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Costa Rica is a small country roughly the size of West Virginia with an impressive network of National Parks and Private Preserves.

The reputation that precedes the country in conservation efforts is superlative.

Tour Type

Nature Photography

Group Size

Min. 2 People

Dates

All year

Activity Level - Easy

Costa Rica is a small country roughly the size of West Virginia with an impressive network of National Parks and Private Preserves. The reputation that precedes the country in conservation efforts is superlative. One of the advantages of being a small country is that in a short drive you can be in a completely different habitat photographing completely different subjects, from spectacular landscapes to wildlife, birds and macro photography Costa Rica will always amaze you. From lowland rain forests to highland oak dominated forest this country will introduce you to the wonders of photo shooting in the tropics. Get ready to have the time of your life and take home your best memories.

Join Gustavo Orozco on an unforgettable photography expedition to Costa Rica. Gustavo is a wildlife photographer and one of Costa Rica’s top nature guides with years of experience in the field. In this journey we will explore multiple habitats in different regions of the country in search of the most fascinating creatures of the rain forest. Enjoy multiflash sessions, macro photography, amazing landscapes and much more in one of the best places in the tropics for photography. Gustavo will dedicate himself to giving you the best touring experience possible and will help to make every frame of yours a keeper.

Recommended Gear

Digital camera (preferably with multiple lenses or adapters), We recommend a zoom lens or telephoto at least 300mm, if you are interested in land scape photography a wide-angle lens of preference, for macro photography a 100mm lens is one of the best choices. Since light is hard in the tropics, we also recommend a speedlight and flash extender to maximize the quality of your photos in the field. And, don’t forget to bring tripods, batteries, chargers, and digital media storage devices. Costa Rican standard voltage is 110-120 volts, which is the same as the U.S. and Canada.

Santo Tomás, Heredia Province

Days 1 & 12.

San Ramon, Alajuela Province

Days 2 & 3.

Fortuna, Alajuela Province

Day 4 & 5.

Caño Negro, Provincia de Alajuela

Days 6 & 7.

Sarapiquí, Heredia Province

Days 8 & 9.

San Gerardo de Dota, San José Province

Days 10 & 11.

Arrive at the San José airport where members of Geo Natura Tours will be waiting for you!

Transfer to your hotel: We’ll have a brief orientation for your tour, be happy to answer any of your questions.

Overnight: Bougainvillea Hotel

Meals: Welcome dinner

This morning we drive to Bosque de Paz, a family owned lodge on the easter watershed of the central mountains of Costa Rica. These cloud forest habitat harbors hundreds of organisms and colorful birds tha we will have chance to photograph. Amazing hummingbird species can be found in this region of Costa Rica as well. We will spend the rest of the day on a photo shoot of the amazing wildlife oft he area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lodging: Bosque de Paz

Today we explore the Cloud Forest of the Northern half of Costa Rica, this misty environment is one of the most exuberant any where in the tropics, hiding many secrets for the visitors. We will try to discover and photograph some of the most charismatic birds and mammals of the area, among other fabulous birds we can find are Three wattled Bell Bird, Ornate Hawk Eagle, Golden browed Chlorophonia, and many other fantastic and festive colored tanagers. Plant life is amazing and cool insects can be found hanging around the Lodge gardens, we could even try some macro photography.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lodging: Bosque de Paz

Departure to the Arenal Volcano area, this region of Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful in terms of its landscapes, rivers, and pristine forests in Costa Rica. Home of beautiful tropical birds we will make a stop at Alvaro Otoya ́s a privately owned farm, dedicated to the conservation of Scarlet Macaws as well as Great green Macaws that have been confiscated to poachers. This is the best opportunity to capture images of this impressive birds in natural scenarios.
After our photo session with these amazing creatures we continue to Arenal Observatory Lodge in the area of La Fortuna, where we will spend the next few days in one of the most scenic and biologically rich regions of the Planet.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lodging: Arenal Observatory

Today we are visiting Bagarin Gardens a family-owned property on the base of Arenal Volcano, once one of the ten most active Volcanoes of the planet. The rich secondary forest is great to get Pale billed Woodpecker, Roufus tailed Jacamar, Keel billed Toucans, Yellow throated Toucans, Olive backed Euphonia, Scarlet rumped Tanager, Black cheeked Woodpecker and much more, most of these birds can be photographed at close range after lunch we will return to Arenal Observatory lodge for an afternoon photo shoot on premises.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lodging: Arenal Observatory

Today we are heading to Caño Negro wetlands close to the border of Nicaragua. These wetlands offer a great chance to see an incredible diversity of waterbirds on migration to Central and South America, Caño Negro harbors, great numbers of Egrets, Herons, Birds of prey also Caiman, a member of the Crocodile family, Snakes, Monkeys, and many other fantastic tropical animals.

Overnight: Caño Negro Lodge

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Today we explore the wetlands of Caño Negro by boat, since our group is small, we will have enough space in the boat to get comfortable and have the best seat for the nature show awaiting for us, we will place the boat so the light plays on our favor and get the best shots of the amazing wild life found in the Preserve. The natural light in this scenario is usually good, giving the photographer wonderful chances of making out of every shot a keeper!!!!

Overnight: Caño Negro Lodge

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

This morning we continue to Sarapiqui, one of our favorite destinations for wildlife photography, in route we will stop to see iguanas take some great images of these amazing reptiles. Later in the day we arrive to “La Quinta “a family-owned Lodge surrounded by lush vegetations and lots of wildlife.

Overnight: La Quinta

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

This morning we go for a Macro session in search of the most charismatic rain forest frogs in the tropics. Among others we will have the chance to photograph, Red eyed tree Frog, Blue jeans poison dart frog, Mask tree Frog   Glass frogs and many more interesting tropical amphibians.  Day light shooting in a control environment will allow us to use also artificial lights to enhance out photos even more.

Overnight: La Quinta

Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Long drive this morning to Cerro de La Muerte, the verdant valley of Savegre is waiting for us, along the way we will make a few stops to stretch out and continue to arrive hopefully in day light to admire the beauty of the area.

Overnight: Sueños del Bosque

Meals: brekfast, lunch and dinner

Today we are busy, an early morning start will get us energize for our Quetzal quest, the word means perfect and pretty in the language of the Aztecs. The bird was revered by ancient civilization of Central America, considered one of the most beautiful birds of the world the Quetzal is the target to photograph while in Savegre. Variety of miniature plants and colorful flowers can be found everywhere making out of this area one of the most beautiful anywhere in Costa Rica. Landscapes as well as night skies can be photograph since the area has no light pollution of nearby cities.

Overnight: Sueños del Bosque

Meals: brekfast, lunch and dinner

We leave soon after breakfast to visit the Serrano hummingbird garden to photograph some of the most vibrant hummingbird species in Costa Rica.

We will set up the appropriate gear and create the right setting to attract them and obtain frameable images of this tiny and glittering birds.

After lunch we will return to the capital city for our farewell dinner and prepared to return home.

Overnight: Bougainvillea Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Transfer to the international airport for your flight home.

Adios Amigos; Until our next Photo Safari

Pura Vida!

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