, read Walking with Wolf.
Are there novels by Costa Rican writers in English?
Yes. Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion collects 26 short stories by 20th-century Costa Rican writers, translated into English.
What book explains Costa Rican culture?
The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica, a readable study of family life, religion, education, politics and values. It was published in 1999, so it’s dated on recent politics.
Who was Wolf Guindon?
A Quaker from Fairhope, Alabama, who helped found Monteverde in 1951 and co-founded the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, where he worked as a forest guard for nearly four decades.
Is there a good field guide to Costa Rica’s birds?
The Birds of Costa Rica by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean is a widely used compact field guide.
The short version
For the parks, read The Quetzal and the Macaw; for Monteverde, Walking with Wolf.
For Costa Rican voices, read A Traveler’s Literary Companion; for culture, The Ticos.
Buy or download before you go, and match the book to where you’re headed.