Destination Travel Guide: Photography in Costa Rica

Costa Rica can boast of a startling diversity in climates and scenic landscapes despite its small size. Much of its natural heritage is accessible to travelers through the country’s well-established system of parks and protected areas. Being a travel club for photography lovers, Costa Rica is a no brainer for us since the diverse range of landscapes, plants, & animals is endless.

Check out this destination travel guide for 3 areas with awesome opportunities for travel photography in Costa Rica:

* Arenal Volcano is an active volcano that resembles a perfect cone rising towards the heavens. Travelers to the region could photograph lava running down its sides until it recently stopped flowing. When we were there in February 2012 there was still smoke rising from the caldera which made for great shots. There are also tons of hikes, waterfalls, & zip lining around Arenal. Don’t forget to relax in one of the nearby hot springs after a doing a volcano hike or other adventure before you move on.

* Monteverde Cloud Forest sits on the mountain ranges overlooking the town of Monteverde. It is home to thousands of rare animals and plants, including the Resplendent Quetzal. We were lucky to spot and photograph this rare bird which photographers and bird enthusiasts come to see from all over the world. The entire landscape lies under the cloud cover unique to the specific climate here and makes for spectacular and even eerie photographs.

* Tortuguero is a village that sits on the coast of the Caribbean Sea, famous for its proximity to the nesting sites of four sea turtle species. Travelers & biologists come yearly to study and photograph the sea turtles hatch and make their way to the sea for the first time. From April to October fantastic photos can be taken of the turtles nesting and the eggs hatching in September/October.

This is just a minute sampling of some must see stops on a trip to CR. Our group tours to Costa Rica hit all of these places in search of great photography!