Costa Rica – Explosive Nature

Arrival in Costa Rica at San José Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Transfer to “La Tigra” and accommodation.

A short briefing to get to know the participants and discuss the activities and places they will be taking part in and visiting during the trip.

First night shots in the surrounding vegetation.

A sunrise breakfast and photo tour at the Danaus Ecocenter, a private biological reserve and ecotourism and environmental education center. The reserve is home to over 150 animal species, including sloths, toucans, poison dart frogs, caimans, agoutis, green basilisks, a butterfly garden, snakes, and owls.

In the reserve we will look for the beautiful Blue-Crowned Motmot and the Jacamar (mountain hummingbird).

Lunch in La Fortuna and an afternoon excursion to the Rio Fortuna waterfall, a stunning 70-meter waterfall located in Costa Rica, near the Arenal Volcano. It’s reached by descending a wooden walkway through the tropical forest, and swimming is permitted in the calm areas of the river below.

In the afternoon there is the possibility of entering the thermal waters complex of the Arenal Volcano National Park.

Breakfast and transfer to Boca Tapada, in the heart of the Maquenque Reserve. The area consists of large, verdant plains, home to the beautiful Green Macaw.

In the area we will have a very high chance of spotting all four species of toucan (chestnut-billed, keeled, aracari and green toucan), tanagers, parakeets, cormorants, iguanas, basilisks, agoutis, coatis, raccoons and many other bird species.

In the afternoon we will sail on the San Carlos River for our first boat safari that will take us to the border with Nicaragua.

Relax in the facility after sailing.

Night tour in the jungle with locals in search of the beautiful and iconic red-eyed tree frog, snakes and other amphibians.

Night in Boca Tapada.

Breakfast at dawn and first photographs of the many bird species that will come to visit us.

Full day birdwatching looking for the best portrait to take of the toucans that will look curiously at our photographic lenses.

We will have very good chances of photographing the Red Legged Honeycreeper and Summer Tanager.

Night in Boca Tapada

Wake up at dawn and have the usual breakfast with a thousand species of birds.

Transfer to the Pacific coast with a photo stop in the inland hills for a hummingbird session.

After a coffee in a typical family-run café, we continue our journey to Tarcoles, stopping at the famous crocodile river for our first glimpses and then stopping at a scenic spot to photograph the large pelicans in flight against the backdrop of the red sunset.

Arrival in Esterillos.

Breakfast and finally Tarcoles.

A beautiful boat safari where one of the most photographically rich days awaits us.

The protagonists will undoubtedly be the large American crocodiles stranded on the banks of the river, but the real photographic gems will be the black buzzard, the roseate spoonbill, the tiger heron, the frigate birds, the pelicans and the “Choquako”.

This is one of the most exciting activities of the tour.

Lunch at Tarcoles beachfront, and during the warmer hours after lunch, we’ll stroll along the shore among the palm trees and local fishermen. We’ll have the opportunity to take beautiful low-angle shots of the orange crabs digging holes in the sand.

Afternoon dedicated to searching for the Scarlet Macaw along the coast.

November is the time when the Scarlet Macaw is in its courtship phase and we will witness their loud amorous calls.

Breakfast and short transfer for another boat safari in the mangrove forest.

The river is home to large orange and green crested iguanas, raccoons, sloths, and capuchin monkeys that will curiously jump onto our boat.

If we are lucky, we may encounter the Northern Tree Boa and the Spearhead on the banks of the river.

After lunch, we’ll spend the hot hours on a beach filled with coconut palms to take beautiful “relaxing holiday”-style photographs.

Afternoon spent searching for sloths and scarlet macaws on the coast.

Sunset and night in Esterillos.

Breakfast and transfer to Uvita, another beautiful town on the Pacific coast.

Afternoon inside the “Marino Ballena” National Park, located right in the heart of the beach.

Characteristic is the part of the beach that forms a whale’s tail when the tide is high.

The marine park is home to numerous colonies of capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, scarlet macaws, and birds of prey.

Breakfast at the hotel in Uvita and a full day in Marino Ballena National Park.

There would be the possibility of sailing in the open ocean to look for jumping humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins (Extra activities not included in the program. Cost approximately €65. ).

Night in Uvita.

Breakfast in Uvita and transfer to San José for the return flight.

During the morning there is the possibility of further photo stops on the beach along the way or the possibility of repeating the boat safari/birdwatching on the Rio Tarcoles (extra activity).

Transfer to the airport and end of the trip.