Nature Photo-Safari

Day 1: Arrive in San José

• Arrival at San José airport, meet & greet and transfer to the hotel.
• Briefing and initial tips.

Day 2: Arenal Volcano

• Breakfast, then drive towards Arenal volcano.
• On the road, a couple of stops to shoot typical local Sodas.
• After reaching the vicinity of the volcano and depending on the weather, drive around the lake with its varied viewpoints, hike in the rainforest along ancient lava flows. Sweeping views of the perfect cone in the late-afternoon light take on near-magical hues.

Day 3: Volcano and Fortuna

• Breakfast at your hotel; meet up with a naturalist guide for a hike across the jungle and its hanging bridges. In your viewfinder today: tropical wildlife (birds, monkeys and snakes…) and striking views of the jungle and volcano.
• Later on, we’ll start our first post-processing session that will help you to optimize your next shots.
• In the afternoon, discover the small town of La Fortuna with its great views of the volcano.
• End the day in hot spring thermal pools.

Day 4: Tenorio Volcano

• After breakfast, departure towards Tenorio volcano.
• Visit to the small town of Bijagua, where we’ll try to spot sloths and toucans and practice our skills at street photography. Next, visit to an organic coffee plantation before settling down at our hotel on the edge of the rainforest.
• A trail starting at the hotel will give us a chance to go on a “night tour” and observe the nocturnal wildlife, amphibians, and try our hand at low-light snaps…

Day 5: Rio Celeste

• In the morning, off to the incredible blue waters of the Rio Celeste river: hike along the riverbank to the waterfalls and their unreal colors. Long exposure photo techniques will be on the agenda to help you capture them with a silky-smooth water effect.
• In the afternoon, we’ll drive across the plains of Guanacaste for a total change of atmosphere… as we hit the Pacific Ocean!
• Along the way, stop in Santa Cruz to capture the town’s typical alleys and its colorful characters.

Day 6: Discover action shots

• Depart at dawn to explore the nearby beaches and try your hand at surf photography.
• Landscapes, sports… and another chance to catch the wildlife, as the area is teeming with howler monkeys. Just follow the howls!
• Return to the villa, hearty breakfast, chill-out and image processing workshop.
• In the afternoon, boat ride around the Tempisque estuary to snap the crocodiles and migratory birds.

Day 7: Beach and landscape photography

• In the morning, set off to beaches worthy of the best postcards: landscape work, conventional or quirky compositions, all making the best of the morning light.
• On the way back, we’ll show you one of our favorite local canteens.
• In the afternoon, you may want to book a sunset horseback ride to explore hard-to-reach parts of the coast bathed in a dreamlike light (optional).

Day 8: Turtles and colorful houses

• Morning departure for the southern coast and its black sand coastline, turtle nesting grounds and a wonderful picture-perfect beach.
• On the way, we’ll pass through a couple of villages with colorful houses typical of the region.
• A day of exploration, dirt tracks and river crossings in one of the country’s most authentic areas.

Day 9: Rincón de la Vieja

• Depart at dawn to be the first at the gates of Rincón de la Vieja National Park: a steep path through the forest, with its spectacular strangler fig trees, leading to a secluded waterfall worthy of a photo shoot from every angle.
• With a little luck, we’ll spot white-faced monkeys and other inhabitants of the tropical dry forest typical of Guanacaste.

Day 10: Back to San José