There are places that don’t just welcome you, they change you and Costa Rica is one of them. Costa Rica Vida takes readers beneath the jungle canopy of this wild, untamed land, where biodiversity is staggering, the coastlines are unspoiled and a Pura Vida philosophy permeates every aspect of daily life. Structured as a deeply personal journey, the book moves chronologically through a writer’s encounter with this small but extraordinary nation, capturing the tension between its ancient wilderness and its contemporary vitality.

Written by Lale Arikoglu, articles director of Condé Nast Traveler and host of the award-winning Women Who Travel podcast, the title explores Costa Rica’s beaches, surf culture, wildlife, culinary scene and the communities that animate them all, with photography by Oliver Pilcher. This is not a country of grand cities or manicured grandeur. It is something far rarer: a place where luxury and wildness exist in perfect, exhilarating tension. For those who find beauty in the untouched and adventure in the unknown, Costa Rica Vida is an essential companion to one of the world’s most magnificently alive destinations.

Edition: 2026