Tourist Information Offices

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, or ICT, www.visitcostarica.com) has a 24-hour toll-free tourist information line (tel. 800/343-6332) in the United States. You can request brochures. There are no ICT offices abroad. The ICT head office (tel. 506/2299-5800, fax 506/2291-5645) is on the north side of the General Cañas highway, in the La Uruca district of San José.

Maps

The best all-around map is the 1:350,000 scale National Geographic Adventure Map (published by the National Geographic Society). Another good road map is a topographical 1:500,000 sheet published by ITMB Publishing (tel. 604/273-1400, www.itmb.com). The Neotropic Foundation (tel. 506/2253-2130, www.neotropica.org) publishes a superb topographical map with nature reserves and parks emphasized. All are sold at gift stores throughout Costa Rica, as is the Costa Rica Nature Atlas (San José: Editorial Incafo), with detailed 1:200,000 scale maps and accounts of national parks and other sites.

In the United States, check out Omni Resources (tel. 800/742-2677, www.omnimaps.com). In the U.K., try Stanford’s (12-14 Long Acre, London WC2E 9LP, tel. 020/7836-1321, www.stanfords.co.uk). In Australia, try The Map Shop (6-10 Peel St., Adelaide, SA 5000, tel. 08/8231-2033, www.mapshop.net.au); in New Zealand, try Auckland Map Centre (Shop 3, 209 Queen St., National Bank Centre, Auckland, tel. 9/309-7725, www.aucklandmapcentre.co.nz).

The best commercial resource in Costa Rica is Jiménez & Tanzi, Ltda. (tel. 506/2216-1000, www.jitan.co.cr), with stores in major cities. Topographic maps and detailed city maps can be bought from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (National Geographic Institute, Avenida 20, Calles 9/11, tel. 506/2523-2000, ext. 2630, www.mopt.go.cr/ign, 7 A.M.–noon and 12:45–3:30 P.M. Mon.–Fri.).