Costa Rica | Tropical Birding Photography with John Winnie Jr.

Upon arrival at the San José International Airport, after clearing customs and collecting your luggage, you will be met and transported to Hotel Bougainvillea, located in a suburb of the capital. After settling into your room, depending upon your arrival time, enjoy the beautiful gardens. The hotel's owner, an advocate for the flora of Costa Rica, designed the garden's 10 acres of tropical plants, crops, frog ponds, and walkways.

Gather together this morning for a welcome breakfast with your naturalist guide, who will give you a short orientation to the tour. Check out and begin the journey to Sarapiquí Valley and Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve. Established by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch before checking in and getting situated. This afternoon, enjoy a boat ride on Sarapiquí River. Have some free time before dinner for photography around the lodge grounds and search for some of the 300 bird species found here, including a variety of colorful hummingbirds, trogons, toucans, and more. Enjoy dinner al fresco at La Terrazza, Selva Verde's Italian restaurant overlooking Río Sarapiquí, which is paid on your own.

Start the day early with an optional guided bird walk. After breakfast, visit Copearte, the home and gardens of the artist, photographer, birder, and nature lover known as Cope. Have lunch at Copearte before returning to the lodge in the afternoon to cross the suspension bridge above Río Sarapiquí and enter Selva Verde's private reserve for a guided hike through the virgin rainforest. Enjoy some more free time back at the lodge to explore the self-guided trails on the property. After dinner, venture out on a night walk to spot a variety of nocturnal wildlife, including the colorful red-eyed tree frog - a must in every photographer's collection.

After breakfast and coffee among the scenery of Selva Verde, continue the adventure with a journey to Bosque de Paz, a lodge and biological reserve located in the lush cloud and rainforests of the Cordillera Central of Costa Rica. En route, visit a café in Cinchona known for its many hummingbird feeders. Bosque de Paz is nestled in a natural biological corridor and is the perfect spot to marvel at the exuberant biodiversity of centennial trees loaded with orchids, bromeliads, mosses, and ferns, which are surrounded by impressive mountains, valleys, rivers, and waterfalls. Because of its fortunate location between Poás Volcano and Juan Castro Blanco National Park and the tireless work of the González-Sotela family toward reforesting and conserving the existing primary and secondary forests in its 1,235 acres, the reserve is home to around 200 of the more than 900 bird species in Costa Rica. Upon arrival at the lodge, enjoy an orientation to the property and lunch. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure to explore the grounds on your own.

Spend the next two days exploring Bosque de Paz at leisure on your own or with your guide. The reserve's various trails are easily accessible and feature all of the beautiful foliage found in the cloud forest, including great biodiversity of flora and fauna. At the lodge, the communal areas are perfect for relaxing, learning about the orchid collections here and the famous studies about them, and finding an interesting book from their library. On the amble terrace, enjoy abundant birding and photography opportunities, which can include sightings of species like the Resplendent Quetzal, Scaled Antpitta, Black Guan, Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Three-wattled Bellbird, Wrenthrush, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Black faced-Solitaire, American Dipper, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, and abundant hummingbirds. Also, explore the upper trails to experience the páramo ecosystem and its unique vegetation and wildlife.

Continue exploring Bosque de Paz today. Explore the reserve's orchid garden and its research and conservation initiatives that have led to scientific breakthroughs in the epiphytic plant field, including the discovery of several new species. The garden is home to around 230 species, including three that have been described as new to science and have now increased the species diversity for the flora of Costa Rica.

This morning, travel to the cloud forests of San Gerardo de Dota, stopping en route for lunch. Upon arrival at Trogon Lodge, have some time to explore the new surroundings. Trogon Lodge is located in a small community in the Talamanca Mountains. This high-elevation habitat of mostly oak and highland cloud forest attracts a huge variety of avifauna. The large centennial oaks that cover the forest are laden with lichens and mosses that contrast with the colorful bromeliads. The forest is rich with insects, mammals, amphibians, and 170-plus bird species, making this area a paradise for birdwatchers. Its crown jewel is the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal, which lives in the region year round.

Start the day with an early morning guided bird walk in search of the resident Resplendent Quetzal. Optional visit to Miriams after lunch before visiting Batsú, a wonderful garden that was designed with birding and photography in mind to showcase the many species of birds that inhabit the Costa Rican highlands. The remainder of the late afternoon and evening is at leisure today.

Rise early for breakfast, and then travel to nearby Paraíso Quetzal Lodge, where a private, multi-flash setup for hummingbird photography has been arranged for the group on a private deck. There are also areas on the lodge's balcony and gardens to photograph hummingbirds with natural light. Later in the afternoon, return to Trogon Lodge for some more leisure time to explore and take photos before dinner.

After a leisurely breakfast and check-out, travel back to Hotel Bougainvillea in Santo Domingo. En route, enjoy birding and lunch at Casa Dowii. Serge Arias welcomes visitors for light meals, coffee, and excellent birding opportunities at this garden and reserve. Continue on to the hotel, where there may be some time to go for a stroll with your naturalist guide in the tropical gardens before this evening's farewell dinner.

At the appropriate time for your flight home, travel to San José International Airport. Please note, check-in time for international flights is 3 hours prior to departure.