Costa Rican Wildlife

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

Day 1. Arrival in Costa Rica. Pick up by NGCR staff, transfer to San Jose’s overnight hotel. Briefing about the tour. Overnight at the most convenient hotel according to the flight’s arrival time. Dinner not included. 

Day 2. Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay. Drive 4 hours to the Sierpe area to board on a 1 hour trip by boat to Drake’s Bay.

• Arrival and lunch
• 14:30 – 18:30 hrs garden hike: possible targets, lizards, macaws, snakes, frogs and insects
• 19:00 dinner and first images and review workshop

Day 3. Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay. 

• Early rising 05:00 am capturing light. 1 hour of landscape photography
• Breakfast and Dolphin/Whale watching tour 4 hours
• Return by lunch and leisure time until 14:30
• Garden exploration, dinner and night hike for macro

Day 4.Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay. 

• Early breakfast and departure to Sirena Station in the heart of Corcovado National Park.
• Full day at the station, lunch on site
• Dinner and image post-processing workshop

Day 5. San Gerardo de Dota.

• Morning garden exploration followed by departure to the Talamanca mountains at over 3500 meters above sea level.
• Lunch at the lodge and garden exploration until dark.
• Dinner

Day 6. San Gerardo de Dota.

• Early morning garden and forest exploration
• Breakfast and continue exploring lodge adjacent oak forest
• Lunch followed by leisure time until 14:30
• Visit Batsu ‘s bird garden. A marvelous little corner where dozens of species of hummingbirds, warblers, tanagers etc.

Day 7. San Gerardo de Dota.

• In search of Resplendent Quetzal a quest to one of the most magnificent life forms on our earth. It could be a longer journey in order to capture mind blowing images.
• Lunch and leisure time until 14:30
• Drive to the upper regions of Cerro de la Muerte for Endemic species and sunset

Day 8. Sarapiquí, La Selva Biological Station

• After a well deserved lunch we will be driving to the Caribbean Lowlands crossing the central valley into the Braulio Carrillo National Park.
• Upon arrival lunch and trail exploration until dinner time

Day 9. Sarapiquí, La Selva Biological Station

• Breakfast, lunches and dinners on a schedule time
• 1500 hectares of rainforest to explore all day long
• 42 km of trails to hike to, endless possibilities to capture anything from Pumas to tiny frogs.
• Night tour after dinner. Macro photography

Day 10. Sarapiquí, La Selva Biological Station

• Breakfast, lunches and dinners on a schedule time
• Exploring different trail systems
• Post- processing photography workshop

Day 11. Tortuguero

• Breakfast followed by a nature hike in search of birds, nearly 450 species of birds are found within the Biological Station. Travel 1 ½ hours to La Pavona where we will embark to the boat leading us to the Amazon of Costa Rica.
• Lunch upon arrival and garden/forest exploration for Howler Monkeys, Toucans and Great Green Macaws.
• Dinner

Day 12. Tortuguero

• Early rising 5:00 am to those willing to capture the sunrise.
• 5:45 am boat tour (3-4 hours)
• Breakfast and garden exploration
• After lunch we will visit the town for more bird life
• Dinner and photo lab

Day 13. Tortuguero

• 5:00 am departure to the beach on where Jaguars go in the hunt for sea turtles
• Sea turtle watching & breakfast
• 10:00 – 13:00 boat tour followed by lunch and 14:30 boat tour to the national park
• Image reviewing the last post- processing workshop

Day 14. Overnight San José.

• 5:00 am departure to the beach on where Jaguars go in the hunt for sea turtles
• Boat tour (3-4 hours), breakfast on the go
• Lunch and departure to San Jose
• 1 ½ hrs boat ride back to Pavona
• 3 hrs drive from Pavona to the hotel
• Arrival at the Hotel 16:00 approx.

Day 15. San José. International departure from Juan Santamaria International Airport.

NOTES

This journeys trip will focus on:

•          Lighting both natural and artificial
•          Focal styles and focal points
•          Composition
•          Recommended Aperture/DOF
•          Metering/Exposure
•          Landscape photography explained
•          Post-processing
•          Macro photography
•          Capturing jaguars killing sea turtles
•          Conference with local conservationist organization