Overview
Despite its Lilliputian size, Costa Rica is a microcontinent unto itself. The nation’s twelve ecological zones are home to more butterflies than the whole of Africa, as many plant species as Europe, and one-tenth of the world’s bird species… in a country occupying less than three ten-thousands of the world’s land area! It’s like a scene from one of Sir David Attenborough’s TV series. For wildlife photographers, it’s the crème de la crème of the neotropical world. Join award-winning travel journalist Christopher P. Baker and world-class wildlife photographer Jeffrey Muñoz for an insider’s journey through Costa Rica. With Chris’s deep knowledge and Jeffrey’s eagle-eyed expertise, you’ll capture breathtaking landscapes and elusive wildlife while experiencing the country through the eyes of two passionate guides.
Itinerary
Day 1: Jan 20 Arrive San Jose’s Juan Santamaría airport and transfer to our hotel, on a former coffee estate close to the airport on the west side of the capital city. Its lush grounds are alive with a rich menagerie of animals and birds.
Overnight: Marriott Hotel Hacienda Belén or similar
Day 2: Jan 21This morning we’ll rise bright and early to drive up the mountain to Poás Volcano National Park, where we’ll hike a short trail to the edge of the crater rim. In early morning, we stand a good chance of clear skies and an amazing view of both the distant Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. We’ll also wander through the misty, wind-battered elfin cloud forest, full of trilling birds, such as the endemic Volcano hummingbird, mountain elaenia, long-tailed silky flycatcher, and purple-throated mountaingem. We then descend the mountain and drive through coffee country to Sarchí to photograph craftsmen working with lathes and tools still powered by an age-old waterwheel at Fábrica de Carretas Eloy Alfaro, a national historic treasure that is the only workshop in the country still making Costa Rica’s famous carretas (oxcarts). After lunch in Sarchí, we descend to La Fortuna, at the base of Arenal Volcano. Here, we’ll settle into our hotel, surrounded by farmland and riparian forest on the banks of the Río San Carlos. Needless to say, the setting abounds with birds… from aracarias and hummingbirds to blue-capped motmots and chestnut-mandibled toucans. Overnight: Tilajari Eco-Resort or similar
Day 3: Jan 22This morning we’ll depart our hotel early to arrive Mistico Park, where an easy two-mile hike leads over nine “hanging” (suspension) bridges over the rainforest canopy below. Open vistas towards Arenal Volcano offer opportunities for spectacular landscape photography, as do the bridges themselves, but the experience also offers a chance to spot frogs, snakes, sloths, coatimundis, plus capuchin, howler, and spider monkeys, as well as such birds as crested guans, black-headed trogons, and yellow-throated euphonias as we walk the trail. We’ll rest up through mid-day—perhaps with a visit to Tabacón’s hot-springs—before heading in late-afternoon to Arenal Observatory Lodge, boasting a spectacular view of the volcano and Lake Arenal from the flank of Chato Volcano. Here we can focus on the magnificent landscape photography, while wildlife enthusiasts can choose to focus on birds and wildlife: the lodge’s forest reserve has recorded more than 500 species of birds… including Bellbirds, Crested Guans, Orange-bellied Trogons, Laughing Hawk, and Red-lored Parrakeets. Overnight: Tilajari Eco-Resort or similar
Day 4: Jan 23Drive northeast today to the northern lowlands, a vast watery mosaic of dense rainforest and lagoons, close to the Nicaraguan border. Basing ourselves in the heart of tropical lowland rainforest around Boca Topada, this is the perfect place to photograph such birds as Boat-billed Heron, Keel-billed Motmot, Broad-billed Motmot, White-collared Manakin, and other rare tropical birds; and perhaps such hard-to-spot wish-list creatures as tapirs, spider monkeys, and—count yourself lucky for the ultimate prize!—one of the big cat species. At night, half of the group will enjoy a session of Bats in flight with the Multiflash technique, while the other half might take a nocturnal caiman tour. Overnight: Laguna Lagarto Lodge or similar
