Costa Rica | Photographing the Jewels of Nature

Upon arrival in San José meet with your driver and guide and transfer to the hotel. This afternoon enjoy time on your own to photograph the bustling city. This evening have a welcome dinner and orientation at the hotel for introductions and preparation for tomorrow's journey to Tortuguero. In order to arrive in time for orientation, participants must book flights that arrive in San José no later than 4:30 p.m. Check in is 3:00 pm.

In the early morning, check out from the hotel and begin your journey to Tortuguero. On the morning drive, pass through Braulio Carrillo National Park, more than 90% of which is primary cloud and rainforest. Stop en route for a tropical breakfast buffet, then continue to the dock where you'll board a private boat to travel through the canal system to Tortuguero. Upon arrival, enjoy a welcome cocktail and check in at Pachira's Evergreen Lodge, situated just outside the Tortuguero National Park boundary. Next, board boats for a safari through Tortuguero National Park, which is mainly accessible via motorized boats and canoes. The park encompasses over 40,000 acres and is an important nesting site for four of the world's eight sea turtle species: leatherback, green, loggerhead, and hawksbill. The region is also rich with other photography target species, including mantled howler, spider, and white-faced capuchin monkeys, two-toed sloths, river turtles, spectacled caimans, green and brown basilisks, Collared Aracaris, Yellow-throated and Keel-billed Toucans, Great Green Macaws, strawberry poison dart frogs, tree frogs, and many more.

This morning enjoy a second photo safari along the canals by boat to photograph in different lighting conditions. Return to the lodge for breakfast, then have some free time to hike along the trails to photograph flora and fauna at your leisure. This afternoon, head out later for an additional boat safari. After dinner, join our guide for a night hike on the lodge's property.

After breakfast, attend a presentation at the Sea Turtle Conservancy, which has conducted research and monitoring programs in Tortuguero since 1959, followed by walk in the colorful Tortuguero Village. Here you can see the rugged coast, where turtles nest at night during nesting season. This afternoon set out on a final boat safari.

In the early morning, go on a quick photography session around the lodge. After breakfast, take a boat back to the dock and begin the bus journey to Sarapiquí. Have lunch at a local restaurant along the way. Continue to Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve, located in the lush lowlands of north central Costa Rica on a private tract of primary and secondary tropical rainforest. After settling in, receive an orientation on the lodge's facilities and 500-acre private reserve. 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. This evening, gather for a lecture on the Mesoamerican Biological Cooridor. 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.

After an early breakfast, transfer to Nature Pavilion for a two hour session in the park. Have lunch at the lodge. This afternoon visit 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. Return to the lodge for dinner. This evening, there is another optional guided nocturnal hike around the lodge.

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. Have lunch then visit Picos & Plumas. Return to Selva Verde for dinner.

Early morning birding photography on the lodge grounds. After breakfast check out head south for Cerro de la Muerte, an area located at the top of the Talamanca Mountain Range that is famous for its diversity of endemic wildlife. Consisting of temperate forest and páramo habitats, the natural vegetation attracts an immense amount of bird life such as the rare Red-fronted Parrotlet and the photogenic Resplendent Quetzal. Enjoy a traditional lunch en route and continue the journey to the cloud forest realm. Upon arrival at the lodge, take some time to visit the hummingbird feeders in front of reception and off the balcony of the lounge. The feeders are often active with resident Magnificent Hummingbird, Green Violetear, Gray-tailed Mountaingem, Volcano Hummingbird, and tiny Scintillant Hummingbird.

Spend the morning exploring Savegre's trails, which wind through mostly virgin forest and consist of hundred-year-old trees, multicolored plants, mushrooms, insects, amphibians and mammals. Altitudes vary from 7,220 to 11,384 feet. Savegre is a paradise for birders and known as one of the best places in the country to observe the Resplendent Quetzal. During your stay you will have ample opportunities to photograph hummingbirds. In the afternoon, visit Batsu Garden.

This morning, have breakfast at the hotel then transfer to Miriam's for some time to explore and lunch. After lunch, transfer back to San José and check in to the hotel. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Transfer from the hotel to the airport. Check out is at 12:00 pm.