Costa Rica | Photography Adventure with Renate Grupp

Upon arrival in San José, travel to Hotel Bougainvillea, located on 10 acres of botanical gardens overlooking the city. The gardens feature more than 600 species of plants, including 22 types of bromeliads. They are also a great place to see hummingbirds, motmots, tanagers, and more.

This morning, meet for breakfast and an orientation in the hotel restaurant before enjoying some time to take photos around the gardens. After lunch, depart for Villa Lapas, located near Carara National Park. This area in the Central Pacific region is one of the most ecologically diverse of the country. The intersection of northwestern tropical dry forest with the humid rainforest of the South Pacific region, concentrated in a relatively small area, produces an interesting combination of species from both ecosystems. Keep your eyes open for Golden-naped Woodpecker, Baird's Trogon, Orange-collared Manakin, Riverside Wren, Blackhooded Antshrike, Dot-winged Antwren, Long-billed Gnatwren, and Chestnut-backed Antbird. After checking in, spend time on the trails looking out for the Scarlet Macaws that nest on the property.

Take an early morning bird walk before breakfast. Then, set out for a hike along the trails of Punta Leona Resort. Have lunch at a local restaurant and then go for a boat ride along the Tárcoles River to watch for both water and shore birds, like the Double-striped Thick-knee, Roseate Spoonbill, jacanas, and ducks. The Tárcoles River basin is one of the most important in the Pacific coastal region; it drains virtually the entire western side of the Central Valley. Tárcoles hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife along its banks. The river is a perfect place to catch a glimpse of mangrove specialties such as the rare Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Mangrove Hummingbird, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Panama Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Mangrove (Yellow) Warbler, and Scrub Greenlet. Perhaps the most famous of all its inhabitants are the enormous American crocodiles that live on its banks. Later, take a guided night walk to observe owls.

Travel to Boca Tapada to photograph King Vultures today. The town of Boca Tapada is located in the northernmost part of the lower basin of the San Carlos River and within the Maquenque Mixed Wildlife Refuge, a reserve aiming to protect endangered flora and fauna in one of the areas of Costa Rica most affected by deforestation and large-scale agriculture. Boca Tapada de San Carlos is home to a unique variety of tropical forests, rivers, lagoons, wetlands, and hundreds of species of plants and animals, like the endangered Great Green Macaws, manatees, jaguars, and much more. In the evening, enjoy dinner at the hotel.

This morning, enjoy birding and photography opportunities in the Boca Tapada area. Afterward, depart for Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve located in the Caribbean lowlands. Established by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability, protecting 500 acres of rainforest. Arrive at Selva Verde in time for lunch, followed by a guided walk around the grounds. Specific species often spotted at Selva Verde include the Keel-billed Toucan, Sunbittern, Crimson-collared Tanager, Wood Thrush, Crowned Woodnymph, and Russet-naped Wood-Rail. Selva Verde is also home to the endangered Great Green Macaw, a species that seems to be recovering thanks to area conservation efforts. They can occasionally be found feeding on the giant fruiting almond trees in the rainforest. In the afternoon, get acquainted with the facilities before birding on the lodge trails. This evening, attend lecture by Alex Martínez about the Great Green Macaw and conservation projects to help save them.

Begin the day with early morning birding. After breakfast, set out to explore the reserve in Selva Verde. Have lunch before going to visit Dave & Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park. Dave and Dave are a father and son duo that created a private reserve to protect more than 11 acres of rainforest along the Sarapiquí River and allows people great opportunities to see and photograph birds from two viewing platforms. In the evening, go on a night hike in search of nocturnal species such as frogs, bats, kinkajous, and more.

Today visit CopeArte, the home of a local artist/photographer. "Cope" is the pseudonym of Jose Perez, a self-taught artist and amateur photographer with a great love for nature. His property is designed to maximize opportunities for birding and photography, and features ponds that attract aquatic species as well as blinds from which visitors can photograph birds despite weather conditions. After lunch, depart for Cerro de la Muerte, an area at the top of Cordillera de Talamanca that is famous for its diversity of endemic wildlife. Consisting of temperate forest and páramo habitats, the natural vegetation attracts species such as the rare Red-fronted Parrotlet, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Dusky Nightjar, Fiery-throated, Volcano, and Scintillant Hummingbirds, White-throated Mountain-gem, Ruddy Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay, Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren, Wrenthrush, and Resplendent Quetzal. Look for these species and others at Cerro de la Muerte and La Georgina en route to Savegre.

Spend today exploring the Savegre biological reserve, 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. Spend the morning looking for Spotted Wood-Quail, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Collared Trogon, Barred Becard, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. In the afternoon, search for the Resplendent Quetzal. Dinner is followed by a guided night walk.

After breakfast, take another walk for final photos before returning to San José after lunch. En route, there may be chances to stop for some more birding experiences. Arrive at the Buena Vista Hotel, nestled in a coffee plantation on a lush hilltop overlooking downtown San José. Located at a convenient distance to the airport, the hotel offers a secluded sanctuary with manicured gardens and grounds.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.