Day 5: Jan 24Based today in this amazing location, we’ll dedicate ourselves to photographing bucketlist endemic birds, including Great Green macaws, Scarlet macaws Great curassow, and sungrebes, with the early morning dedicated to the “large birds deck” Mid-morning will be reserved for you at the King Vultures hide, undoubtedly the best place in Central America to spot these beautiful endangered raptors. In the afternoon we may go back to the main deck to take advantage of the different light. Plus, we have a very strong chance of seeing capuchin, howler, and spider monkeys, plus basilisk lizards, caimans, and perhaps even American crocodiles and Neotropical river otters, on an afternoon boat tour on the Río San Carlos. At night, the other half of the group will enjoy a session of Bats in flight with the Multiflash technique, while the other half might take a nocturnal caiman tour. Overnight: Laguna Lagarto Lodge or similar
Day 6: Jan 25Our relatively short drive this morning takes us to the Sarapiquí region, where we’ll base ourselves at Hacienda La Isla… a great place to spot blue-jeans poison-dart frogs, green-and-black poison-dart frogs, strawberry poison-dart frogs, two- and three-toed sloths, and more! We will dedicate this afternoon to close-up shooting of the most amazing frogs and snakes of Costa Rica, from the iconic, Red-eyed Leaf-frog and Poison-dart frogs to the always impressive Yellow Eyelash Viper. Shooting at the area’s top serpentarium—a good chance to break out your macro lens! Overnight: Hacienda La Isla or similar
Day 7: Jan 26Our day is dedicated to a great variety of targets as we photograph with a local naturalist who always gets new species for us. Part of the day will be a short, easy walk to find some nests and roosting areas, and the other part of the day will be at his garden where we will shoot setups that guarantee great close-up photography. Our targets here include Honduran-white Bats, Spectacled Owl, Crested Owl, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Common Potoo, and Gray-necked Wood-rail. Overnight: Hacienda La Isla or similar
Day 8: Jan 27Today we depart the lowlands and drive between Barva and Irazú Volcanoes, crossing the Continental Divide through Braulio Carillo National Park, then continue into the Talamanca Mountains. After checking into our cozy mountainside nature lodge, with its fabulous panoramic views, we’ll spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying a hummingbird-in-flight session (multiflash). Our targets include the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Lesser-violet Ears, Talamanca’s Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, etc. Overnight: Paraíso Quetzal Lodge or similar
Day 9: Jan 28This area has the country’s highest concentration of Resplendent quetzals… an improbably iridescent green bird with a fuzzy punk hairdo, crimson belly, and two 40-inch-long tail plumes. Perhaps even more than the King vulture, it is considered by photographers the Holy Grail of tropical birds! Our day is dedicated to photographing quetzales as we walk through acuacate-producing laurel forest and shoot them at their favorite perches. We will enjoy two outings, morning and afternoon. Overnight: Paraíso Quetzal Lodge or similar
Day 10: Jan 29We head to the Pacific lowlands today, avoiding the heavily trafficked San José conurbation via a lovely mountain route. In the afternoon we will enjoy a private safari boat ride on the Tárcoles river for close-up photography of American crocodiles, plus such birds as the Roseate spoonbill, Kingfishers, Bare-throated Tiger-heron, Black-necked Stilts, and scarlet macaws. The mangroves abound with iguanas, sloths, and capuchin, howler, and spider monkeys. Our superb lodging for the next two nights is one of Costa Rica’s most luxurious hotels, and perhaps its most spectacularly situated and photogenic. Its Greek-style amphitheater is the place to savor sensational sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. Overnight: Cerro Lodge or similar
Day 11: Jan 30This morning we will offer an optional photography session with a local naturalist who is a superb bird-tracker, so every time we meet we get awesome species and gorgeous images. Or you may wish to relax at Villa Caletas to make the most of its beach, spa, infinity pool, and forest reserve. Tonight, we will enjoy a slideshow of everyone’s images before our farewell dinner. Overnight: Cerro Lodge or similar
Day 12: Jan 31Today, you’ll transfer to San Jose’s Juan Santamaría airport for your flight home.