Costa Rica | Rainforests to the Sea: Nature Photography with Nick Leadley

Upon arrival into San José, proceed to clear Immigration & Customs and exit the airport secure area, where you will meet with your Holbrook representative for your transfer to the hotel. This afternoon, enjoy time on your own to photograph the famous gardens at Hotel Bougainvillea, which 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. Check-in starts at 3 pm. Tonight, attend an orientation to the program followed by dinner at the hotel.

After optional early morning photography around the gardens, check out of the hotel and start your journey to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve. En route, stop at La Paz Waterfall Gardens to photograph waterfalls from different vantage points. Enjoy lunch at the gardens before continuing on to a café in Cinchona known for its many hummingbird feeders. Selva Verde Lodge is situated in the Caribbean lowlands, at elevations ranging from 180 to 220 feet. Established by the Holbrook family in 1985, the lodge is renowned for its commitment to ecological preservation and sustainability. This afternoon, enjoy free time for photography around the grounds, in search of some of the 300 bird species found here, including a variety of colorful hummingbirds, trogons and toucans. After dinner, venture out on a night walk to spot a variety of nocturnal life including the colorful red-eyed tree frog, a must in every photographer's collection.

Begin the day with optional birding around the Selva Verde grounds. Then visit Copearte - the home and gardens of the artist, photographer, birder, and nature-lover known as Cope - to photograph bats, owls, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. Return to the lodge for lunch. This afternoon, get some great photographs and learn about native amphibians at Frog's Heaven before visiting the Macaw Farm, a private initiative stared by Don Alvaro Otoya that has turned into a successful breeding center for the two species of Costa Rican macaws: Scarlet and Great Green. Habitat loss and poaching have threatened these amazing birds, nearly bringing them to the point of extinction in some places. As a result, the need for reintroduction into the wild is high, in particular for Great Green Macaws. Projects like Don Alvaro's have allowed local authorities to bring the populations back in some areas, and now macaws can be seen flying high where they were absent for decades. The macaws at Don Alvaro's are not caged, and fly free through the surrounding rainforest. Take advantage of the opportunities to capture amazing images of macaws in flight, with more controlled light than in the forest, while contributing to the effort of protecting and reintroducing the macaws back to their habitat.

This morning, check out of the lodge and depart for Dave and Dave's Costa Rica Nature Park for a two-hour visit to photograph hummingbirds and other wildlife along the river trail. 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 allow people great opportunities to see and photograph birds from two viewing platforms. Then, head north to the Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important wetlands and biological areas of the country. This Ramsar wetland provides important habitat for thousands of migratory water birds including herons, storks, spoonbills, ibis, anhinga, ducks, and cormorants, as well as other wildlife like the emerald basilisk, giant anteaters, river turtles, and more. Upon arriving at the lodge, check in and then continue birding on a walk around the grounds. This is one of the best places to see the Nicaraguan Grackle, whose only Costa Rican habitat is Caño Negro and other marshy areas just south of Lake Nicaragua.

After a morning snack, head to the dock and board a boat for an early morning tour through the wetlands. An abundance of wildlife can be seen in these remote 22,000-acre tropical wetlands. Gliding along lagoons and canals, be on the lookout for some of the 350 species of birds found in the refuge, including a colony of Nicaraguan Grackle, egrets, anhingas, Roseate Spoonbills, and other waterfowl. It may also be possible to spot caimans, crocodiles, and monkeys. Return to the lodge for a full breakfast, and then head out on foot to photograph some more species around the lodge and surrounding areas. Have lunch at the lodge and rest for a little while before returning to the reserve for another boat safari. Caño Negro is also one of the nesting spots for the imposing Jabiru stork. Return to the hotel with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

After breakfast, depart toward Monteverde, stopping en route in La Fortuna to take a stroll and have lunch. Continue to the town of Bijagua and Celeste Mountain Lodge, located on the northern side of Tenorio Volcano National Park. Arrive at the lodge with time to get settled. After dinner, set out on a hike in search of nocturnal species like Common Pauraque, Spectacled Owl, and Costa Rican Pygmy Owl.

This morning, go birding at Tapir Valley Reserve. This private reserve was created when concerned citizens purchased the land more than 10 years ago with the vision of preserving and protecting it. It consists of more than 540 acres of primary and secondary forest that are home to target species like the Ornate Hawk Eagle, King Vulture, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Lovely Cotinga, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Three-wattled Bellbird, Black-crested Coquette, and Snowcap, and more. Attend a talk about the reserve before going to visit Bird Songs Gardens, a hummingbird garden alongside the road between Bijagua and Celeste Mountain Lodge. Situated in northern Costa Rica between the Miravalles and Tenorio volcanoes, the Bijagua area acts as an ecotone between dry and wet habitats and lowland and foothill forest. Adding the mature rainforest and second growth habitats into the mix makes this a highly diverse area for birding and observing other wildlife like pumas, tapirs, sloths, anteaters, coatis, and giant butterflies

Check out after having breakfast at the lodge, and then begin the journey to Costa Rica's Pacific Coast. En route, stop for a visit at La Ensenada Sanctuary to explore its network of mangroves by boat and spend some time birding before having lunch. Upon arriving to the coast, check into Hotel Punta Leona and spend the afternoon at leisure exploring the property's white sand beach and lush tropical rainforest. Seek out many of the more than 300 bird species that frequent the area, as well as monkeys, sloths, coatis, and colorful tropical flora.

This morning, go for a boat ride along the Tárcoles River in search of its most famous inhabitant, the enormous American crocodile. The Tárcoles River basin is one of the most important in the Pacific coastal region as it drains virtually the entire western side of the Central Valley and hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife along its banks. After lunch, enjoy a guided hike in Carara National Park, which is located in one of the most ecologically diverse areas of the country. The intersection of northwestern tropical dry forest of the Central Pacific region with the humid rainforest of the South Pacific region, concentrated in a relatively small area, produces a fascinating combination of species from both ecosystems. Trails through Carara feature thick, ancestral forest that has remained unchanged for thousands of years. Keep your eyes open for flocks of Scarlet Macaws swarming the palm trees in search of fruit.

After breakfast, travel back to San José's international airport for the flights home. Flights should be scheduled to depart after 2 pm.